Crusader Kings II: The Kotaku Re-Review

When I first reviewed Crusader Kings II in 2012, I called it “one of the most challenging, entertaining and rewarding strategy games [I’ve] ever played.” Four years later, it turns out that was only the beginning of my long journey with the game.

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The Black Death, Now In A Video Game

The Black Death, an outbreak of the bubonic plague which swept through Europe in the 14th century (killing anywhere from 30-60% of its population!), does not seem a good setting for a video game. Oh, unless it’s Crusader Kings II we’re talking about. Which, hey, we are.

That Time A Horse Became Empress Of Rome

Only in Crusader Kings II could a horse rise to power and, after decades of war and conquest, restore the might of the Roman Empire.

Four Years Later, Crusader Kings II Keeps Getting More Stuff

Crusader Kings II was released in 2012, and promptly became my Game Of The Year. And that was in its paltry vanilla state! In the years since, it’s gotten so much new content and so many big expansions that it’s practically become its own sequel.

Get This Game Of Thrones Mod, PC Gamers

11/04/15 8:00pm

The perfect Game of Thrones video game—a lot more perfect than Telltale’s one, which ate my save game—is a mod I’ve been writing about for years. So it’s awesome to see that it’s finally out of beta and wearing v1.0 after its title!

7/13/15 12:23pm

The Khans Are Coming To Crusader Kings II

Crusader Kings II—one of the best video games ever made—has had a ton of great expansions and post-release content over the years. But none of it has been quite as exciting, at least to me, as this.

Awesome Strategy Game Becomes RPG, Gets Even More Awesome

When it was first announced, I was worried that Crusader Kings II's Way of Life DLC would be bad news for my spare time and even worse news for my sleep levels. I was right to worry.

12/10/14 7:17pm

Been a while since I played Crusader Kings II. I must have missed the patch notes about this.

Conquest, Murder, Pillage...Yup, That's Christmas

12/09/14 9:00pm

Video games don't usually get into the Christmas spirit. Which is a shame! So it was nice to see that, upon reinstalling Crusader Kings II yesterday, I ran into this: a new holiday soundtrack to one of the most bloodthirsty games ever made.

Excellent PC Strategy Game Also Wants To Be An RPG

11/23/14 8:30pm

And here I was, only just saying how good Crusader Kings II - nominally a strategy game - was at depicting inter-personal relationships. Guess I'm not the only one who digs that aspect of the game, because developers Paradox are now going to double down on it, announcing an expansion that's all about role-playing.

The Perfect Game Of Thrones Video Game Already Exists

11/20/14 6:00pm

Forget RPGs, action games or even the promise of a decent adventure title. The perfect Game of Thrones video game already exists, as a mod for a PC game that's not too shabby itself.

PC Game Has The Funniest Out-Of-Context Forum Topics

11/19/14 8:30pm

As we've seen with its patch notes, Crusader Kings II is a game that, taken out of context, sounds completely insane. The game's forums are no different.

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Mod Turns Lord Of The Rings Into Petty Political Bloodbath

7/31/14 10:30pm

Oh. Great. Just as I wean myself off the wonderful Game of Thrones mod for Crusader Kings II, now I find out there's a Lord of the Rings mod for Crusader Kings II.

This Is How You Support An "Old" PC Game

1/28/14 11:30pm

If you needed further proof that Crusader Kings II is one of the best-supported, most expansive games of all time, check out this new expansion.

The Best PC Patch Notes Keep Getting Better

11/15/13 2:00am

It's OK, Crusader Kings II isn't for everyone. I get that. But I'd like to think we can all at least find common ground and enjoy the game's patch notes, which continue to be the very best.

PC Game Lets You Play As The Mighty Conquering Jews

10/24/13 2:00am

For something that's such a big part of many people's daily lives, religion doesn't play a terribly big role in video games. It does in Crusader Kings II, however, and that role is about to get a lot more interesting.

The final preorder bonus for Paradox Interactive's eagerly-anticipated PC/Mac grand strategy Europa Universalis IV has been revealed — a save game converter for Kotaku 2012 Game of the Year nominee Crusader Kings II, and a free copy of that game for those unfortunate enough to not own it already.

The World's Most Boring Viking Game Is A Blast

There's a point, maybe around an hour in, where you might feel a little disappointed with The Old Gods, a new Viking expansion for epic strategy game Crusader Kings II that was released this week.