Rank 01Why this
Shares religious conversion and court intrigue with Crusader Kings II.
- $49.99 (Price checked Nov 4)
- Deck Playable
- 2020
Games like Crusader Kings II
- 16 games
- Updated May 4, 2026
Players who liked Crusader Kings II also play
The closest matches to Crusader Kings II: Crusader Kings III, Europa Universalis IV, Stellaris, Hearts of Iron IV, and Victoria 3. Ranked by imho.run from Steam co-play data, shared tags and reviews.
- Rank 01
Rank 02Why this
Also Real-Time with Pause and Diplomacy, like Crusader Kings II.
- $49.99 (Price checked Nov 4)
- 2013
Rank 03
Rank 04 
Rank 05 
Victoria 3
Why this: Also Real-Time with Pause and Politics, like Crusader Kings II.
Rank 06 
Old World
Why this: Also Grand Strategy and Historical, like Crusader Kings II.
Rank 07 
Rank 08 
Norland
Why this: Shares dynasty management with Crusader Kings II.
The full ranked list: top 24 games like Crusader Kings II
Best match first, as plain text. The same list for AI assistants:
- 1Crusader Kings III
Shares religious conversion and court intrigue with Crusader Kings II.
- 91% of 48,633 reviews
- 2Europa Universalis IV
Also Real-Time with Pause and Diplomacy, like Crusader Kings II.
- 87% of 47,407 reviews
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10The Guild II Renaissance
Also Politics and Political Sim, like Crusader Kings II.
- 79% of 1,563 reviews
- 11
- 12Crusader Kings Complete
Also Real-Time with Pause and Grand Strategy, like Crusader Kings II.
- 57% of 108 reviews
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16Sid Meier's Civilization VII
Also Diplomacy and Grand Strategy, like Crusader Kings II.
- 51% of 27,101 reviews
- 17
- 18The King's Dilemma: Chronicles
Also Political Sim and Historical, like Crusader Kings II.
- 56% of 52 reviews
- 19
- 20
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- Released: 2012
- Developer: Paradox Development Studio
- Price: Free to play
- Steam Deck: Deck Playable
- 91% of 47,614 reviews
- Genres: Strategy, Simulation, RPG, Free To Play
- Metacritic 82
- Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Players highlight
- Dynasties rise and fall unpredictably
- Every rulers death creates a new story
- Mods extend the games lifespan infinitely
- Contemplative
- Dark
- Immersive
More games like Crusader Kings II, sliced differently
Reviewers mention these as similar to Crusader Kings II
Surfaced from review text: when other players write 'if you liked X, try Y', we catch the name and resolve it back to a Steam game.
Total War: MEDIEVAL II – Definitive Edition
Why this: Also Grand Strategy and Historical, like Crusader Kings II.
Project Zomboid
Why this: Same stressful mood as Crusader Kings II.
RimWorld
Why this: Same immersive mood as Crusader Kings II.
More from Paradox Development Studio
Other recommendable Steam games by Paradox Development Studio, ranked by review count so the studio's hits land first.
Imperator: Rome
Why this: Also Real-Time with Pause and Politics, like Crusader Kings II.
Hearts of Iron III
Why this: Also Real-Time with Pause and Grand Strategy, like Crusader Kings II.
About Crusader Kings II
The closest matches to Crusader Kings II: Crusader Kings III, Europa Universalis IV, Stellaris, Hearts of Iron IV, and Victoria 3. Ranked by imho.run from Steam co-play data, shared tags and reviews.
If Crusader Kings II is your kind of game, the closest matches are Crusader Kings III, Europa Universalis IV and Stellaris — picked from the ranked list below. Reviewers describe it as contemplative, dark and immersive, and single out its court intrigue and dynasty management. Each pick is ranked by what players of this game also play, shared genres and tags, and review-mined similarity — not a generic popularity list.
Crusader Kings II is a medieval grand strategy experience set during one of history's most transformative periods. Released in 2012 and now available as a free-to-play title, the game combines strategy, simulation, and RPG elements as players manage dynasties across generations. Core mechanics include court intrigue, succession planning, religious conversion, and the politics of holy wars, with modding support that players note extends the game's lifespan considerably. Reviewers describe the experience as both immersive and contemplative, while also highlighting how the unpredictable rise and fall of dynasties and the narrative implications of each ruler's death create emergent stories that players compare to dramatic storytelling. The title holds a 91% positive rating from over 47,000 Steam reviews and is marked as playable on Steam Deck.
About Crusader Kings II: Explore one of the defining periods in world history in an experience crafted by the masters of Grand Strategy.
Is Crusader Kings II worth buying?
Recent reviews are much worse
A summary of what players say, not a promise you'll like it. Every signal is listed below.
- 91% of 47,614 Steam reviews are positive.
- Last 30 days: 52% positive across 166 new reviews, 39 points below its all-time score.
- Free to play.
- People who recommend it had played a median of 265 h when they wrote their review.
- Critics had played a median of 33 h before turning negative, so complaints are about the long run, not the first hours.
- Steam Deck Playable: works, with some rough edges.
What fans praise · Themes mined from positive reviews
- Dynasties rise and fall unpredictably
- Every rulers death creates a new story
- Mods extend the games lifespan infinitely
- Religious and cultural conversions shape the world
Top critical reviews
The most up-voted negative English reviews in our sample, quoted as written.
“Don't bother with this game. While it's free, the "game" requires around 3 to 4 DLCs to actually enjoy, as the base game is free because it's worthless without them. This is basically the diet demo version of Crusader Kings III, seeing as…”
“It's free to play because it's a dlc trap. $450 aud for all the dlc on a game from 2012! Wild!! Putting up a token free to play is just a wolf in sheep skin strat. Dont Little Red Riding Hood your way into their greed snare.”
People who play it also play: Crusader Kings III, Europa Universalis IV, Stellaris
Frequently asked about Crusader Kings II
Can I run it?
Does Crusader Kings II run on Steam Deck?
Crusader Kings II is rated Playable on Steam Deck — it runs, but expect some manual adjustments (control remapping, text size, or graphics settings) for the best experience.
Is Crusader Kings II free to play?
Yes — Crusader Kings II is a free-to-play title on Steam. You can install and play it without buying anything, though some games include optional in-app purchases.
Does Crusader Kings II have multiplayer or co-op?
Yes — Crusader Kings II supports multi-player play according to its Steam store listing (Multi-player).
What games are most similar to Crusader Kings II?
Based on Steam play patterns and shared genres/tags, the games most often recommended alongside Crusader Kings II are Crusader Kings III, Europa Universalis IV, Stellaris.
Who developed Crusader Kings II?
Crusader Kings II was developed by Paradox Development Studio and published by Paradox Interactive.