Crusader Kings II

 PC
User Score
8.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1019 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 882 out of 1019
  2. Mixed: 81 out of 1019
  3. Negative: 56 out of 1019

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  1. Golakka
    Jun 14, 2012
    10
    The best and the brightest paradox title: difficult, exciting and very satisfying in every part. the main goal is to help your name to survive to you, to write a story about your family. It is strange for a strategic game but every character lives...your wife, your sons, your ancestors, your enemies. This is a tale engine about a family. Your family. The blood is thicker than water, andThe best and the brightest paradox title: difficult, exciting and very satisfying in every part. the main goal is to help your name to survive to you, to write a story about your family. It is strange for a strategic game but every character lives...your wife, your sons, your ancestors, your enemies. This is a tale engine about a family. Your family. The blood is thicker than water, and playing this game you will discover it.… Expand
  2. Yabbah
    Feb 14, 2012
    10
    By far the easiest Paradox Grand Strategy game to get into, simply because it is more like an RPG than GS. The graphics are great, the new combat system is brilliant, and the game is wonderfully in depth. Paradox has made it so even when playing the smallest, most insignificant county in Europe that you will still be constantly entertained with intrigue and diplomacy. Top notch quality,By far the easiest Paradox Grand Strategy game to get into, simply because it is more like an RPG than GS. The graphics are great, the new combat system is brilliant, and the game is wonderfully in depth. Paradox has made it so even when playing the smallest, most insignificant county in Europe that you will still be constantly entertained with intrigue and diplomacy. Top notch quality, zero bugs or crashes encountered thus far. Simply brilliant.… Expand
  3. Mikimax
    Feb 7, 2012
    10
    At the first glance very complex, but after 1h of tutorials you can get into the game. Amazing graphics, great sound, runs smooth, very complex political system, absolutely perfect!
  4. Scritty
    Feb 9, 2012
    9
    After a string of (frankly) stinkers (SotS2 being the stinkiest and saddest stinker) we finally get a game worthy of the "old" Paradox name. I loved the original CK. It is a totally different sort of strategy. It is to Medieval strategy what Football manager is to the soccer genre. While Total War does the "Fifa 012" bit "Football Manager" is all about the people, their abilities and theirAfter a string of (frankly) stinkers (SotS2 being the stinkiest and saddest stinker) we finally get a game worthy of the "old" Paradox name. I loved the original CK. It is a totally different sort of strategy. It is to Medieval strategy what Football manager is to the soccer genre. While Total War does the "Fifa 012" bit "Football Manager" is all about the people, their abilities and their relationships. Well same here.
    Crusader Kings 2 is a VERY sold and attractive game, it even co0mes with a decent tutorial (saints preserve us - Paradox realising that MAYBE some gamers don't want to spend 2-3 days working out what everything does - the challenge should be in PLAYING THE GAME...not WORKING OUT HOW TO PLAY THE GAME)..Anyway CK II sorts this out. The relationships are fantastic, the character traits very believable, the bloodlines mingle in ways that seem entirely realistic (you don't always get what you want - but you always understand why you end up with what you have) Pity it's almost Spring, this game could have kept me going all Winter. An excellent game - the best I've played in 2012 so far    … Expand
  5. nirvycn
    Feb 10, 2012
    10
    Paradox back on form at last after some dubious game releases, if you like this genre, this is pretty much the best there is. Loving it. Definitely worth a buy!
  6. MarqsS
    Mar 11, 2012
    9
    One of the best grand strategy games out there. It's just what I always wanted. Not overcomplicated, not too flashy, quite easy to get into but with some exquisite depth. And not so scary as other Paradox games at first contact. If diplomacy, strategic marriages and intrigue are your thing then buy this game, it's worth it.
  7. CBZ
    May 27, 2013
    9
    Fantastic game! This game is all about personal relationships and not about empires and trade. It focuses on the people and this is what makes it so unique. The depth of the relationships and the level of detail and number of variables are on par with Paradox's standards and will not disappoint you.
    I'm very glad I gave CK a chance. This game can provide an endless amount of hours of    Fantastic game! This game is all about personal relationships and not about empires and trade. It focuses on the people and this is what makes it so unique. The depth of the relationships and the level of detail and number of variables are on par with Paradox's standards and will not disappoint you.
    I'm very glad I gave CK a chance. This game can provide an endless amount of hours of gameplay due to the random nature of the events.    … Expand
  8. FredRogers
    Oct 27, 2013
    10
    This game is one of the best games i have ever played and honestly at first to a gamer it would seem to be crap to the average gamer. If you give the game some time and watch tutorial youtube videos, you will probably like this game a lot as it offers a interesting perceptive into gaming and even history. In all this game is great and even has amazing mods like game of thrones and elderThis game is one of the best games i have ever played and honestly at first to a gamer it would seem to be crap to the average gamer. If you give the game some time and watch tutorial youtube videos, you will probably like this game a lot as it offers a interesting perceptive into gaming and even history. In all this game is great and even has amazing mods like game of thrones and elder kings to back it up.… Expand
  9. kella
    Jul 16, 2016
    5
    This used to be my favorite game. Used to be. Back during Rajas of India or somewhere along there I would have rated it 9 out of 10.

    Then they broke it. Inexplicably ruined it, trashed it, let some junior designer or idiot know-it-all producer or a committee of dunces--I have no idea what happened there, in Sweden, behind closed doors--utterly trash the game with the broken, worthless,    This used to be my favorite game. Used to be. Back during Rajas of India or somewhere along there I would have rated it 9 out of 10.

    Then they broke it. Inexplicably ruined it, trashed it, let some junior designer or idiot know-it-all producer or a committee of dunces--I have no idea what happened there, in Sweden, behind closed doors--utterly trash the game with the broken, worthless, unplayable steaming POS that is the Conclave DLC. I hope someone got fired for that, but now that I have Stellaris, I don't think that person got fired. I think they got promoted.

    Seriouisly, WTF happened to Paradox? Did their best game designers quit or something? Because this once-great strategy company has gone to the dogs.    … Expand
  10. LesPaul
    Dec 27, 2019
    5
    The horrible portrait graphics are a game-breaker: I dropped playing CKII and switched back to the original CK just in order to avoid having to look at CKII artwork. The other problem with this otherwise fine dynasty game is the marketing strategy to milk players for more money with the numerous DLCs. Gameplay itself is a 9-10 experience, though the game engine conjures up a little tooThe horrible portrait graphics are a game-breaker: I dropped playing CKII and switched back to the original CK just in order to avoid having to look at CKII artwork. The other problem with this otherwise fine dynasty game is the marketing strategy to milk players for more money with the numerous DLCs. Gameplay itself is a 9-10 experience, though the game engine conjures up a little too much of a soap-operatic experience for my taste, in comparison to the original CK.… Expand
  11. MatikTheSeventh
    Oct 11, 2020
    10
    Absolutely the best medieval strategy/life simulator. The possibilities are almost as huge as my king's incestuous family tree.
  12. Seve82
    Nov 23, 2020
    10
    Beautiful combination of strategy game with strong role playing element of dynasty management. For best game play experience you must try the mods made for this game (for example AGOT, ElderKings or Warhammer: Geheimnisnacht). Sadly you need to get all the major dlc to have full experience and that costs 182,85 eur so better wait for steam sale.
    You can go for ck3 but in its current state    Beautiful combination of strategy game with strong role playing element of dynasty management. For best game play experience you must try the mods made for this game (for example AGOT, ElderKings or Warhammer: Geheimnisnacht). Sadly you need to get all the major dlc to have full experience and that costs 182,85 eur so better wait for steam sale.
    You can go for ck3 but in its current state its just dumbed down version of ck2 for the uncouth masses.    … Expand
  13. g014n
    Aug 19, 2020
    9
    This review is in anticipation of CK3, if it comes out barebones in terms of the feature set, you might want to try out CK2 instead. Here's why.

    It's one of those games that is great to play but technically still flawed after many years of patching. It's also hard to define, this depends how you personally play it, what's your style. You can play it like a strategy game (which is how I    This review is in anticipation of CK3, if it comes out barebones in terms of the feature set, you might want to try out CK2 instead. Here's why.

    It's one of those games that is great to play but technically still flawed after many years of patching. It's also hard to define, this depends how you personally play it, what's your style. You can play it like a strategy game (which is how I approach it - ignore the fluff), but you can also play it as a role playing game. And this later part is why so many people define it as a murder/incest simulator.

    The game offers a window into the intricacies of medieval court life and how it impacted the course of history and I do appreciate games that tackle heavy topics in some way, that manage to enhance our understanding of that thing (in this case, that period in human history).

    Vanilla is great to play as is since the LoR expansion, but there are truly great mods. I've played the enhanced experience mods, the one set in ancient Rome period, the Elder Scrolls and GoT mods. The mechanics truly fit these time periods and lores. Plus each playthrough gave me an additional 100-120h of playtime. I can't say the same about many other Paradox games.

    The DLCs are a mess, but it doesn't constitute a con. You need about 120 euros worth of content in order to properly get all out of it. Most of them don't expand the game and they're truly optional. There are some great mods too, for example Charlemagne expands the timeline a lot which in itself adds depth to the history and background simulation of games that are started from previously available starting dates. But it's also great to play to also experience that part of European history too. They did hide some features in later DLCs, but most of them are in the base game and you don't need the accompanying DLCs, unlike with EU4. Ultimately, CK2 was so good for me that I bought all the non-cosmetic ones as they're needed to enjoy the mods properly. But this was to encourage further development and it's not something I recommend to my friends that play it more casually.

    It truly has replayability value. I've replayed scenarios like the salvation of the Byzantine empire or the formation of the Roman empire and they offer a different experience each time. Of course, the main reason to replay this would be to experience the mechanics from the perspective of rulers in various corners of the map.    … Expand
  14. otto500206
    Sep 3, 2020
    10
    This is the best game of probably only game series that haves strategy and RPG at same time. It haves so much content both with mods and without mods that I'm sure that I didn't tried all of the start dates and mods in the game, even though I have more than 1500 hours on this game. I cannot say this game is perfect(It's very hard to learn and hard to play), but it's the best game ofThis is the best game of probably only game series that haves strategy and RPG at same time. It haves so much content both with mods and without mods that I'm sure that I didn't tried all of the start dates and mods in the game, even though I have more than 1500 hours on this game. I cannot say this game is perfect(It's very hard to learn and hard to play), but it's the best game of Paradox Development Studio.

    Sadly in 2020, they made a bad successor of this game to replace this: CK3.    … Expand
  15. janjanusz
    Mar 26, 2023
    10
    The best and brightest paradox title better then Crusader kings III. I loved played this game with friends
  16. fitscotgaymer
    Jul 16, 2012
    9
    This is the type of game that requires time and investment to be able to play successfully; if you expect to jump in and win right away then the game will take great pleasure in destroying you thoroughly.

    You absolutely will need to read the manual which is online as a PDF downloadable from where you purchased it, or from the Paradox forums. And you may even need to consult the online    This is the type of game that requires time and investment to be able to play successfully; if you expect to jump in and win right away then the game will take great pleasure in destroying you thoroughly.

    You absolutely will need to read the manual which is online as a PDF downloadable from where you purchased it, or from the Paradox forums. And you may even need to consult the online FAQs for assistance.

    Which seems like a lot of work for a game doesn't it?

    Honestly though if you persevere it is completely worth the effort. Wouldn't say it was perfect, but with the ability to mod out the things you don't like and mod in the things you do? It is pretty damn near it.

    Paradox's best effort yet. Defo worth a 9 out of 10.    … Expand
  17. Bedlam
    Mar 1, 2012
    10
    I think this is the best game Paradox has created. The social intrigue aspect is really fun. It takes a bit to get used to moving through the interface and understanding the game, but after you figure it out it is addicting. It was well thought out.
  18. guddy123
    Mar 7, 2012
    9
    No glaring bugs out of the box and heck it's even more addictive then CK1. I'm serveraly days in and not 1 CTD.
    If you liked CK1 you want this.
    You need this.
    You DESERVE this =)
  19. Gunteraz
    Feb 16, 2012
    10
    After having played the original Crusader Kings game which was quite good but nowhere near being my favourite Paradox game, i wasn't very excited about this game at first. But once i tried the demo i was completely amazed. It's one of the most exciting games i have played in years! It is also quite hard at first because there is so many things to do and keep in mind. It does get easierAfter having played the original Crusader Kings game which was quite good but nowhere near being my favourite Paradox game, i wasn't very excited about this game at first. But once i tried the demo i was completely amazed. It's one of the most exciting games i have played in years! It is also quite hard at first because there is so many things to do and keep in mind. It does get easier once you get used to it. The best part of the game is the endless replay value. You can play the same dynasty for countless times over and over again and still have new and fun things to do with it. I also like that it is different from other strategy games which tend to be very generic and rarely offer something new or different. This game concentrates on building your dynasty instead of country like in most of the strategy games. So it's not your average "whack-a-mole" strategy game where you pick a country and then go on a conquering spree in order to make the whole world part of your realm but rather a very immense strategy-rpg combination where balance and micro-managing your family, courtiers and vassal is important. You have to plan your conquests very carefully or you end up having your entire family murdered by jealous vassals or other family members who want to have their share of the pie.

    Unlike most of Paradox releases this one works flawlessly from the start. I have played it for 2 days almost without a break and i haven't encountered a single bug.
    I have played most of Paradox games and i can easily say that this is the best one yet. I can see myself playing Crusader Kings II for years to come, and usually i get bored rather soon.

    A must buy for every strategy lover.    … Expand
  20. Iskhiaro
    Feb 20, 2012
    10
    Medieval Intrigue, army building, micromanagement and hardcore strategy. Not as difficult as the EU series, but still hardcore. Paradox back on form with a fantastic strategy game. Roll on EU4 :D
  21. Broofist
    Mar 3, 2012
    10
    I could go on and on about how much I like this game. I have enjoyed(almost) every game in the Total War, Sim City, Caesar, and Civilization series' and this game is a perfect 10 in its' own way. The only con is that the graphics are semi-outdated. The gameplay, replay value, and depth are the best I have ever encountered in the genre. For me, this is the first really smooth PC titleI could go on and on about how much I like this game. I have enjoyed(almost) every game in the Total War, Sim City, Caesar, and Civilization series' and this game is a perfect 10 in its' own way. The only con is that the graphics are semi-outdated. The gameplay, replay value, and depth are the best I have ever encountered in the genre. For me, this is the first really smooth PC title I've played in a long time; Small file size, no junk running the background, and no real bugs or crashes.… Expand
  22. Spof722
    Sep 28, 2012
    10
    Crusader kings 2 review
    Crusader kings 2 is a real-time grand strategy game made by paradox studio. In Crusader king 2 you can play 1 country out of over 100 and re-write history from the years 1066-1453 you can rule your kingdom make alliances with others and expand your empire. Not only has all of this but the fun not stopped there as you can play with up to 16 of your friends online,    Crusader kings 2 review
    Crusader kings 2 is a real-time grand strategy game made by paradox studio. In Crusader king 2 you can play 1 country out of over 100 and re-write history from the years 1066-1453 you can rule your kingdom make alliances with others and expand your empire. Not only has all of this but the fun not stopped there as you can play with up to 16 of your friends online, you compete with your friends in a bid for control over them all. There are many top features within this game such as appointing your own vassals, Training the best army through research while keeping an eye on your money. Marriages is key in this game to how long you can last by keeping a male heir and marry your daughters off to create alliance you can build a mighty empire. Although do not get to confident as other major empires may try and take you down such as the Mongols, England and the Byzantine Empire.
    This game has suited graphics for its time and can be really addicting and can have you sitting on your seat ruling for hours. Crusader kings 2 is rated as a 12 allowing most young ages to enjoy this loved game. In conclusion this game is a must buy no matter what price and get your friends to buy it too you will be enjoying it with them for days.    … Expand
  23. Orkdung
    Feb 18, 2012
    9
    The game is brilliant!
    For the 2 (and possibly more to come) complaining about no manual, it's on their website, it's the 21st century, download the PDF. (Check the Paradox Forum)
    Took me a few hours to get the hang of it, and now I am coasting! From the Duke of Orkney to King of Norway! This is NOT a wargame. This is a dynastic SIM. Build your dynasty, watch your family tree grow!    The game is brilliant!
    For the 2 (and possibly more to come) complaining about no manual, it's on their website, it's the 21st century, download the PDF. (Check the Paradox Forum)
    Took me a few hours to get the hang of it, and now I am coasting! From the Duke of Orkney to King of Norway! This is NOT a wargame. This is a dynastic SIM. Build your dynasty, watch your family tree grow!
    Work your family over 4 Centuries...    … Expand
  24. TheTopazWombat
    Feb 20, 2012
    10
    A magnificent work in the grand strategy genre, with all the depth and complexity you could want (perhaps unless you're a HoI nutter) with a charming bit of RPG added into it that makes the game truly come alive.
  25. ddrussianinja
    Jul 18, 2012
    9
    It's like "Game of Thrones" meets "The Sims". Each playthrough is unique and offers a ton of variety. That said, this game has a MASSIVE learning curve and the tutorials aren't very helpful. Expect to struggle near the beginning. But once you muscle through it, the game is very, very rewarding.
  26. zogondragon
    Mar 19, 2012
    10
    Bought this. Played 50++ hours in less than a week. Definitely a solid choice for a strategy gamer. Politics, religion, management aspect of this game is so deep and intriguing. You feel like rewriting medieval history with your own dynasty. Randomly changing world power structure with simplified but not boring warfare means you can make World War yourself! (England + France vs Spain +Bought this. Played 50++ hours in less than a week. Definitely a solid choice for a strategy gamer. Politics, religion, management aspect of this game is so deep and intriguing. You feel like rewriting medieval history with your own dynasty. Randomly changing world power structure with simplified but not boring warfare means you can make World War yourself! (England + France vs Spain + Germany vs Musilms vs Greeks .... etc) . I highly anticipating more DLC or expansion pack so that I can play Muslims too. A little bit of real history based events would be great though.… Expand
  27. Crymson84
    Feb 19, 2012
    9
    This game is lots of fun. It belongs up there with EU3 as far as Paradox Games go. It's intricate, but it avoids being as tremendously complex as, for example, the Hearts of Iron series. I recommend it heartily. It doesn't get a 10 from me, but that's because I give 10s only to the sort of tremendous game that we might see only once every few years.
  28. derOlifant
    Apr 29, 2012
    10
    As a student of medieval history, I find this game extremely intriguing. No other strategy game set in the middle ages have captured my imagination quite as CK2. I love TW:Medieval 2, but after playing CK2, Medieval 2 feels somewhat unsatisfying. In Medieval 2 for example, you play a nation, which is probematic in a society ruled by feudal dynastic leaders. In CK2, you play as a singleAs a student of medieval history, I find this game extremely intriguing. No other strategy game set in the middle ages have captured my imagination quite as CK2. I love TW:Medieval 2, but after playing CK2, Medieval 2 feels somewhat unsatisfying. In Medieval 2 for example, you play a nation, which is probematic in a society ruled by feudal dynastic leaders. In CK2, you play as a single person (count, duke, king or emperor) and are faced with all the challenges of society which is based on personal relationships, not on abstract notions of homogenous nations. Therefore, the focus is not so much on warfare, but on these relationships which may well shatter your whole dynasty if they turn sour. Your power is never absolute: if your vassals don't like you, they won't provide you with money or troups, or will even raise their flags in rebellion. Years and years of civil war are no rarity in this game.
    Medieval 2 let you conquer the whole of Europe with relative ease in a short span of time, and, more importantly, without good reason. In CK2, wars even against much weaker enemies are expensive and dangerous. In my last game playing as kings of France, I spent 300 years, plotting and warring, until I managed to take back all counties held by England in France. Also, you will always need a reason for declaring war on someone. Claims on certain counties, dukedoms or even kingdoms are inherited through marriage, fabricated or granted by a liege lord or the pope.
    I very much enjoy this game and I can recommend it to anyone interested in the medieval period, or strategy gaming in general. Its focus on individuals give it a fresh and personal feeling, and the plethora of small stories and tragedies unfolding in the course of centuries is captivating.    … Expand
  29. Agent5
    Feb 15, 2012
    10
    First minutes playing it i thought: "what a difficult crap game?" But then I understood, that this game is clearly the best historical strategy game I have ever played, and trust me, I played many. You can play as an emperor or as a count under some king or duke. It's all your choice... You dont just pick a country, you choose a character to play in this country. This game weights onlyFirst minutes playing it i thought: "what a difficult crap game?" But then I understood, that this game is clearly the best historical strategy game I have ever played, and trust me, I played many. You can play as an emperor or as a count under some king or duke. It's all your choice... You dont just pick a country, you choose a character to play in this country. This game weights only 800~ MB but this, honestly, far better than for example total war medieval games which are 8~ GB. Yeah, there's no battlefields, but the combat system is better than ever for Paradox games. Your vassal, courtiers and so on lead your troops in battle. It appears that a good soldier might turn in a noble man for once. That's what I call reality, and that takes only 800~ MB which expresses me the most. To those who gave this game lower than 7/10: You should play it longer to understand how complicated and interesting this game really is. As I said, first hour of gameplay I was disappointed, but I kept on playing and now I know what I will do next 2 weeks every evening. Playing Crusader Kings II. 10/10.… Expand
  30. Joshua_Northey
    Mar 2, 2012
    10
    This is a tremendous game that improves on the already decent original in a ton of ways. It also is the most stable and playable release Paradox has had in a while. Cannot recommend it enough if you are at all interested in this genre.
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Awards & Rankings

36
#36 Best PC Game of 2012
31
#31 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012
6
#6 Most Shared PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 31 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 31
  3. Negative: 0 out of 31
  1. Thunderbolt
    Jan 24, 2013
    80
    It might look like a daunting game to dive into, but stick with it and you'll find one of the most engaging and addictive strategy experiences available.
    Read full review
  2. Gamer.no
    Oct 27, 2012
    80
    Crusader Kings II is quite unique. It's focus on dynasties and family leads to original and entertaining gameplay with great depth and variation. If not for a steep learning curve, it would be close to perfect.
    Read full review
  3. Gamer.nl
    Oct 17, 2012
    80
    Crusader Kings 2 isn't a traditional RTS. The countless intrigues, relationships and family issues that you have to deal with, might make it seem more like a relationship-manager than an actual game. Still, it's quite refreshing and thanks to the countless choices it makes for a great political playground. Every play session is different and opens up a new story, but in return it requires a lot of insight and empathy.
    Read full review
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