Articles Europa Universalis 4

Grand strategy and 4X games put you in charge of a nation or a galactic empire — here are the 24 best, from Civilization and Stellaris to Crusader Kings 3, Europa Universalis 5 and Total War. Developing your realm and taking part in geopolitical rivalry with your neighbors can be so absorbing that a single session easily lasts until morning. The “one more turn” phenomenon is no joke. Our list includes 24 grand strategy games divided into 5 subgenres: classic 4X civilization-building games, historical state-management sandboxes from Paradox, the epic mix of a global map and tactical battles in Total War, space empires, and unusual hybrids. The selection was updated in May 2026 with the major releases of recent years: Europa Universalis 5 (2025), Civilization 7 (2025), and Victoria 3 (2022).

Games based on real events are released less frequently than historical films or books. The reason is clear: with this approach, developers are forced to abandon interesting gameplay mechanics, such as using magic or fighting dragons. Meanwhile, in early February 2025, we will see two projects at once that are related to history — Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 and Sid Meier's Civilization 7. Moreover, strategies can convey the features of eras not only externally, but also through gameplay. This is the topic of our article.