
The Norman conquest of England is well-known. (Though I should warn you I've never actually got that far in any game I've played yet.) The victory condition for the game is to have the highest prestige of all other dynasties at the end of the game, which comes in 1453. The more land you control, the more you have to put your trust in underlings and subordinates to administer it for you: and in mediaeval times, it doesn't take much for a disgruntled duke to raise the banner of rebellion. It's possible to play CK2 as a game of conquest and map-painting like more typical strategy games, but that can actually be counter-productive. When your starting character dies you take over as your heir - and if you have no heir, it's game over. You have to arrange marriages, raise children, acquire new lands, keep your vassals in order, and most importantly make sure you have an heir. You control individual characters, from one of Europe's noble families starting in the year 1066.

This time I'm guiding the fate of one of history's more bizarre nations: a group of French Vikings who welded together Greek, Italian and Arab provinces into a strong and wealthy kingdom in the centre of the Mediterranean.ĬK2 is a mediaeval dynasty simulator. well, to being a fairly prosperous medium-sized Scandinavian nation, which I count as a win. Some of you may remember the one I wrote a few years ago to Europa Universalis 3, where I led Sweden to glory. Welcome to this Where I Play of Paradox's grand strategy game Crusader Kings 2.
