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. NoWorries
    Oct 12, 2015
    10
    I consider games which hold my attention for at least 50-60 hours of gameplay to be good or great games. With Crusader Kings 2 and its many DLC packages, I've been captivated with many hundreds of hours of gameplay. It is an overwhelming immersive strategy game with a depth of gameplay features that is staggering. If you like deep strategy games or else you are a nut for dark ages orI consider games which hold my attention for at least 50-60 hours of gameplay to be good or great games. With Crusader Kings 2 and its many DLC packages, I've been captivated with many hundreds of hours of gameplay. It is an overwhelming immersive strategy game with a depth of gameplay features that is staggering. If you like deep strategy games or else you are a nut for dark ages or medieval history, then Get. This. Game.… Expand
  2. Wiebe
    Feb 26, 2020
    6
    Great complex game, remains entertaining after a lot of hours, but mircro managing your empire gets very very tedious after some time as your realm grows.
  3. Mickzon
    Jan 9, 2016
    10
    It's the best game I've ever played in my life, not in a single game have I put in as many hours as I have done with Crusader Kings II. The game also has excellent mods so be sure to check the official forum!
  4. Kojumbo
    Aug 12, 2018
    8
    I believe the game is very good and certainly unique, but I don't think it deserves the title of best Paradox game. First of all, this game is much more about people management than army management or economy management. You manage your vassals, choose appropriate counselors and marry your children to the right people... this is basically the essence of the game. If you keep all yourI believe the game is very good and certainly unique, but I don't think it deserves the title of best Paradox game. First of all, this game is much more about people management than army management or economy management. You manage your vassals, choose appropriate counselors and marry your children to the right people... this is basically the essence of the game. If you keep all your subordinates happy and you deal with the problematic ones that you can't make happy you can easily achieve success.

    That said, after you master the essence of the game, the gameplay feels a little shallow. It is not a big challenge to build a successful economy or to have a strong army if your vassals like you. Furthermore, I think the expansions (I have most essential ones) actually make the game easier. Some of the issues plaguing most Paradox games such as countries making exclaves far from their capital or sending enormous armies through half the map to fight for the allies also pop out.

    One of the main drawbacks of the game is that provinces all feel the same. It doesn't matter if you own Paris or some province in Siberia as all of them can bring you the same number of soldiers (if you build the same military buildings). Tax income depends on the number of holdings you have at each province and richer provinces have more slots for holdings. Nonetheless, the best strategy is to control only 1 holding per province. Thus, you can have a strong economy even in relatively poor lands, i.e. Siberia, Africa, Central Asia. This feels much different from the other Paradox game I have played a lot, EU3.

    TL;DR The game is good if you want to experience Medieval Europe and recreate history starting from a very early age (867 with the Old Gods DLC). Nonetheless, I find it hard to sink more than a hundred hours into the game and the business model with which they make many almost pointless expansions for 15$ each feels rather repulsive.    … Expand
  5. Jaehaerys61
    Dec 31, 2016
    9
    Encore un jeux pour stratège que j'aime merci Paradox et aussi merci pour les DLCs qui améliores encore grandement le jeux dans ses différents parties qui sont très nombreuses.
  6. wojtekoxx
    Apr 25, 2017
    7
    Mind you, my grade for this game would be 10/10 if 2 DLC's never happened. I will just review old version of the game, then add some minus points in the end.
    CK2 as a game allows you to heavily roleplay and enact the wonder scenarios you always dreamed of reading about history. Reverse Manzikert? Check. Make pagan religion of choice (or all of them) survive? Check. Make Islam/Christianity    Mind you, my grade for this game would be 10/10 if 2 DLC's never happened. I will just review old version of the game, then add some minus points in the end.
    CK2 as a game allows you to heavily roleplay and enact the wonder scenarios you always dreamed of reading about history. Reverse Manzikert? Check. Make pagan religion of choice (or all of them) survive? Check. Make Islam/Christianity win or fail miserably? All possible. Have sex with your cousin? Check. Be a mediocre ruler, like hundreds in real life before you - possible. Have your country ruled in succession by alikes of Alexander or Napoleon and leading it to glory? All possible.
    In addition, your history knowledge with this game will skyrocket. I wouldn't complain about hard to play, because you can just use some cheats as training wheels early.
    Now here come bad things. Imagine if playing GTA it took you 2 minutes to steal a car, and police would chase you forever like in real life. Is this more realistic? Yes. Does it kill the game for you? Yes as well. CK2 had 2 bad dlcs that while had some redeeming qualities, destroyed the fun out of game.
    First one is Charlemagne, which makes retinues useless (only like 2% of cultures in the game have good retinues). Want to feel forced to reform religion so you will basically never play as a king OR unreformed for prolonged time - hell yeah, because you are some crap called tribal now. Now let's get to conclave. What are the most fun times in the playthrough? Well, first 100 years, when you are consolidating power, or maybe going from the count to emperor / multi king. Which hours of conclave suck the most? The same hours, because your council has almost everything in their favour and it takes you 5/10 years and 500-2000 gold each time to allow you to actually rule kingdom, where you'd possible need/want to do somethings like: you have right to banish bad people, you can revoke titles from traitors, you can grant YOUR titles to someone else, you can imprison bad people and many others!    … Expand
  7. vvmax
    Oct 21, 2018
    10
    In my opinion this is a great game. I love history, especially the English monarchy. When I played this, it immersed me in the life of monarchs hundreds and thousands of years ago.
  8. tastybaldeagle
    Feb 5, 2018
    10
    I have well beyond two thousand hours and still play this game often. Extremely funny, educational, thought provoking, and emotional. I cannot recommend this game more to anyone of any age, with even a mediocre computer. Best game of all time, no doubt.
  9. bastobasto
    Apr 15, 2018
    9
    An awesome medieval strategy game. Funny in plus of that. The events will make you giggle. Even if it can be hard to grasp at the beginning, its quite enteirteining. You can have your hose become chancellor. Otherwise, the mechanics are interesting. You learn to hate and love some characters more than some people in real life. ( Sometime ).

    I only gave 9 and not 10 to protest Paradox's    An awesome medieval strategy game. Funny in plus of that. The events will make you giggle. Even if it can be hard to grasp at the beginning, its quite enteirteining. You can have your hose become chancellor. Otherwise, the mechanics are interesting. You learn to hate and love some characters more than some people in real life. ( Sometime ).

    I only gave 9 and not 10 to protest Paradox's bad habit of milking money from DLCs    … Expand
  10. TheBuster7
    Nov 24, 2018
    10
    Best Paradox game by far I love just got it and two days have played over ten hours just the freedom is amazing you can play as a king or a duke or a count.
  11. nikoparo03
    Dec 22, 2018
    9
    Veramente bello,per gli appassionati di storia questo è il gioco che fa per voi, però vi avviso:il gioco senza DLC è pessimo,quindi se avete intenzione di comprarvelo compratevelo durante gli sconti e con i pacchetti(è uscita la royal edition e vi coviene prendervi quella),altra cosa,voi non giocate con la nazione(come su EU4 o HOI4)bensi con il leader.
  12. Tilt1k
    Jan 31, 2019
    10
    This game is truly awesome, best medieval family simulator with all the possible deaths. They keep this game updated till today. Some of the best mods i have ever seen like Warhammer or Game of thrones.

    Best game from Paradox. Masterpiece.
  13. binaryfireball
    Jul 5, 2019
    9
    BABY MURDER. SATANIC POSSESSIONS. HAREM SIMULATOR. CK2 has it all. Easily the most content rich strategy game ever made. There is just so much here and Paradox keeps delivering expansion after expansion. This is one of the best games of all time.

    If you want an idea of what typical gameplay looks like you can check out this video where I advise my queen in her conquest    BABY MURDER. SATANIC POSSESSIONS. HAREM SIMULATOR. CK2 has it all. Easily the most content rich strategy game ever made. There is just so much here and Paradox keeps delivering expansion after expansion. This is one of the best games of all time.

    If you want an idea of what typical gameplay looks like you can check out this video where I advise my queen in her conquest

    https://youtu.be/zD55Za5V7jw    … Expand
  14. zenzyyx_
    Oct 2, 2019
    10
    I have a hundred hours on this game, it's amazing. Check out the AGOT Mod.

    This is the only game where I can take dragon's as concubines and talk like incest is a normal relationship
  15. Yarosvet
    Dec 4, 2019
    10
    The best game I've played. I look forward to part 3. I play every day!
    I love her
  16. BaldFrog
    Dec 8, 2019
    9
    Fun medival stradegy-roleplaying game, with all of the DLCs the game is really fun to explore, the bare game without dlcs is also fun, but it has a selling taktic by u seeing what is missing in the game. Game can be addicting and can suck u into it for 100-1000 hours or more.

    If u want to be christian going to crusade against the muslims or viking rising the legacy of ur dynasty and    Fun medival stradegy-roleplaying game, with all of the DLCs the game is really fun to explore, the bare game without dlcs is also fun, but it has a selling taktic by u seeing what is missing in the game. Game can be addicting and can suck u into it for 100-1000 hours or more.

    If u want to be christian going to crusade against the muslims or viking rising the legacy of ur dynasty and spreading the nordic religion on those christian lands, u might enjoy this game    … Expand
  17. Roadwind
    Jan 31, 2020
    10
    Just great game. I spent more than 1k hours in it and still like how it plays. But! The game is very hard and complex. If you like casual games, "press X to win" and other stuff like this - stay away.
  18. erdogfu96
    Feb 8, 2020
    9
    Best paradox game ever as I see. Even my girlfriend played for long time. It is enjoyable also moddable. Good for roleplaying, stories are well, you an play with different characters with different stories if you buy all dlc. Only character graphics and price Mark is bad but it is enjoying.
  19. Crimson9
    Dec 21, 2022
    6
    Mechanically this game is very unimpressive. But for roleplaying it can be amazing. Mods really make it come to life. DLC is obnoxiously expensive though, and basically mandatory, so 1 point off for that.
  20. HeitorCampos
    Mar 13, 2023
    5
    I only played with one dlc so keep that in mind. This game is barren, gets old fast and not complicated enough to be what it wants to be. It took many mods to make this fun. Honestly the Game of Thrones mod is the only thing that made me spend as much time as I did in this game.
  21. TomPD
    Jun 27, 2013
    9
    I love history. I love to ask "what if". What if Henry II's son survived to continue his father's dream of controlling both England and France? What if the Mongol Horde was not stopped by the Mamelukes? What if the Second Crusade was successful? The list goes on forever, and this game might have a wee bit of a, well massive learning curve, I love it.
  22. rezo_21
    Aug 15, 2022
    8
    ====================IIIIIIIIII GAME SCORE : 82 IIIIIIIIII====================
  23. JohnyBananaman
    Oct 5, 2020
    9
    Best medieval marriage simulator available there is also some other stuff i guess
  24. PMC_KC
    Jun 20, 2020
    10
    My favorite game all time, 2000 hours played and I could keep on going for another 2000 hours if CK3 wasn't set to come out. Anyone that's a fan of Grand Strategy needs to own this game, it's already a classic.
  25. apokalipto
    Aug 18, 2023
    9
    Very good game. I enjoyed playing this game a lot. I strongly recommend this.
  26. 0r4cle
    Dec 12, 2020
    10
    Игра в которую можно играть вечность если дать волю фантазии, единственная в своём роде =)
  27. Gorbunov2004
    Aug 9, 2021
    6
    Игра чуть-чуть лучше чем первая часть также ничего не понятно, завоёвывать соседей можно только по 1 провинции и это очень тупо. Научите кто нибудь Paradox делать нормальное обучение а то во всех аспектах игры приходиться разбираться самому, как бы игрок пришел в игру чтобы играть а не читать обучение.Игра чуть-чуть лучше чем первая часть также ничего не понятно, завоёвывать соседей можно только по 1 провинции и это очень тупо. Научите кто нибудь Paradox делать нормальное обучение а то во всех аспектах игры приходиться разбираться самому, как бы игрок пришел в игру чтобы играть а не читать обучение.
  28. Torgall
    Dec 12, 2020
    8
    Who doesn't love complex dynasty threes, and constant struggle to get more or retain power. My biggest complaint is Paradox business model that revolves around introducing small patch-like changes, calling them expansions. Many changes are basically things that should be from the day 1, or fixes to overall balance they ruined with previous "expansions". If you count all the little expensesWho doesn't love complex dynasty threes, and constant struggle to get more or retain power. My biggest complaint is Paradox business model that revolves around introducing small patch-like changes, calling them expansions. Many changes are basically things that should be from the day 1, or fixes to overall balance they ruined with previous "expansions". If you count all the little expenses for the important expansions and the game itself, it's insane cost that CKII fans put up with because they are really passionate about it.… Expand
  29. 3t3rnal
    Dec 25, 2021
    7
    CK2 is a great game. It's not perfect, but it has a wealth of content and much like most Paradox grand strategy games, great replayability.

    It focuses more on building your own dynasty and fame for yourself, rather than simply bulding the biggest empire - although that is certainly a valid way to go about it. Unfortunately, it is a bit limited in the roleplaying aspect by a rather    CK2 is a great game. It's not perfect, but it has a wealth of content and much like most Paradox grand strategy games, great replayability.

    It focuses more on building your own dynasty and fame for yourself, rather than simply bulding the biggest empire - although that is certainly a valid way to go about it. Unfortunately, it is a bit limited in the roleplaying aspect by a rather limited interactions system, and by over-reliance on randomized events. While it is a lot of fun, at times, you feel like playing a slot-machine - and you, of course, lose more often than win. Considering the rest of the game suffered from this focus on interaction and events and is therefore a bit more simplistic than the other Paradox GS type games, it can be a bit shallow and frustrating to deal with at times.

    Still, it is a great window into the life of a medieval ruler, and if you like this type of games, you will easily sink hundreds of hours into it, and it is still one of the best games to roleplay in Multiplayer, where the game really shines, as you can get an actual conversation with your adversaries and allies instead of the limited interactions menu. However, even in singleplayer, the game can still be a lot of fun.

    The graphics are passable, given the age of the game, and the genre. Music is pretty good, ambience is as well, but some of it will become annoying pretty quickly and the ability to manage sound types and volumes is a bit limited, the game could use expanded options for audio instead of the very simple ones it has.

    Also, I would recommend getting at least the DLCs that expand the roleplaying aspects, such as Conclave, but I cannot recommend the game and DLCs at full price - if you are interested, definitely wait for a discount campaign, they happen often enough.    … Expand
  30. kitru
    May 23, 2021
    7
    Игра про интриги, кому нравится выбирать имя своим детям - welcome. Лично мне не зашло.
  31. Yaav13
    May 9, 2022
    10
    My truthful honorable incorruptible conclusive rating of this considered game: 10.
  32. StarkAgentos
    Jul 28, 2022
    10
    Прошёл игру за 4 часа, играя за маленький регион в Англии, получив власть всей страны и слившись. Крутая политическая стратегия.
  33. Rnoviok
    Dec 4, 2021
    7
    great strategy game, even if you don't know how to play it, you can feel the fun in playing and creating the history of the dynasty
  34. veehnax
    Mar 3, 2022
    9
    One of the best strategy games ever made in history. After 10 years from publishment it is still playable, enjoyable and it's great! Played it for thousands of hours throughout the ten years and enjoyed every single second. The only downside is a Paradox classic: DLCs. Do not buy this game unless you are willing to buy the main DLCs(Sword of Islam, The Old Gods, Charlemange etc.), but ifOne of the best strategy games ever made in history. After 10 years from publishment it is still playable, enjoyable and it's great! Played it for thousands of hours throughout the ten years and enjoyed every single second. The only downside is a Paradox classic: DLCs. Do not buy this game unless you are willing to buy the main DLCs(Sword of Islam, The Old Gods, Charlemange etc.), but if you will buy those; a great experience is waiting for you!… Expand
  35. dr-kenobi
    Sep 7, 2022
    10
    Доки не вийшли 3-і CK, це було найкраще, що ринок міг запропонувати в жанрі grand strategy.
  36. PenetratorGod
    Aug 21, 2023
    4
    Interface is terrible. It takes a really long time to learn the game because there is no proper tutorial. There's also not enough language support. There's too much DLC. You can't play the game without them. Paradox unfortunately sees their player base as a cow to be milked. The milk analogy here is of course money. Release a supposedly complete game in early access, then sell the featuresInterface is terrible. It takes a really long time to learn the game because there is no proper tutorial. There's also not enough language support. There's too much DLC. You can't play the game without them. Paradox unfortunately sees their player base as a cow to be milked. The milk analogy here is of course money. Release a supposedly complete game in early access, then sell the features that should already be in the game separately in the form of additional packs to make the game what it should be. That's the way it's always been and always will be. One of the worst companies in this industry.… Expand
  37. Blackshine
    Nov 17, 2022
    8
    Царь горы в жанре Стратегии в реальном времени.
    Дайте железо достойное третьей части этого шедевра.
  38. Resoul
    Jun 21, 2023
    7
    A game i can play for hours and hours well if i have a good start and don't get strewed with a bad hair that is and aside for how they do DLC i only have one thing i don't like with the game and tho most people wont have this, when ever my army is fighting another over 50% of my map is covered by the UI but aside from that good game
  39. erfunfazli
    Aug 14, 2023
    3
    Just another bad game from Paradox Interactive with bad gameplay, bad UI, terrible tutorial and bad atmosphere.
  40. thethethe4
    Jun 3, 2023
    8
    Crusader Kings 2 is a good game, you focus on making your dynasty and surviving through the middle ages. You can send your armies to fight in the crusades or conquer new lands for your families, there is a lot you can do. The sound design is good and the graphics are what you would expect from an old game like CK2. The only real problem with the game is the excessive amounts of DLCs thatCrusader Kings 2 is a good game, you focus on making your dynasty and surviving through the middle ages. You can send your armies to fight in the crusades or conquer new lands for your families, there is a lot you can do. The sound design is good and the graphics are what you would expect from an old game like CK2. The only real problem with the game is the excessive amounts of DLCs that you need to buy to properly enjoy the game. The pay walls in this game are so extreme that most of the nations on the map you can't play with since you need DLCs to play with them, this results in you being locked to the same few realms that inevitably creates a cycle of stale game play. This extreme pay wall strategy can be forgiven though since the game is free.… Expand
  41. HydrophobikFish
    Jun 9, 2023
    8
    Absolutely addicting game with a unique strategy premise of managing a dynasty. Many different systems make the game dynamic, with a good balance of control and chaos. Too many systems often end up feeling half-integrated or poorly connected to other parts of the game. Suffers form feature creep and an extensive, expensive dlc repertoire.
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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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