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Syntheses generated by statistical aggregation of player reviews.

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Steam specs (min / recommended)

Minimum: Système d'exploitation : Windows 7 Processeur : Intel® Pentium® IV 2.4 GHz ou AMD 3500+ Mémoire vive : 2 Go de RAM Disque dur : 2 Go d'espace disque disponible Carte graphique : Carte comportant 512 Mo de mémoire vidéo, nVIDIA® GeForce 8800 ou ATI Radeon® X1900. DirectX® : 9.0c Son : Carte son compatibleDirectX Additionnelle : Souris à 3 boutons et clavier

Crusader Kings II

Safe bet
⚔️ Compare View on Steam ↗
Released February 14, 2012
sample: 489 reviews posted after launch (180 AI-classified)
85/100
Player Score — positive reviews weighted by volume · Steam history: 91 % · 73,748 reviews (« Very Positive »)
Critics' score : 82/100 (Metacritic)

Over 73,000 players have poured thousands of hours into a sprawling dynasty simulator where every decision feels like a high-stakes gamble. The sheer depth of strategy drowns out the rough edges, leaving a core of devoted fans who wouldn’t trade their crown for anything.

What it's about: Explorez l'une des grandes périodes de l'Histoire mondiale dans une expérience créée par les maîtres des jeux de stratégie.

In-game

Screenshot Crusader Kings IIScreenshot Crusader Kings IIScreenshot Crusader Kings IIScreenshot Crusader Kings IIScreenshot Crusader Kings IIScreenshot Crusader Kings II
« Daughter contracted syphilis. Made her marry my enemy and give him syphilis. 10/10 biological warfare simulator »
👍 anonymous review · Aug 2025 · 1379 h played2111
« Teaching my friend how to play this game. I slept with his wife many times and fathered 2 of his 3 kids turned them all into cultist I then logged onto steam and launched CK2 »
👍 anonymous review · Feb 2026 · 64 h played4111
« This game got me through some of the worst years of my life. An incredibly janky classic. »
👍 anonymous review · Dec 2025 · 1941 h played1
« One of the best strategy games ever made. Just hope CK3 can get it's ♥♥♥♥ together so it can be a worthy successor one of these days. »
👍 anonymous review · Dec 2025 · 1799 h played11
« The best game ever, I will glaze it all day, everyday, until the day I die. Also its free. »
👍 anonymous review · Aug 2025 · 2490 h played11
« On peut appeler notre gosse hitler ! 10/10 »
👍 anonymous review · Jun 2025 · 4 h played
« It's free to play because it's a dlc trap. $450 aud for all the dlc on a game from 2012! Wild!! Putting up a token free to play is just a wolf in sheep skin strat. Dont Little Red Riding Hood your way into their greed snare. »
👎 anonymous review · Mar 2026 · 7 h played211
« Fun, but the obnoxious advertising of the six million DLCs and the scummy subscription service make it kinda hard to play »
👎 anonymous review · Oct 2025 · 68 h played1
« I can't condone Paradox's business practices and milking customers with endless addons. »
👎 anonymous review · Jun 2026 · 219 h played1
« Pretty unfriendly to new players. Tried the "learning scenario"... it just said it's 1066 do what you feel like and offered no explanation beyond that. I'm all for complicated gameplay, but damn give me a chance to start. »
👎 anonymous review · Jul 2026 · 6 h played1
« Jeu de base gratuit, cumuls des extensions (pas grandement alléchantes pour les avoir essayé en GOG) à plus de 250€ pour un jeu dépassé par 2 nouveaux opus et leurs extensions hors de prix. »
👎 anonymous review · Dec 2024 · 475 h played
« Apprentissage difficile mais avec le temps un de mes jeux préféré.9/10 »
👍 anonymous review · Jul 2025 · 320 h played

In players' words

« Daughter contracted syphilis. Made her marry my enemy and give him syphilis. 10/10 biological warfare simulator »
👍 anonymous review · Aug 2025 · 1379 h played2111
« It's free to play because it's a dlc trap. $450 aud for all the dlc on a game from 2012! Wild!! Putting up a token free to play is just a wolf in sheep skin strat. Dont Little Red Riding Hood your way into their greed snare. »
👎 anonymous review · Mar 2026 · 7 h played211
« Teaching my friend how to play this game. I slept with his wife many times and fathered 2 of his 3 kids turned them all into cultist I then logged onto steam and launched CK2 »
👍 anonymous review · Feb 2026 · 64 h played4111
« Fun, but the obnoxious advertising of the six million DLCs and the scummy subscription service make it kinda hard to play »
👎 anonymous review · Oct 2025 · 68 h played1
« This game got me through some of the worst years of my life. An incredibly janky classic. »
👍 anonymous review · Dec 2025 · 1941 h played1
« I can't condone Paradox's business practices and milking customers with endless addons. »
👎 anonymous review · Jun 2026 · 219 h played1
« One of the best strategy games ever made. Just hope CK3 can get it's ♥♥♥♥ together so it can be a worthy successor one of these days. »
👍 anonymous review · Dec 2025 · 1799 h played11
« Pretty unfriendly to new players. Tried the "learning scenario"... it just said it's 1066 do what you feel like and offered no explanation beyond that. I'm all for complicated gameplay, but damn give me a chance to start. »
👎 anonymous review · Jul 2026 · 6 h played1
« The best game ever, I will glaze it all day, everyday, until the day I die. Also its free. »
👍 anonymous review · Aug 2025 · 2490 h played11
« Jeu de base gratuit, cumuls des extensions (pas grandement alléchantes pour les avoir essayé en GOG) à plus de 250€ pour un jeu dépassé par 2 nouveaux opus et leurs extensions hors de prix. »
👎 anonymous review · Dec 2024 · 475 h played
« On peut appeler notre gosse hitler ! 10/10 »
👍 anonymous review · Jun 2025 · 4 h played
« Apprentissage difficile mais avec le temps un de mes jeux préféré.9/10 »
👍 anonymous review · Jul 2025 · 320 h played

Anonymized excerpts from public Steam reviews — picked among those most voted "helpful" by the community.

What players say, by aspect

Positive Mixed Negative
Gameplay
77 % pos · n=142
Value for money
38 % pos · n=40
Content / longevity
41 % pos · n=29
Story / writing
86 % pos · n=14
Interface / UX
15 % pos · n=13
Performance
62 % pos · n=8
Graphics / art
40 % pos · n=5
Stability / bugs
0 % pos · n=4
Audio / music
100 % pos · n=2
Multiplayer
0 % pos · n=1
Detailed data (table)
AspectMentionsPositiveMixedNegative
Gameplay142110923
Value for money4015025
Content / longevity2912611
Story / writing141202
Interface / UX132011
Performance8503
Graphics / art5203
Stability / bugs4004
Audio / music2200
Multiplayer1001

Positive reviews by playtime

🎮 Players who like it have spent 84 h on median; those who dislike it: 6.7 h.

<2h
60 % (n=53)
2-10h
70 % (n=67)
10-25h
85 % (n=54)
>25h
92 % (n=315)

Fixed or still broken? Sentiment over time

➡️ Stable reception over time
Aug 2025 : 87% positive87AugNov 2025 : 94% positive94NovJan 2026 : 87% positive87JanMar 2026 : 78% positive78MarApr 2026 : 84% positive84AprMay 2026 : 83% positive83MayJun 2026 : 81% positive81JunJul 2026 : 89% positive89Jul

% of positive reviews per month (months with ≥ 15 sample reviews).

💶 Price history

€0.00€26.43€52.87€79.30€105.7420132014201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026€7.99

Steam price tracked automatically since Oct 16, 2012 · All-time low: €7.99 (Jun 27, 2014)

100% completion difficulty ("platinum")

1,2 % Demanding

of players have unlocked the rarest achievement — the upper bound of those who "100%'d" it. 161 achievements in total; the median achievement is unlocked by 1,7 % of players.

What creators say (YouTube)

No indexed video for this game yet.

See Crusader Kings II videos on YouTube →

This game on Twitch

Strengths

  • Depth of strategy shines through: 110 positive mentions out of 142, with players praising the intricate systems that let them craft their own dynasties.
  • Free-to-play model earns unexpected praise: 15 positive mentions out of 40, as many appreciate the accessibility despite some frustrations over DLC costs.
  • Long-term engagement is unmatched: 92% positive reviews in the >25h playtime bucket, proving the game’s staying power.
  • Humor and unpredictability get a cult following: 5 positive mentions tied to the game’s quirky AI and emergent storytelling.

Weaknesses

  • Price sensitivity looms large: 25 negative mentions out of 40, with players calling out the DLC-heavy monetization.
  • UI frustrates newcomers: 11 negative mentions out of 13, highlighting the steep learning curve and clunky menus.
  • Performance lags behind expectations: 3 negative mentions out of 8, though not a dealbreaker for most.

Who is it for?

Strategy lovers who crave systems-driven depth and don’t mind steep learning curves will find an endless sandbox here. Those allergic to DLC sprawl or cryptic interfaces might want to test the waters.

Is Crusader Kings II worth it in 2026?

Yes — player reception is very positive: 91% of 73,748 Steam reviews are positive (player score 85/100). Most-praised strength: Depth of strategy shines through. The game is free to play.

Verdict

Crusader Kings II isn’t just a game—it’s a rabbit hole, and most who fall in never climb out. The flaws are real but drowned out by the sheer volume of brilliance, making it a must-play for fans of Paradox’s grand strategy formula.

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Crusader Kings II: 85/100 by players — Gamer Reviews

Most frequent keywords

stratégie (20)dlc (17)gratuit (14)mods (12)amusement (10)strategie (9)paradox (8)histoire (8)complexe (8)frustration (7)humour (5)complexité (5)

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