1
Squirrel's Pick Squirrel's PickThe best game on this page. If you only try one, try this. Classic ClassicOlder, proven, and still worth your time.
Grand StrategyHistoricalPolitical Sim
$19.99 ~188.1 hr median no co-op complexity: heavy 92.1% of 20k
The Squirrel's verdictPopulation demographics, industrial supply chains, and factory economics are the core of Victoria II — not territorial expansion or dynasty management. You steer a nation through the 19th century by managing population groups (POPs), controlling trade goods, and balancing factory output. Median playtime sits at 188 hours, and the Steam rating is Very Positive (92%). Released in 2010, it receives no new development.
Not for you if you came to EU4 for conquest and diplomacy rather than deep factory chains and population-group micromanagement.
2
MedievalGrand StrategyRPG
Strong Mods Strong ModsA deep, active modding scene extends it past its base content.
$49.99 ~174.7 hr median no co-op complexity: heavy 90.5% of 141k
The Squirrel's verdictCrusader Kings III refines and expands on CK2's dynasty-and-character loop: you play individuals within a ruling house simultaneously at personal, dynastic, and state scales, with marriages, plots, and succession shaping outcomes more than economic policy. Reviewers describe it as better than CK2 in many respects but note the DLC model remains expensive. Median playtime is 174 hours.
Not for you if you want to command a country's economy and armies directly rather than navigate individual character relationships and dynastic succession.
3
Classic ClassicOlder, proven, and still worth your time. Budget Pick Budget PickThe best game here for the least money.
Grand StrategyMedievalHistorical
Free ~94 hr median no co-op complexity: heavy 90.5% of 74k
The Squirrel's verdictIn Crusader Kings II, you play a character within a dynasty, not a state: marriages, succession crises, plots, and bloodlines drive events more than province counts or trade nodes. Reviews note the base game is free but describe it as limited without DLC, with full DLC priced well above the base game. Median playtime is 94 hours across a still-active player base.
Not for you if you want to manage a nation's economy and military directly rather than steer individual characters through succession and intrigue.
4
Closest Match Closest MatchThe most similar game to the anchor, by what players say.
World War IIGrand StrategyWar
$49.99 ~110.7 hr median co-op complexity: heavy 90.1% of 372k
The Squirrel's verdictHearts of Iron IV centers on WWII-era military production, division design, and theater-level warfare within a single compressed timeframe, not multi-century empire building. Focus trees replace EU4's mission trees, and the same real-time-with-pause structure applies. Reviewers repeatedly flag the production and combat systems as steep to learn. Median playtime is around 111 hours; co-op is supported.
Not for you if you want EU4's centuries-long scope rather than a fixed WWII window, or find steep production and combat learning curves off-putting.
5
HistoricalWarGrand Strategy
$5.99 ~69.2 hr median no co-op 89.8% of 50k
The Squirrel's verdictSame premise: pick a nation on a full world map and play through historical eras toward domination, with diplomacy, military conquest, and economic paths all viable. Age of History II drops EUIV's granular systems for simplified, arcade-level mechanics and a map editor, at a fraction of the cost. Suits players who want the grand-strategy fantasy without the depth or the DLC layering.
Not for you if you want EUIV's detailed trade, diplomacy, and province-management systems rather than a stripped-down, sometimes exploitable simulation.
6
Grand StrategyMilitaryEconomy
$11.99 ~31.9 hr median co-op complexity: light 88% of 3k
The Squirrel's verdictDummynation suits players who want map-painting and expansion in short, casual sessions — pick a nation, wage war and diplomacy, finish in a sitting. Steam rating is Very Positive (88%) and median playtime across multiple runs is around 32 hours. Reviewers note the AI follows predictable patterns, making later runs feel repetitive.
Not for you if you want EU4's layered trade, institutions, and historical mechanics rather than a streamlined session-length conquest loop.
7
Demise of Nations
PCMacLinux
4XTurn-Based StrategyGrand Strategy
Monetized MonetizedHeads up: leans on microtransactions or free-to-play hooks.
Free ~9.7 hr median co-op 81.5% of 552
The Squirrel's verdictDemise of Nations trades EU4's province-by-province, centuries-long grand campaign for turn-based hex warfare with a Civ-style tech and resource system. It keeps historical nation-building and multiplayer/co-op, but sessions run short (median 9.7 hours) rather than sprawling. Suits players who want EU4's strategic layer without the real-time clock or the DLC map complexity.
Not for you if you came to EU4 for deep real-time diplomacy and centuries-long single-map campaigns rather than shorter turn-based hex conflicts, or you need every map free rather than paid content beyond the two free starter maps.
8
For The Glory: A Europa Universalis Game
PC
Grand StrategyHistorical4X
Strong Mods Strong ModsA deep, active modding scene extends it past its base content.
$9.99 ~13 hr median no co-op complexity: heavy 76.6% of 171
The Squirrel's verdictSame era, same province-painting core, but built on the EU2 engine rather than EU4's. Expect deeper historical event modeling and heavy mod support (PLVS VLTRA, AGCEEP add thousands of provinces and events) instead of EU4's mission trees and DLC layers. No ongoing development, no multiplayer content depth EU4 built over a decade. For players who want the older, event-dense formula.
Not for you if you want EU4's mission trees, active development, or the interface refinements added across a decade of expansions.