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Crusader Kings 3is the latest game in a series known for its depth and scale. Its blend of strategy, roleplaying, and sandbox gameplay makes it truly unique, and the stories that it can tell in its vast medieval world are endless.
That said, it’s a lot to wrap your head around, even for experienced strategy gamers. Paradox strategy games have a reputation for their steep learning curves, and Crusader Kings 3 is no exception. If you’re considering picking up this titan of PC gaming, but aren’t sure if it’s really the game for you, here’s everything you need to know.
Review
Crusader Kings 3 originally launched in 2020, racking up some impressive review scores. Here at TheGamer, Helen Ashcroft gave the gamea perfect five out of five, noting that it offered unprecedented control over your kingdom compared to previous entries in the series. Even when the sheer breadth of options becomes overwhelming, CK3’snested tooltips(a feature that’s been implemented in all of Paradox’s games since, likeVictoria 3), make it easy to find the information you need to make the right decision.
Everything is under your control, and I mean everything. You choose your spouse, your heir, your domain’s rules, and your actions.
Ashcroft does note, however, that the game requires commitment, as just learning the game to the point where you can successfully undertake grand campaigns and manage continent-spanning dynasties can take dozens of hours, never mind actually pulling off these legendary feats.
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Time Expenditure
As noted above,Crusader Kings 3 is not a short game.You could probably play through the main story of a shortish JRPG likeClair Obscur, in the time it takes just to fully learn the ins and outs of CK3. Like Paradox’s other strategy games,Crusader Kings 3 is designed to be a “forever game,“that you’ll come back to over and over again, logginghundreds or even thousands of hoursover the course of years.
That doesn’t mean, of course, that you’re expected to play through a full campaign in one sitting - far from it. In fact, speaking from experience, you can have hundreds of hours in CK3 and never have seen a campaign all the way through to the end year of 1453. You can play as much or as little of each campaign as you like, and you decide when you’re done.
Unless plague, war, or assassins end your bloodline prematurely. If your dynasty dies out, that’s the end of the campaign no matter what.
Cost
Crusader Kings 3 retails for$49.99, which isn’t too bad in a world increasingly full of $70 and $80 games. Better yet, it’s five years old as of the time of this writing, so itoften goes on sale, sometimes dipping as low as $14.99. If you’re lucky enough to catch it during one of these discounted periods, it’s a steal for all the time value you may get out of it.
Of course, there’s another part to this equation; CK3 has a lot of paid DLC,releasing several content packs of varying sizes each year.If you’re just getting in now, it can feel like a lot to catch up on. Our recommendation is tostick with the base game before committing to DLC; it will always be there if you decide you want to get more content for your expanding medieval empire, and the older packs often go on sale alongside the base game.
Each year’s DLC is sold bundled as a “Chapter.” You can save a few bucks by buying the full Chapter, if you want to get all the content from a particular year.
Pay attention to what is in each DLC pack; some are primarily cosmetic, with clothing options for differentculture groups, while the larger (and more expensive) packs include expanded gameplay.
What Players Are Saying
An Unmatched Sandbox - Matt Arnold
Every game of Crusader Kings 3 truly is unique. You might start from the same position - same date, same character, same rules - but once history is set into motion the sheer number of variables that come into play mean that events will never, ever play out the same way twice.
While CK3 is meant to be played however you like, it has a crafty, beautiful way of making you want to enjoy it more as an experience than as a game. Even if you approach CK3 with spreadsheets on your screen and optimizations in your heart, you’ll be drawn into its medieval world. Its schemes, trysts, and ambitions are what make it so special. You’ll be moving armies around a map and planning your kingdom on a grand scale, but it’s ultimately about the characters who wear the crown… or who plan to take it for themselves.
Your Medieval Playground (And Then Some) - Hilton Webster
I first started playing Crusader Kings because I wanted a deeper simulation, something that forced me to learn all its systems before I could even take my first step. I wanted a world that was too big for me to understand all at once. And Crusader Kings 3 gave it to me.
You can play it to min-max a playthrough, dominating the world over the centuries, or you can play as a lowly count and scheme against your own liege. It’s a world with so much to offer, and years of support still to come, if its copious DLC strategy is anything to judge it by. It’s a lot to get into it, and has lots more to buy, but even the base package will give you a medieval world with endless depth.
The Gateway Drug To Paradox’s Repertoire - Ryan Thompson-Bamsey
There’s something incredibly captivating about CK3 - it’s a massive sandbox that lets you play exactly as you want, from roleplay to power plays. That sort of freedom in gameplay is an accomplishment in itself, but it’s also a standout amongst its peers in how accessible it is for newcomers. You’ll need patience, yes, but it’s a game that goes from a laundry list of things to learn to a complex machine that feels satisfying to drive forwards. Crusader Kings 3 is a time sink, but every hour is an hour well-spent.
