Assassin’s Creed

You can’t mention games and history in one go without talking about the Assassin’s Creed franchise. From the streets of Constantinople, the hills of Ancient Greece, to the sands of Egypt, you can explore faithful recreations of famous cities and landmarks. Plus, you’ll also undergo a compelling tale with historical figures and fight countless enemies or assassinate valuable targets. The most recent game, AC: Valhalla, puts you in the shoes of a Viking warrior during the Viking invasions of Anglo-Saxon England. There, you’ll meet famous figures like the sons of Ragnar Lodbrok and, of course, Alfred the Great.

Total War’s Historical Games

Barring Warhammer, Total War’s historical games are among the best in war and grand strategy. In a nutshell, it lets you conquer, wage war, and engage in epic battles as Rome, as a faction in the Sengoku Period in Japan, and as a medieval kingdom in Europe. In addition, you could also take command of Napoleonic and Prussian armies and even dive into Bronze Age Greece in Total War: Troy.

Crusader Kings

Crusader Kings is a medieval sandbox that lets you live as a medieval ruler and his descendants. In a nutshell, it’s a grand strategy where you manage your vassals, lands, and family. As a count, duke, king, or emperor, you need to watch out for the schemers on your court and, at the same time, ensure your armies are well-prepared for revolts. In addition, you’ll also need to develop your lands, arrange marriages, and march on whenever the Pope or the Caliph declares a Crusade or Jihad.

Europa Universalis

Set in the Renaissance right before the fall of Byzantium, Europa Universalis gives you control of a nation in the mid-15th century. As a ruler, you’ll need to decide the fate of your country: should you prioritize trade, build colonies, or be a nation that dominates its enemies militarily? The possibilities are endless, and yes, you can play as your own home country.

Medieval Dynasty

Medieval Dynasty is an exciting RPG/colony simulator where you live as a young man who escaped war and is set to build a village and found a dynasty that will last through the ages. As its name suggests, it is set in a medieval world, and your goal is to create a prosperous settlement. You have to hunt animals, sow seeds, till the land, and harvest crops, and manage your villagers’ needs and emotions. Currently, the game is still on early access with many features yet to be added, so you can either wait for the developers to put a checkmark on the roadmap entries or wait.

Going Medieval

Like Medieval Dynasty, Going Medieval is an early access game that lets you found your village or colony. However, unlike the former, it’s purely a simulation game that borders strategy, as it allows you to construct sprawling towns and even stone castles that can withstand sieges. Unfortunately, apart from the basic features like building and villager management, it doesn’t have a lot of features, although those will inevitably make their way to the game as development progresses.

Chivalry II

Ever wonder how it’s like stepping into a battlefield during a massive battle? Put yourself in the shoes of a battle-hungry dismounted knight, fully clad in armor while holding a gigantic two-handed sword. You might die today, but if you live, the bards will sing of your bravery, and the spoils of war are sure to enrich your coffers.

Such is the setting in Chivalry II, an action-packed medieval battle simulator. Here, you’ll dive into lobbies with dozens of other players and fight in first-person cinematic battles, defending castles from attackers or engaging in open-field fights akin to those you see in movies. In addition, you can play as one of many character classes and fight in various battlefields, from towns and fortresses to arenas.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance

You’re a blacksmith son fooling around with your friend in a medieval village, but one day, an army attacked and razed everything to the ground, killing your parents. From there, you go on a path of revenge, but first, you need to learn how to fight and perform your duties to the lords of the area.

This is the story of Henry of Skalitz in Kingdom Come: Deliverance. The game is set in 1403 in Bohemia (modern-day Czech Republic). You’ll explore castles, fortified medieval towns, and religious monasteries, which are all based in real-life locations. Apart from the setting, it also has the most complicated and deep melee combat system, which is something you’d want to dive into.

Overall, there’s a vast array of history-themed games available for anyone to play, and these aren’t just limited to the ones mentioned above. You’ve also got RTS titles like Age of Empires and Stronghold and FPS games centered on global conflicts in the 20th century.

So, do you think we’ve forgotten to mention other games and what do you think about our list?