PCGame

Crusader Kings II

Medieval grand strategy about dynasties, politics, war, and succession

Paradox Development Studio · Published by Paradox Interactive · Released Feb 14, 2012

RPGSimulationStrategyFree To Play

Reviews trending down: 48% positive in the last 30 days vs 85% overall

Reviews
Very Positive
85% of 85K
Recent reviews
Mixed
48% of 186 in 30 days
Players
973
daily peak, Nov 7, 2026
Steam Deck
Playable
Last update on Steam
5 years ago
Sep 28, 2021
Minimum PC
® 8800
4 GB RAM · 2 GB disk
Full requirements

Metacritic: 82/100 (critic reviews)

What is Crusader Kings II?

A medieval grand-strategy sandbox where you rule a Christian lord and then successive descendants from 1066 to 1453. You manage vassals and laws, investigate plots, wage wars, navigate church politics, and expand a feudal realm while keeping the dynasty alive, alone or in multiplayer.

For you if...

  • +you enjoy complex sandbox strategy and alternate medieval histories
  • +you prefer dynastic politics to controlling a fixed nation
  • +you want long campaigns in single-player or multiplayer

Not for you if...

  • −you prefer action combat over political and dynastic management
  • −you want a short, tightly guided strategy campaign

What players say

85% of 84,748 reviews are positive · 48% of 186 in the last 30 days

Players praise its dynastic sandbox, emergent family drama, replayability, and long-term plans through marriage and succession. The most common complaint is the large amount of paid DLC, with many saying the free base game feels incomplete; newcomers also criticize the weak tutorial and cluttered interface.

Players over time

▼ -9% vs a month ago

Players online on Steam, one sample a day.

Highest since Sep 2026: 1,454 players on Sep 21, 2026.

Show the data
DayPlayers
Nov 7, 2026973
Nov 6, 2026829
Nov 5, 2026817
Nov 4, 2026844
Nov 3, 2026916
Nov 2, 2026990
Nov 1, 20261,034
Oct 31, 20261,015
Oct 30, 2026869
Oct 29, 2026920
Oct 28, 2026832
Oct 27, 2026622
Oct 27, 2026904
Oct 26, 20261,003
Oct 25, 20261,102
Oct 24, 20261,045
Oct 23, 2026952
Oct 22, 20260
Oct 21, 2026956
Oct 20, 20261,022
Oct 19, 20261,078
Oct 18, 20261,114
Oct 17, 20261,022
Oct 16, 2026965
Oct 15, 2026952
Oct 14, 20261,019
Oct 13, 2026986
Oct 12, 20261,021
Oct 11, 20261,105
Oct 10, 20261,005
Oct 9, 2026921
Oct 8, 2026946
Oct 7, 20261,005
Oct 6, 2026963
Oct 5, 20261,075
Oct 4, 20261,108
Oct 3, 20261,123
Oct 2, 20261,014
Oct 1, 20261,014
Sep 30, 20261,020
Sep 29, 20261,036
Sep 28, 20261,109
Sep 27, 20261,181
Sep 26, 20261,143
Sep 25, 2026964
Sep 24, 2026989
Sep 23, 2026819
Sep 23, 20261,038
Sep 22, 20261,052
Sep 21, 20261,454

Screenshots and trailer

Crusader Kings II screenshot 1

Crusader Kings II system requirements

Minimum: ® 8800, 4 GB RAM, 2 GB of disk space.

As published by the developer.

Can my PC run Crusader Kings II?

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Minimum

OS
Win7 64-bit
Processor
Intel® Pentium® IV 2.4 GHz or AMD 3500+
Graphics
NVIDIA® GeForce 8800 or ATI Radeon® X1900, 512mb graphics memory required.
Memory
4 GB RAM
Storage
2 GB
Notes
3-button mouse and keyboard

Does Crusader Kings II have co-op or multiplayer?

Yes: multiplayer (mode not specified). It also has a single-player mode.

Does Crusader Kings II run on Steam Deck?

Playable Playable: it runs on Steam Deck with some adjustments.

  • The launcher or setup tool may need the touchscreen or virtual keyboard
  • Sometimes shows mouse, keyboard or non-Deck controller icons
  • Some text entry requires manually opening the on-screen keyboard
  • Some in-game text is small and may be hard to read
  • All functionality is accessible with the default controller configuration
  • Default graphics settings perform well on Steam Deck

PC version details

DRM
None declared on Steam
Controller
Keyboard and mouse
Platforms
Windows, macOS, Linux
Achievements
161
Steam features
Family Sharing, Trading cards
Languages
Text only: English, French, German, Spanish - Spain.

Does Crusader Kings II use AI-generated content?

No AI-generated content is disclosed on the game's Steam page.

Self-reported by the developer under Steam rules: it covers AI content that ships in the game, not tools used to make it. Steam page checked on Nov 6, 2026. How to filter AI games on Steam

Tags

Recent updates

32 DLC available.

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