Crusader Kings II

Crusader Kings II turns one of history's defining eras into a grand strategy experience built by veterans of the genre. As the Dark Ages wind down, Europe remains in upheaval: minor lords scheme against weakened kings, fragmented realms strain at the seams, and the Pope calls for a Crusade while quarreling over control of the Church's wealthy bishops.

Rather than command a static nation, you steer a Christian dynasty across the generations, playing one descendant after another and accumulating Prestige for the glory of your bloodline. The work of rule never ends: expand your demesne and keep it from fracturing, fill the treasury, appoint vassals, draft laws, and root out traitors and heretics among hundreds of nobles, each pursuing a private agenda. Loyal vassals can sour into bitter rivals, so even trusted allies bear watching.

A game can begin at any point between 1066 and 1337 and run through to 1453. Along the way you take up the Cross against Moor, heathen and heretic, brace for the onslaught of the Mongol Horde, and wrestle with the Pope over the bishops. A competitive multiplayer mode supports up to 32 additional players reliving the Middle Ages together.