The tenth to fifteenth centuries were wild.
Seriously, a lot can happen over 500 years. Empires rose and fell, countries were founded and fought over, there were 9 Crusades (well, 11 but a crusade full of children never really stood a chance), and the Black Death was a thing. When you’re looking at making a game full of history and interesting ruling dynamics, this time period makes a lot of sense.
Crusader Kings 2, launched by Paradox in 2012, starts in 936. Pick your ruler from a variety of classes and customs, and off you go into the wreck that was medieval Europe. The game lasts until 1453, or until your dynasty dies off – whichever happens first.
Why 1453? That’s the accepted end of the Medieval period, with both the fall of Constantinople and the end of the Hundred Years’ War… Fine, it’s mostly the fall of the Roman Empire (apparently that was a big deal), I’m just too British to pass up on acknowledging an Anglo-French War – but if I stay on that diversion, we’ll be here all day.
Your primary objective is to have the most renowned dynasty which lasts the whole medieval period, which you do by gaining piety and prestige. Marrying well and actually crusading can help you out with these, and the game will throw in some random events which might lead to bursts of prestige, piety, and wealth. Go falconing, tell your husband he’s looking a little pudgy, make a horse your chancellor: these event prompts can be weird and wonderful. They add a little something extra making Crusader Kings 2 a little more than your typical RTS.
These events can also grant your character personality traits – normal stuff like kind, envious, or possessed. They give special event chains, options to choose from, and influence your stats and people’s opinions of you. Having friends is all well and good, you can trust your friends (usually) and they’ll make for good vassals. But rivals… What do you do with rivals? you could plot to kill them, make their lives awful by taking everything they own, or excommunicate them – you’ve got options!
Because of all of the options you have available, no two games of Crusader Kings 2 are the same. But if you’re looking for even more variety, you may be interested in the many expansion packs made for the game. New features, choices, government styles, an extra couple of centuries – there’s a little something for everyone. The costs do snowball a fair bit, but at least the base game is free now!
As much as I enjoy this game, it isn’t user friendly. It’s a nightmare to navigate, even with the Learning Scenario (which is meant to be a tutorial mode, but it’s just regular Crusader Kings with a few hints). The UI is intimidating, options are difficult to find, there are so many menus… I think I was 80 hours in when I figured out how to upgrade my holdings. A friend of mine said you need a degree in Crusader Kings to be able to play it, but all it really needs is time.
Being free to play is a giant plus. Go CK2. On the flip side, there is a huge negative: this game is damned near impossible to play. It isn’t intuitive at all. The UI is intimidating, important options are difficult to find, tabs have tabs which then also have tabs – it’s so easy to miss or overlook something, which isn’t great when the whole game is basically micromanagement. There is a tutorial Learning Scenario, but it’s just Crusader Kings 2 with large pop ups telling you what to do in ways which aren’t super helpful.
However with some time and effort (and using the wiki – I’m not ashamed to Google things!), you can get through it. Moreover, you can spend hundreds of hours on this game pretty easily. Worried it’ll get stale? Understandable, but the developers are adding Featured Rulers – including challenges for each and their dynasties – in the run up to Crusader Kings 3. You get cool cosmetics for the upcoming game if you complete them, and who doesn’t want a fancy hat?
If you can invest the time, I do highly recommend this game. It is a lot of fun, and you can really get invested in the preservation of your dynasty. Come and get crusading!
Deus Vult!
Long Live the King!
Below are links to Humble Bundle, where you can get some of the expansions for Crusader Kings 2. The following affiliate links won’t charge you any more, but I get a little something back if you buy from them.
Holy Fury ¦ Monks & Mystics ¦ Conclave ¦ Jade Dragon ¦ The Reaper’s Due ¦ Charlemagne ¦ Horse Lords ¦ Way of Life ¦ Rajas of India
And the Dynasty Starter Pack, including the Ruler Designer, Legacy of Rome, Sword of Islam, The Old Gods, and Way of Life.
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