Rank 01Why this
Also World War II and Grand Strategy, like Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game.
- $9.99 (Price checked Oct 19)
- 2009
Games like Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game
- 22 games
- Updated May 4, 2026
Players who liked Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game also play
The closest matches to Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game: Hearts of Iron III, Victoria II, Steel Division 2, Supreme Ruler Ultimate, and Making History: The Great War. Ranked by imho.run from Steam co-play data, shared tags and reviews.
- Rank 01
Rank 02Why this
Also World War I and Grand Strategy, like Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game.
- $4.99 (Price checked Oct 19)
- Deck Playable
- 2010
Rank 03- $39.99 (Price checked Oct 19)
- Deck Playable
- 2019
Rank 04 
Rank 05 
Making History: The Great War
Why this: Also World War I and World War II, like Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game.
Rank 06 
Rank 07 
Rank 08 
Wargame: European Escalation
Why this: Also Cold War and Wargame, like Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game.
The full ranked list: top 24 games like Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game
Best match first, as plain text. The same list for AI assistants:
- 1Hearts of Iron III
Also World War II and Grand Strategy, like Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game.
- 77% of 2,730 reviews
- 2Victoria II
Also World War I and Grand Strategy, like Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game.
- 93% of 9,038 reviews
- 3
- 4
- 5Making History: The Great War
Also World War I and World War II, like Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game.
- 75% of 279 reviews
- 6
- 7
- 8Wargame: European Escalation
Also Cold War and Wargame, like Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game.
- 76% of 1,361 reviews
- 9Graviteam Tactics: Operation Star
Also World War II and Wargame, like Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game.
- 81% of 273 reviews
- 10
- 11NOBUNAGA'S AMBITION: Sphere of Influence
Also Grand Strategy and Wargame, like Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game.
- 82% of 446 reviews
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16The Operational Art of War IV
Also World War I and Cold War, like Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game.
- 77% of 134 reviews
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21Armored Brigade II
Also Cold War and Grand Strategy, like Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game.
- 84% of 103 reviews
- 22
- 23
- 24
- Released: 2011
- Developer: Martin Ivanov
- Price: $9.99checked Oct 17
- 91% of 929 reviews
- Genres: Strategy
- Metacritic 81
- Platforms: Windows
Players highlight
- Modding ecosystem expands replayability
- Operational reserves add tactical depth
- Research investment feels meaningful
- Challenging
- Contemplative
- Epic
More games like Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game, sliced differently
Cheaper alternatives
Games in the same vein priced at least 40% below Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game at current Steam store prices.
Soldiers: Heroes of World War II - Enhanced Edition
Why this: Also World War II and Wargame, like Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game.
Arsenal of Democracy: A Hearts of Iron Game
Why this: Also World War II and Grand Strategy, like Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game.
Blitzkrieg 2 Anthology
Why this: Also World War II and RTS, like Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game.
AI War 2
Why this: Also Grand Strategy and RTS, like Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game.
Free alternatives
Free games the recommender matches to Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game, limited to titles with at least 500 Steam reviews and 80% positive.
Crusader Kings II
Why this: Also Grand Strategy and Historical, like Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game.
KARDS - The WW2 Card Game
Why this: Also World War II and Wargame, like Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game.
Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition
Why this: Also RTS and Military, like Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game.
World of Warships
Why this: Also World War II and Military, like Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game.
DCS World Steam Edition
Why this: Also Military and War, like Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game.
Landfall Archives
Why this: Also Wargame and Historical, like Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game.
War of Dots
Why this: Also Wargame and RTS, like Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game.
World of Guns: Gun Disassembly
Why this: Also Military and Historical, like Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game.
About Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game
The closest matches to Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game: Hearts of Iron III, Victoria II, Steel Division 2, Supreme Ruler Ultimate, and Making History: The Great War. Ranked by imho.run from Steam co-play data, shared tags and reviews.
If Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game is your kind of game, the closest matches are Hearts of Iron III, Victoria II and Steel Division 2 — picked from the ranked list below. Reviewers describe it as challenging, contemplative and epic, and single out its belligerence filter and operational reserves. 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.
About Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game: Developed by a team of experienced modders from the Paradox forum, Darkest Hour is a stand-alone Hearts of Iron game. The game features a mixture of short and in-depth campaigns set across the darkest chapters of the 20th century. Play from the outbreak of the Great War up until the onset of the Cold War.
Is Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game 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.
- 92% of 929 Steam reviews are positive.
- Last 30 days: 13% positive across 63 new reviews, 79 points below its all-time score.
- Price: $9.99 (checked Oct 17).
- People who recommend it had played a median of 163 h when they wrote their review.
- Not supported on Steam Deck.
What fans praise · Themes mined from positive reviews
- Modding ecosystem expands replayability
- Operational reserves add tactical depth
- Research investment feels meaningful
- Revamped map improves strategic clarity
Top critical reviews
The most up-voted negative English reviews in our sample, quoted as written.
“A lot of the reviews seem to be based on nostalgia. The UI and Combat are atrocious, there is little to do other than build factories and armies. There is no flavor. War is tedious and slow. The logistics aspect is overly simple. For two…”
“If you really like this series of games then I guess I would recommend it, but for me its too historically rigid and ends up being death by micromanagement and spread sheets. To actually play the game well requires so much fiddling around…”
People who play it also play: Hearts of Iron III, Victoria II, Steel Division 2
Frequently asked about Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game
Can I run it?
Does Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game work on Steam Deck?
Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game is currently rated Unsupported on Steam Deck. It may not launch or may have significant issues that block normal play.
How much does Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game cost?
Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game is listed on Steam at 9.99 USD (current store price; Steam sales may reduce this temporarily).
Does Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game have multiplayer or co-op?
Yes — Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game supports multi-player play according to its Steam store listing (Multi-player).
What games are most similar to Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game?
Based on Steam play patterns and shared genres/tags, the games most often recommended alongside Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game are Hearts of Iron III, Victoria II, Steel Division 2.
Who developed Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game?
Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game was developed by Martin Ivanov and published by Paradox Interactive.