Crusader Kings II
A medieval dynasty simulator with deep strategic gameplay.
Crusader Kings II, a grand strategy game from Paradox Development Studio and Paradox Interactive, takes place in the Middle Ages. Released on February 14, 2012, it followed 2004's Crusader Kings. This title brought in more players than earlier Paradox games, helping the company expand. The core game, without its downloadable content, was made free to play on October 18, 2019.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Paradox Development Studio
- Publisher
- Paradox Interactive
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows
- OS X
- Linux
- Released
- Microsoft Windows
- February 14, 2012
- OS X
- May 24, 2012
- Linux
- January 14, 2013
- Genre
- Grand strategy
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
- Director
- Henrik Fåhraeus
- Producer
- Johan Andersson
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
Crusader Kings II is a grand strategy game where the player controls a medieval dynasty from 1066, the Norman Conquest, to 1453, the Fall of Constantinople. Players may start at any date between September 15, 1066, and December 31, 1337. Success is achieved through war, marriages, and assassinations, among other methods, and is defined solely by the player. The in-game objective is to accumulate prestige and piety points to surpass historically relevant European dynasties in a ranking system, with the three most prestigious being the Capetian, Rurikid, and Habsburg dynasties. The game ends when the current character dies without an heir of the same dynasty, when all landed titles of count rank or above are stripped from the player's dynasty, or when the game reaches 1453. Numerous historical figures are depicted or mentioned, including William the Conqueror, Charlemagne, Genghis Khan, Harold Godwinson, Robert Guiscard, Robert the Bruce, Harald Hardrada, El Cid, Constantine X Doukas, Harun al-Rashid, Alexios I Komnenos, Richard the Lionheart, Ivar the Boneless, Alfred the Great, Baldwin I of Jerusalem, Boleslaw the Bold, and Saladin. Players may also choose less significant figures such as minor dukes and counts, or create new characters with the Ruler Designer downloadable content. A genetics and education system allows children to inherit traits, culture, religion, and skills from parents and guardians, adding strategic depth to marriages. Players must balance conflicting interests, such as forming alliances versus selecting spouses with strong heritable traits.
Expansions and mods
Third-party mods are available on sites such as the Steam Workshop. Data collected by Paradox on April 23, 2017, showed that at least 42% of users on that day had activated at least one mod. Popular mods include multiplayer cheat mods and graphics or GUI mods. Accuracy and realism mods such as Historical Immersion Project and CK2+ have been produced by fans. Several total conversion mods are available: A Game of Thrones, based on George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novels, released in May 2012 and described as the most popular CK2 mod; After the End, set in a post-apocalyptic 27th-century North America, with the most up-to-date version called After the End Fan Fork Anniversary Edition; Elder Kings, based on The Elder Scrolls series; Middle Earth Project, based on J. R. R. Tolkien's works; When the World Stopped Making Sense, set in the Dark Ages; and Witcher Kings, based on The Witcher series. Paradox actively encourages modding, and developers regularly tweaked the game to make modding easier, with in-depth guides available on the Crusader Kings II wiki.
Release and reception
A demo was released on February 4, 2012, featuring four playable characters over a 20-year span. The marketing campaign included light comedy videos on the concept of the Seven Deadly Sins. The game, built on the Clausewitz Engine, received generally positive reviews and a Metacritic score of 82. GameSpot's Shaun McInnis praised the gameplay but noted lackluster tutorials. IGN rated the gameplay and lasting appeal 9/10, describing the game as having an intense learning curve but a unique strategy experience. A Rock, Paper, Shotgun reviewer called it probably the most human strategy game he had played. Rob Zacny of PC PowerPlay gave it a 7/10, calling it a brilliant treatment of feudalism but requiring major investment to overcome information overload. Kotaku nominated it for game of the year. By September 2014, Crusader Kings II had sold over 1 million copies, with expansion and DLC sales totaling over 7 million units, making it Paradox's most successful release before Europa Universalis IV. The game was played by an average of 12,500 players daily, with an average playtime of 99 hours per player.
Frequently Asked Questions
What platforms is Crusader Kings II available on?
Crusader Kings II was released for Microsoft Windows, OS X and Linux.
Who directed Crusader Kings II?
Crusader Kings II was directed by Henrik Fåhraeus.
Who designed Crusader Kings II?
Crusader Kings II was designed by Henrik Fåhraeus and Christopher King.
Who composed the music for Crusader Kings II?
The music for Crusader Kings II was composed by Andreas Waldetoft.
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