Crusader Kings

Crusader Kings is Paradox Interactive's long-running grand strategy simulator that lets players guide medieval dynasties through centuries of intrigue, warfare, and succession drama. The franchise has become synonymous with emergent storytelling and complex historical roleplay across its various sequels and expansions.

The studio recently announced Afterworld, marking its first original-setting grand strategy title in a decade. The game shifts the series' focus from historical Europe to a post-apocalyptic version of America, suggesting Paradox is willing to experiment beyond its traditional historical constraints. Meanwhile, the latest expansion for Crusader Kings 3 has drawn attention for what it deliberately excludes - namely, the ability to employ historically dubious life-extension methods tied to papal mechanics, a choice that reflects the developers' deliberate design boundaries even as they expand the game's scope.