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» Online medieval strategy games. Games about the Middle Ages on PC - a selection of the best strategies and RPGs

Online medieval strategy games. Games about the Middle Ages on PC - a selection of the best strategies and RPGs

Hello to all fans of historical games on our website! We don’t know how you got to this page of our cozy portal, but we are 100% sure that you ended up here for a reason. After all, today we want to talk about unique representatives of the genre of historical strategies dedicated to the dark era of humanity. Meet our top best strategies about the Middle Ages on PC!

We will present to you as many as 12 positions, noticeably different from each other. Both old and relatively old, with or without a plot, with or without online play - choose a game to your liking!

#12 Knights and Merchants


We decided to start with the oldest game from the entire top - with “War and Peace”. It was released in 1998 and will soon celebrate its 20th anniversary, but at the same time remains one of the best representatives of German RTS.

For a modern player it may seem too complicated, but for hardcore gamers this is a real paradise: missions last for several hours, you need to pay a lot of attention to building production chains, and also pay attention to many little things that are in many ways unique to Knights and Merchants. For example, the construction of taverns to feed soldiers and the permanent arrangement good roads for servants.

If this doesn’t scare you away, then you can safely download “KaM”. In addition, we strongly recommend it to all experienced gamers due to its typically “old-fashioned” style and lamp atmosphere, which, unfortunately, cannot be found in modern works of gaming art.

№11 Tzar


The top continues with another rather old strategy about the Middle Ages on PC straight from 2000. In the original it is called "Tsar: Burden of Power" and is an RTS with a very serious plot and boring characters. But our localizers (for which we thank them!) decided that such a dull game would not take root in the CIS market, and therefore decided to radically change the plot in it and remade it in a humorous way. The final product was also renamed “Fire and Sword” for better sales.

#4 Age of Empires 2


Fourth place goes to Age of Empires 2 - one of the most famous and popular RTS in the history of the gaming industry. Its re-release alone has over four million sales! The game is one of the 100 most popular projects on Steam!

    What's so special about it?
  • Lots of elaborate official story campaigns. Saladin, Attila, Joan of Arc, Genghis Khan... This is only a small part of the campaigns available initially. But there are also DLC and mods! Moreover, quantity does not in any way interfere with quality.
  • About three dozen available nations in scenarios and multiplayer! They all have their own gaming features: their own bonuses, their own architecture, their own technologies and their own voice acting! The Chinese speak Chinese, the Franks speak French, etc.
  • A dynamic online game with support for 8 players and a dozen possible modes. Fight to the death, regicide, king of the hill, taking over religions, protecting the wonder of the world, etc. - you won’t be bored!

#3 Stronghold Crusader


We give the well-deserved third place to the old, but at the same time eternally young RTS - Stronghold Crusader. Released in 2002, it is still popular. Global modifications of various themes are still being released for it.

    What's the juice?
  • The atmosphere of the medieval Middle East! Waiting for you: real architecture of desert settlements, blooming oases and typically oriental music. And, of course, the fights between the Arabs and the crusaders, where would we be without them!
  • A unique defense architecture system among RTS! Several types of walls and towers, various traps, deep ditches, vats of boiling oil - all this will prevent adversaries from getting into your fortress.
  • Unique battles! Hundreds and thousands of warriors of various specializations are ready to face each other for victory. Horse archers, assassins, arsonists, warriors with slings... Rams and huge shields, siege towers and ladders, catapults and trebuchets... Where else can you find such a variety of combat units? On this scale? That's right, only in "Crusader".

True, now “Citadel” has a big disadvantage - almost dead multiplayer. For this reason, fans of online battles should pay attention to the successor to “Crusader” - Stronghold Kingdoms.

#2 Medieval 2: Total War


The coveted second position in the top was won by the classic turn-based strategy about the Middle Ages from Creative Assembly - Medieval II.

Being another part of the legendary Total War series, the gameplay of Medieval 2 is traditionally divided into 2 parts: managing the state in global mode and commanding your own troops in real time. True, you will have to try on the role of a commander more often than a king.

This is largely due to the fact that almost all in-game campaigns have as their goal the conquest of foreign countries.

By the way, the absolutely perfect combat system is very addictive even for fans of economic strategies. It is very difficult to resist the temptation to take on the role of commander-in-chief of your own medieval state!

Not surprising, because full-scale 3D battles amaze with their entertainment: hundreds of troops can storm impregnable “multi-layered” fortresses, climbing ladders and towers, smashing fortifications with siege weapons and, if you’re very lucky, with cannons. Moreover, for each battle you will most likely have to select tactics - the same sudden downpour can either help or harm you. In general, everything is thought out!

The only thing that can prevent a modern gamer from mastering this strategy is the somewhat outdated graphics. Unfortunately, Medieval III hasn't even been announced yet, so we'll have to enjoy what we have. And yes, if you suddenly get bored with the original game, you can always install some mod. Be it historical, be it fantasy. Here you have the Russians, and Game of Thrones, and The Elder Scrolls...

#1 Crusader Kings 2


So, the best of the best, in our opinion, was the global game Crusader Kings 2, the brainchild of Paradox.

At first glance, “Crusaders 2” is some kind of incomprehensible project with a giant map and a bunch of all sorts of windows and menus. But behind the rather inconvenient interface lies a real pearl of the gaming world.

Here you can create whatever your heart desires! Take control of one of several dozen available historical figures and start having fun. The game has absolutely no goals or any restrictions.

Play as an evil dictator, throw all infidels into prison, execute traitors, kill harmful relatives in all sorts of sophisticated ways and conquer the world. You might even be able to create your own evil empire!

Or play the role of a good uncle king: reduce taxes, distribute lands to vassals, organize feasts and knightly tournaments, establish peaceful relations with neighboring countries, reconcile family members, rebuild cities, organize trade, faithfully serve the Pope or the Patriarch.

Want something unusual? Then set yourself the goal of uniting Byzantium, conquering Rome for an Arab and making it a second Mecca, gaining immortality, or making a horse your chancellor! All your desires can be fulfilled in Crusader Kings 2, even sometimes the craziest ones!

For this reason, we put “Crusaders” more important than all other projects in our selection!

Afterword

We hope that this top of the best medieval strategies on PC was useful to you and that you found your dream game. Even if not, don’t despair - there are a lot of games on this topic and you can still find what you were looking for! Just try our tag search!

We also ask you not to be indifferent to this article and comment on it. We will try to take into account the opinion of every visitor to the portal! And if you think the material was very useful, then please share the link to it with your friends. The more of us there are on the site, the better it will be for all of us!

The romance of the Middle Ages leaves few people indifferent. The world is still young, the lands are eager to find a feudal owner, powerful military technologies have yet to be invented... He who has a sword in his hands, and a detachment of loyal knights behind his back, can conquer the whole world! This opportunity is provided by browser-based war strategy games with swords about the Middle Ages. If your destiny is to command, dominate and win, you need to take the path of a ruler!

Without fear and reproach

If you feel that you were born too late and would like to correct this omission, go back to the Middle Ages and start playing war strategy games about knights. Study fortification, purchase weapons and horses, equip troops and do not forget to exploit the peasants. For example, in 1100 AD. Don’t forget to form diplomatic alliances, build a vassalage system, and think very carefully about military tactics.

Go on a campaign to conquer distant lands! Your medieval knights are eager to fight! Just don’t forget to provide them with supplies and weapons, because the enemy is cunning and strong.

If you enjoyed playing the browser-based sword strategy game about knights, now try moving to the East and fighting alongside the crusaders' rivals. Register in the Caliphate!

We are building a grandiose empire

Does the soul require truly grandiose proportions? This means that you need to play browser-based strategies about the Middle Ages, which provide truly large-scale opportunities for building super-empires. Such a game is the multiplayer strategy Empire Online 2, in which you can:

  • Develop resource production;
  • Increase the population (not forgetting to build houses for it, since people don't like being homeless);
  • Study technologies;
  • Build scientific and cultural objects, including Wonders of the World;
  • Improve the army;
  • Conduct diplomatic negotiations;
  • Send out spies;
  • Found colonies;
  • Capture territories.

It's impossible to tear yourself away!

Hello friends! There are many strategies in the gaming industry with different modes, genres, plots and historical periods. There are strategies that take place only in one period of time in the Middle Ages, in the future, in an alternative reality. For example, in the famous Warhammer 40,000, actions take place in the distant future. In the famous game Total War, each series is limited to a certain era, for example, Ancient Rome or Japan during the time of the samurai.

And there are strategies that, with each campaign and development, take us from era to era. For example, in Civilization we can play in different eras, including the Middle Ages, play the role of Lincoln, Napoleon, Stalin and other great leaders of their time, and at the end of the game fly away on a rocket. We will talk directly about strategies about the Middle Ages and what is happening in this historical era, which began after the fall of the great Roman Empire in the 6th century and ended before the beginning of modern times.

Throughout all campaigns, you will be able to meet various historical and legendary figures, such as Batu Khan and Prince Alexander Nevsky. The battles take place in a tactical manner - you have to fight for the life of each individual warrior, because the loss of several soldiers can lead to defeat. The number of strategic possibilities is not amazing, and the attention to detail is captivating. Thus, the force of the wind has a direct effect on the speed of flight of arrows, buildings set on fire are thrown by flames in accordance with the laws of physics, and the ice cover of rivers tends to break under the feet of heavily armed infantrymen.

XIII century: Rusich (addition to glory and death)

XIII century: Rusich - hello Slavs. In the game you have to fight not for some European countries, but for the Slavs. Game release date 2008. Great battles that changed the history of entire countries, including the Battle of the Ice and the Battle of Kalka. Large-scale battles involving several thousand warriors, subject to a unique combat system that reliably recreates the features of medieval combat.

Knights, mounted and foot sergeants, archers, crossbowmen, spearmen, and other troops, whose weapons and armor were created in accordance with the samples of the 13th century. More than 100 historical figures, including Alexander Nevsky, Daniil Galitsky, Philip II Augustus and so on.

XIII century. Fame or death

Glory or Death is a real-time strategy computer game. Release date: 2008. In the game you can play for 21 factions, for example, for the Roman Empire, England, Scotland, Hungary, Rus', Spanish kingdoms, Mongols and so on. 0 battles in 5 campaigns for the British, French, Mongols, Germans and Russians, including great battles that changed the history of entire countries: the Battle of Buvin, the Battle of Falkirk, the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, the Battle of the Ice. A number of interesting battles that have never been covered in games before: the Battle of Gelheim, the Battle of Taileburg and others.

Dozens of types of units: heavy knights, mounted and foot sergeants, archers, crossbowmen, spearmen, etc. Weapons, armor and equipment of warriors, created according to models of the 13th century. Reliable heraldry of the European nobility. More than 100 historical figures: Philip II Augustus, Frederick II of Hohenstaufen, Edward I, Alexander Nevsky, Daniil Galitsky and many others. Music that immerses you in the atmosphere of the Middle Ages and reflects the changing tempo of battle. Voice acting that recreates the sounds of real combat and the living world around you.

Real Warfare: 1242

Real Warfare: 1242 - Russian title of the game "History of Wars: Alexander Nevsky". The game was released in 2008. As we already understood, you will have to play for the Great Alexander Nevsky himself (XIII century, Rus') and during his reign. The player will have to go through 8 campaigns, take part in a minor skirmish with the Mongols, the Battle of the Neva and the Battle of the Ice, clash with enemies near Koporye, and kick the damned Livonian on the horns.

Reliable reconstruction of battle landscapes, weapons and armor of warriors, coupled with modern graphic technologies, makes it possible to demonstrate grandiose battle scenes with the participation of up to 32 thousand warriors. A unique combat system that takes into account several dozen different factors: each of the 170 units and even individual warriors react differently to events during the battle.

Real Warfare 2: Northern Crusades

Teutonic Order - real-time strategy. The game was released in 2011. You can travel around the global map, hire troops, engage in diplomacy and trade. Battles take place like in a Total War game. An army divided into several units, which can form into different formations: fast cavalry for outflanking, heavy infantry for defense, long-range archers... The outcome of the battle is still significantly influenced by the morale of the soldiers.

One immediately notices the many modifiers that affect the army. Whether there is cover from the rear, whether enemy archers have appeared dangerously close, whether the commander is alive - these and a bunch of other factors are taken into account when assessing the combat effectiveness of the squad. For example, a sufficiently strong detachment, having suffered minor losses, can flee from the battlefield only because it was under fire for too long and there were no allies nearby.

King Arthur: The Role-Playing Wargame

King Arthur - the first part of the game also has a sequel. The game's release date is 2009. Of course, we won't see Arthur here; we'll control the army like his knights. We move our units on the global map and manage the state in turn-based mode. By moving our army around the map, we can attack the enemy or wait for him to attack us. Then the battles take place in real time. The loser gives up his position.

The main and main task of the game is to subjugate everything and everyone. Defeat your enemies, and monitor the mood of the conquered lands and states. It will be regularly necessary to stop the rebellion, solve emerging problems and anti-state sentiments. Sometimes this or that province may rebel and you will need to conquer it again.

Crusaders: Thy Kingdom Come

Crusaders: Thy Kingdom Come is known in Russia as “Crusaders: in the Name of the Crown.” Release date: 2008. The main hero is an ordinary knight who joined the Crusade. At our service are five characters with different capabilities, reputation in the army and a couple of loyal troops.

By completing different tasks, you can win the respect of several competing states at once, and this means money, soldiers and other bonuses. We fight on a map full of traps and impassable areas, and in between exploits we improve our mini-army: we buy troops and equipment, hire captains, beg handouts from our superiors, and so on.

Lionheart. Kings Crusade

Lionheart. Kings Crusade is a real-time strategy game with role-playing game elements. We move our hero around the map and take part in battles at different points, already conducting tactical battles in the battle. The game has several campaigns. The crusaders' campaign to conquer the Middle East and unite it under their command. By winning battles and making political decisions, the player must bring Richard Lion Heart and his army to final victory over their enemies.

The second campaign begins after Richard's crusade and follows Sultan Saladin. By choosing the side of his army, the player will try to return the Holy Land under the wing of the Muslims. There are several differences from the company for Christians.

Total War: ATTILA

Real time strategy in a historical setting. The game takes place immediately after the division of the Roman Empire. Nomadic tribes and Germanic barbarians united into one large force under the leadership of the new leader Attila. They are pursued by one goal - the complete conquest of a weakened Rome.

The game has several modes. Economic mode where you can manage and develop the economy of your castle without waging war. And the siege or defense mode in which you have to defend castles such as Camelot, Edinburgh, Tower and, conversely, capture other castles. In story missions you have to develop both the economy and the troops. The game also has a good map editor with which you can build your castle both inside and outside as you want.

Age of Empires II

Real time strategy game. Events in the game cover a large historical period, starting from early Middle Ages and ending with the battles of the 15th century. The player will be able to visit key battles that took place throughout the continent.

Popular online strategies about the Middle Ages

Stronghold Kingdoms

Free multiplayer real-time strategy game. The game has a historical setting, taking place in the Middle Ages. The main goal of the game is to build impregnable fortress, supplemented by many secondary ones. The player must develop a city around the castle, deal with the economy, politics, and also command conquests and wars.

PLAY

Since the project is multiplayer, the player will feel constant competition and pressure from other castles. The game features the ability to sign treaties and form alliances, which allows several small castles to join forces against one strong enemy.


At first glance, it seems like a classic strategy: you need to look for resources, hire and train an army, and develop a settlement. But once you get into Big world and meet other players - you are immersed in the special world of 1100AD, where you will find unique tactical battles in real time, an ornate vassalage system and complex economic relationships.

PLAY

Every detail in the game conveys the ambiance of the Middle Ages - castles, settlements, warriors and their equipment. The game also has a nice feature that distinguishes it from others online games, this is something in the game where battles take place in real time with elements of tactics. That is, by using tactical thinking you can defeat the enemy with fewer troops.

Imperia Online 2

You have to take the reins of government and turn a simple village into a real empire. The creators say that a steel sword, a reliable horse and a thin bow will help you on the path to greatness, but do not forget that this is an online strategy game - you simply cannot do without cold calculations, the support of friends and a united alliance.

PLAY

Each player's empire begins with one province - a small village consisting of several residential buildings and the city center. Over time, the player will be able to expand their empire by founding a new village - each empire contains 19 provinces that can be colonized. In addition, colonies can be founded outside the empire.

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28.03.2018 Pavel Makarov

Strategy is one of the first and once most popular genres of computer games on PC, the most prominent representative of which was “Age of Empires” - an RTS in a medieval setting. The first representatives of the genre are games with simple mechanics: building a base, building units, attacking the enemy. Gradually, the strategies became more complex, research elements were introduced that improved units and buildings, the opportunity to travel through eras appeared, etc. In this article we will present the top 15 most striking and memorable strategies about the Middle Ages.

Release date: 2018
Genre: city ​​building simulator, real-time strategy
Developer: Shiro Games
Publisher: Shiro Games

Northgard is a medieval RTS from the Shiro Games team, in which you have to inhabit the continent of Northgard and populate it with powerful Vikings. At the same time, you will have to fight off animals, undead creatures and establish diplomatic relations with the local residents - the Jotuns.

Teach people various crafts, wisely manage mined or conquered resources, managing to survive the winter and enemy raids. Only tactics and strategy will allow you to expand your influence in new lands teeming with very smart AI.

Release date: 2016
Genre: real time strategy
Developer: G.S.C. Game World
Publisher: GSC Game World

Cossacks 3 is a large-scale real-time strategy from the developers of GSC Game World, telling about battles between the 17th and 18th centuries. Several factors play into winning: the amount of previously mined resources, the choice of troops and weapons, landscape, physics and even the time of day.

Enter the battle by choosing one of 20 nations, bringing up to 32,000 units into the fight at the same time.

Multiplayer for 8 people with the ability to create teams will definitely not get boring.

Release date: year 2014
Genre: real time strategy
Developer: SkyBox Labs, Big Huge Games
Publisher: Microsoft Studios

Rise of Nations is an RTS game from Big Huge Games. The game is a synergy of traditional strategy and city-planning simulator, similar to Civilization, since there are national borders and even wonders of the world.

Maximum authenticity of what is happening: caravans open up new routes, sea trade campaigns create their own fleet, and cities represent key buildings on the continent around which the gameplay is tied. Create your own wonder of the world to take advantage of the benefits provided by this building.

Release date: 2015
Genre: simulator of construction of medieval siege weapons, sandbox
Developer: Spiderling Studios
Publisher: Spiderling Studios

Besiege is an indie sandbox project developed by the Spiderling Studios team. The player's task is to create a special device to achieve the goal while completing the level. With each new map opened, the level of difficulty increases significantly, and therefore the car has to be improved and modernized every now and then (add armor, install a catapult or a transport crane for the convenience of moving heavy objects).

Complete freedom of action from the very first minutes. The main task is to achieve the goal in any way.

Release date: year 2014
Genre: medieval castle building simulator, real-time strategy
Developer: FireFly Studios
Publisher: FireFly Studios

Stronghold Crusader 2 is a sequel to the original castle sim project from FireFly Studios. The sequel is also a mixture of RTS and city-planning simulator, in which the main character will have to make a difficult choice between the Crusaders and the Arab fighters for justice. Further fate The Holy Lands directly depends on the actions of the commander.

Do you admire Richard the Lionheart? You will have the opportunity to play on his behalf, managing to control 25 types of different units with special abilities. Difficult, but interesting.

Release date: 2006
Genre: turn-based, real-time tactical strategy
Developer: The Creative Assembly
Publisher: SEGA

Medieval II: Total War is a global turn-based real-time strategy from The Creative Assembly team. Events will unfold in parallel in North Africa, the Middle East and Europe. You have to go through such historical events, like the discovery of gunpowder "Black Death", the invasion of the Mongols and more.

Take part in the Crusades for the glory of Islam or Christianity, rewrite history in your own way, without holding yourself back by any restrictions. In war, all means are good.

Face off? LAN mode for 8 people is just suitable for these purposes.

Release date: year 2013
Genre: real time strategy
Developer: Skybox Labs, Hidden Path Entertainment, Ensemble Studios
Publisher: Microsoft Studios

Age of Empires II HD is a re-release of the cult strategy from Ensemble Games in a new quality. The studio Skybox Labs was responsible for the remake, which did not in any way affect the gameplay or atmosphere of the project. The player has access to 13 civilizations with unique units and technologies.

Using the latter is not so easy - you need to create an appropriate building, and then develop the ability from scratch. And remember that each faction has both strong and weaknesses: You may gain in castle value but lose in defensive quality.

Release date: 2017
Genre: turn-based strategy about Vikings with RPG elements
Developer: Logic Artists
Publisher: Logic Artists

Expeditions: Viking is a real-time strategy game from Logic Artics. You have just been appointed leader of a Viking clan living in a small village. The task is extremely simple - to make the settlement blossom and prosper. Loyal housecarls will follow the leader anywhere, even to Valhalla.

Choose the style of leader at your own discretion, choosing the optimal skills and characteristics of the hero for yourself. Make peaceful alliances and write your name on the pages of history, where there will definitely be a place for heroism.

Release date: year 2012
Genre: global strategy about the Middle Ages
Developer: Paradox Development Studio
Publisher: Paradox Interactive

Crusader Kings II is a global RTS from Paradox Development Studio. The game recreates the feudal system of relations between medieval Europe and the Middle East, including not only big picture events, but also personal relationships between characters. Here, every now and then, intrigues and even a struggle for the Papal throne will arise.

The player himself chooses the dynasty around which the plot is built. Study history in game form, observing real-life personalities.

Release date: 2017
Genre: global strategy about the Middle Ages with RPG elements, turn-based battles
Developer: Overhype Studios
Publisher: Overhype Studios

Battle Brothers – tactical RPG with a huge open world from Overhype Studios. You have to learn how to manage a squad of mercenaries in the era of medieval Germany. All battles are turn-based, based on the turn-based strategy of Heroes Might and Magic.

Outside of battles, the hero must look for new quests for himself and take care of the welfare of the mercenaries (weapons, armor, provisions). The game is stuffed with fetnesian characters and representatives of German folklore.

Release date: year 2014
Genre: city ​​planning simulator of a medieval village
Developer: Shining Rock Software LLC
Publisher: Shining Rock Software LLC

Banished is a city-building sim from Shining Rock Software, diluted with strategy elements. You become a kind of hand of God, since the main resource of the game is people. They are born, work, reproduce and die. The key measure of success is supporting the well-being of subjects. It is not enough to build a house - it also needs to be inhabited.

No conditions or conventions: build anything, as long as you have enough resources. 18 types of crafts will not let you get bored, especially since there is no standard strategy here - everything is at your discretion.

Release date: 2005 year
Genre: global strategy about the Middle Ages
Developer: Black Sea Studios Ltd
Publisher: Paradox Interactive

Knights of Honor is an RTS from the Black Sea Studios team in a historical setting. You have to rule an entire dynasty with a king at its head. Create heirs, enter into mutually beneficial agreements with representatives of other kingdoms, principalities and sultanates (pacts, alliances, trade agreements).

The emphasis in the game is on exotic goods, since they are responsible for the advantage of a particular power and its advantageous position relative to other states.

Release date: 2017
Genre: global strategy about the Middle Ages
Developer: Reverie World Studios
Publisher: Reverie World Studios

Medieval Kingdom Wars is a global real-time strategy game from developer Reverie World Studios. Historical setting and a huge living world medieval era. Create cities, fight in the name of the king, take part in large-scale sieges and show off your tactical skills in battle.

Campaign mode with an abundance of international and domestic intrigue, network mode and more. A painfully realistic survival simulator awaits you, where you will even have to hunt rats in order to save not only your own skin, but also the garrison under your control. Difficult, but exciting.

Release date: 2005 year
Genre: economic strategy, a city-building simulator of a medieval city
Developer: Ubisoft Blue Byte Studio
Publisher: Ubisoft

The Settlers: Heritage of Kings is the fifth series of RTS The Setters from Blue Byte Software. In this part, the developers abandoned the standard setting, adding many gameplay elements similar to Cossacks: Europian Wars.

You will reincarnate as the character Dario, whose village was destroyed by the Black Knights. The hero will have to lead a militia to drive out uninvited guests from its territory.

Release date: 2015
Genre:
Developer: Creative Assembly
Publisher: SEGA

Total War: Attila is a project that combines elements of RTS and turn-based strategy. Developed by Creative Assembly and in fact is the 9th part of the Total War network.

The action takes place in 395 AD since the split of the Roman Empire. You will play as the great leader Atilla, while simultaneously managing your own state. Constructions are given Special attention: industrial buildings can pollute the atmosphere, sanitary - clean. It is necessary to seek a balance between industry and ecology.

The Middle Ages is the era of knights and beautiful ladies, wars and civil strife, intrigues and coups, romanticized by writers and film directors. Who among us has not at least once dreamed of becoming the king or queen of our own state, building cities and gathering armies, conquering new territories and the love of our subjects, concluding profitable alliances and punishing enemies with fire and sword? Strategies about the Middle Ages completely immerse you in this cruel, but so attractive world for those hungry for power.

Singles

The Crusades are the bloodiest, but also the most epic page in the history of the Middle Ages, and Richard the Lionheart is one of the most significant persons of that time, despite his inconsistency and historical truth.

So, in this add-on you will find dozens of missions under the scorching sun, mining resources scattered across the map, erecting a fortress on the hot desert sand, developing infrastructure and bloody battles in the name of the Catholic faith. Even a poorly fortified enemy location is not so easy to capture; you will have to dig tunnels, build siege weapons, and most importantly, think and build a strategy.

The original version of Stronghold is also worthy of attention, where you have to reunite a kingdom that has split into four parts.

We immediately warn you that you should not expect stunning graphics from both the original and the Crusader expansion, since the project is already more than 15 years old.

6. The Settlers: Rise of an Empire

The once powerful empire was now reduced to several fragmented provinces, suffering from periodic raids, famine and poverty. Your task is to restore order here and turn this disgrace into a prosperous power.

There are all the delights of medieval life here. The village produces resources, the city makes goods from them, priests read sermons, which, although they distract people from working for the good of society, attract many people who want to donate, officials collect taxes, merchants travel between cities with loaded carts. At the same time, you still have to make sure that your valuable property is not taken away by any raubritters or other money-lovers on the road.

The city itself pleases with the realistic depiction of medieval life: there is a baker in a hurry to buy flour, here someone is dragging a cart with goods to a shop, somewhere a bright dress of a townswoman walking along the street flashed, and a lazy cat is lying down on someone’s threshold.

As for the missions, they are linear and uncomplicated. The combat system is also simple - whoever has more units wins. But the nice thing is that stone walls and buildings cannot be destroyed with swords and arrows from bows, you will have to build siege weapons and arm the army with torches to burn wooden buildings.

5. Knights of Honor

Even if you have never seen medieval strategy games or are not familiar with the genre at all, Knights of Honor will be intuitive almost immediately. Already in the first hours you can start playing war like a seasoned commander, so this is the project you can start getting acquainted with RTS.

From the name of the game it becomes clear that knights are your main tool for building a state, influencing your subjects, allies and enemies. At the same time, knights are not only people of military honor and the sword, but also priests who strengthen the people’s faith in your greatness, merchants who conclude deals, mayors - your governors in cities, architects engaged in the construction of strategically important objects, and spies, with proper leveling, can not only to infiltrate the neighbor’s army and report on his plans, but even to take the throne.

In general, in Knights of Honor you will have to do everything that gave a medieval ruler a headache: trade, enter into dynastic marriages, hire and maintain an army, develop the center and provinces, hatching plans to establish dominance throughout Europe.

4. Age of Empires series

Age of Empires is a classic RTS and a true legend of the genre. The first part, which has already celebrated its twentieth anniversary, covers the period from the Stone to the Iron Age, and its addition tells the story of the formation of the Roman Empire.

Age of Empires II is directly about the Middle Ages: here you have Barbarossa, under whom the Holy Roman Empire experienced its heyday, and William Wallace - the legendary fighter for a free Scotland, and Joan of Arc - military leader, national heroine and patriot of France, and Genghis Khan - the founder of the largest empire in human history, and other equally famous personalities. For all of them there are entire campaigns to go through. The Conquerors expansion opens up several new civilizations, campaigns of the great conquerors of antiquity.

The third part of the series will talk about initial period Modern times and the colonization of America. The WarChiefs expansion adds the civilizations of the Sioux, Iroquois and Aztecs (by the way, in the Aztec Tenochtitlan we will meet Cuauhtémoc, familiar to us from the second part), and in The Asian Dynasties players will have the opportunity to get acquainted with the cultures of India, China and Japan.

The release of Age of Empires IV has already been announced, but it is not yet known what period of history will be discussed in the new part.

3. Anno 1404

2. Crusader Kings 2

If you enjoy watching intrigue and palace coups on the pages of books or television screens, then Crusader Kings 2 is definitely worth paying attention to. Here you will have to worry not so much about your country as about the dynasty, and establish personal relationships. And all this in the background bloody wars, struggle for power in Europe and the Middle East.

The game has 12 official additions that open up even more possibilities: play for Muslim and Indian dynasties, raise the Roman Empire from the ashes, even do something incredible - make the Aztecs break into Europe.

Critics compared Crusader Kings 2 to The Sims. In many ways, they are right, but here everything is much more serious, after all, the fate of the whole state, or even the whole world, depends on you.

1. Medieval II: Total War

Online strategies

7. Goodgame Empire

Goodgame Empire is a classic browser-based online strategy about the Middle Ages with all that it implies.

First, you have at your disposal a miserable piece of land with several run-down buildings, from which you need to make a prosperous settlement. Even beginners will not be confused here - the game has a lot of advisors responsible for a specific industry who will pester you with training tasks. You have six days to figure out how everything works here, after which your possessions will be able to be attacked by other players. So it’s worth taking care of the protection of property acquired through back-breaking labor in advance.

The essence of the game is simple: build, mine, kill. At the same time, there are quite wide possibilities for social interactions, flexible animation settings and pleasant musical accompaniment.

6. Tribal Wars 2

In Tribal Wars 2 there are practically no solutions that are original within the genre: you need to build, develop, fight and defend. The interface is intuitive; those who have already played browser-based strategy games will find that all the buttons are in their usual places.

At first it may seem that the developers do not trust the player to design their own city, because all the buildings are tied to specific places, but it soon turns out that this is only to your advantage. When you have at your disposal not just one settlement, but several, it is much more convenient when buildings of the same type are in the same places.

As for the army, in addition to regular units, special units are available that give the army different benefits. For example, a nobleman can help quickly capture a village by talking up its inhabitants, and a paladin uses artifacts that strengthen troops.

There are 4 game resources and a donation, which makes playing much more fun. You can show your coolness by the number of achievements you receive.

5. Stronghold Kingdoms

The similarities between Kingdoms and the original version of Stronghold end with the models of units and buildings and the music, which remains incomparable. Here everything is according to the MMORTS classics: buildings take longer and longer to build and cost more and more. At the same time, the construction and hiring of warriors is complicated by the need to master the appropriate technologies. This is a completely logical move, because how can you make swords for your fighters if you don’t know how to process metal?

In addition to resources, you earn honor points, the number of which shows how skilled a ruler you are. Of course, it is possible to purchase a premium account, which will provide quite serious bonuses, for example, expanding the queue of buildings, recruiting troops, and research.

4. Total Wars Battles: Kingdom

To begin with, it’s worth saying what kind of development online versions came from Creative Assembly, the company that gave us the entire Total War series. Although this fact in itself inspires confidence in the project (which is completely justified), in fact the game is completely different from its predecessors.

Of course, the game has many interesting features. For example, in order for grain on farms to ripen faster, they need to be surrounded by water. The missions are quite complex, so you will have to think about how to properly deploy troops and use abilities. You can craft almost everything: units, armor, buffs and other necessary things. For each city it is worth choosing a specialization, for example, one military, full of barracks, the second trade, etc.

You can download the client on Steam.

3. Heroes at War

The mobile version of the game received a lot of praise and even won several awards. The developers tried to transfer Heroes at War to PC, while maintaining the atmosphere and all the distinctive features.

As for the construction of buildings and the development of the city, everything here is quite standard. What's really interesting is the research, of which there is a lot. You need to improve the characteristics of your army, study technologies for making armor and weapons, and discover new combat units at the warrior academy. The university is mastering various upgrades in economics and construction. There are quite a few types of troops, but at the beginning only crooked militias are available, so you will have to try to quickly discover cooler fighters.

By upgrading your hero, inspirer and leader of the army, you can receive various bonuses that improve the characteristics of the army. Combat tactics involve selecting the right kind fighters for a specific purpose, for example, some may have a bonus against magicians, others cope well with cavalry, and still others destroy infantry units to smithereens.

2. Empire Online 2

Compared to the previous part, Empire Online 2 has significantly reduced the time spent completing quests, construction and exploration. But the innovations don't end there. Firstly, the world became more beautiful and pleasant. Secondly, lands can now be conquered not only with a sword, but also with coin. Thirdly, you have to watch the life of an entire imperial dynasty, whose representatives have different bonuses, but are born and die like everyone else ordinary people. In addition to developing your empire and establishing contacts with neighbors, you will have to solve personal problems of members of the ruling dynasty.

To become a truly great emperor, you will have to work on both foreign and domestic policies. But in any case, you have a choice: peacefully develop and strengthen your possessions or wage wars of conquest.

1. Throne: Kingdom at War

If you are more interested in the economic component, no one is forcing you to declare war on others. However, this does not mean that you can neglect the army; sooner or later the aggressor will still be at your gates. In this sense big advantage gives membership in the order: you can ask a comrade to help in battle, thanking you, for example, with resources. In addition, the order can take part in global events, receiving awards for this.