Going Deep on the 10 Best Historical Games to Play in 2025

10. Valiant Hearts: The Great War

Valiant Hearts: The Great War isn’t your typical war game—it’s an emotionally grounded narrative that just happens to unfold during one of history’s deadliest conflicts. Rather than glorifying combat, it humanizes it. You play as four ordinary people—Emile, Karl, Freddie, and Anna—each caught up in the chaos of World War I for personal reasons. Through puzzle-solving, exploration, and stylized storytelling, the game delivers something rare: a history lesson that feels personal rather than preachy. With its comic-book visuals and minimal dialogue, it explores themes like loss, love, and resilience with surprising depth.

What really sets Valiant Hearts apart among historical games is how it seamlessly integrates real-world context. As you progress, you’re not just witnessing a story—you’re unlocking artifacts, diary entries, and brief but informative historical blurbs about the war’s battles, technologies, and human cost. These aren’t just collectibles; they enhance your connection to the world and characters. Ubisoft Montpellier clearly approached the subject with respect, creating an experience that honors the past without feeling heavy-handed.

How historically accurate is it?
Valiant Hearts doesn’t aim for strict realism, but it works hard to ground its fiction in real history. Major battles like the Marne and the Somme are included, as are grim realities like trench warfare, mustard gas, and early mechanized combat. Even the stylized art draws from period-accurate uniforms and architecture. The game’s collectibles open short, researched blurbs about actual objects and customs, like field rations or trench newspapers, giving players a tactile sense of the era.

Of course, the story takes creative liberties—characters survive improbable situations, and their paths intersect in ways that stretch believability. The tone sometimes veers toward the whimsical, which can soften the horror. Still, the emotional truth is what lingers. Rather than aiming for textbook precision, Valiant Hearts captures the human side of war with rare sincerity. It may not be accurate in every detail, but it’s profoundly faithful to the spirit of the era.

9. The Forgotten City

The Forgotten City is a narrative-driven time loop adventure set in an ancient Roman city cursed by the mysterious “Golden Rule”: if anyone commits a sin, everyone dies. Originally a critically acclaimed Skyrim mod, it was rebuilt as a standalone game with rich visuals, fully voiced characters, and a haunting atmosphere. Gameplay focuses on exploration, dialogue, and moral reasoning. There’s no combat—instead, you gather information, build relationships, and test theories as you reset the loop, preserving knowledge and key items with each cycle.

What sets The Forgotten City apart is how deeply it immerses you in Roman life. From architecture and clothing to philosophical debates and religious tensions, the setting feels lived-in and thoughtfully constructed. It’s not just Roman window dressing—the game engages with the era’s moral and political systems, letting you experience them firsthand. Whether or not you know much about the period, you learn through observation and interaction—not exposition—and walk away with a genuine sense of how ancient values still echo today.

How historically accurate is it?
For a story involving time travel and mythic punishment, The Forgotten City is impressively grounded. It was developed with input from a historian, and it shows in everything from social customs to philosophical conversations. Characters reflect real Roman roles—magistrates, patricians, slaves—and speak credibly about Stoicism, Epicureanism, and early Christianity.

Of course, it bends history for narrative purposes. The “Golden Rule” isn’t real, and the idea of a hidden underground city is pure fiction. But within those bounds, the historical game stays true to Roman themes. Its ethical dilemmas, legal debates, and clashing worldviews feel as plausible as they are compelling. It’s not a history lesson—it’s something rarer: a historical thought experiment that respects your curiosity.

8. Hearts of Iron IV

Hearts of Iron IV is a grand strategy game set around World War II, putting you in control of any nation during that era. You manage every aspect of a country’s war effort—politics, diplomacy, production, research, and military operations—across a sprawling, real-time global map. While the mechanics are complex, they reward persistence: building armies, designing divisions, coordinating multi-theater campaigns, and managing supply lines becomes a rewarding test of strategic planning. And yes, the game’s naval systems remain something of a running joke among veterans.

What makes HOI4 stand out among historical games is its flexibility in exploring both authentic and alternative outcomes. You can follow the real-world path of WWII or steer your country into completely different ideologies and alliances. The nation-specific focus trees offer insight into domestic and military priorities across dozens of countries—not just the big players. It’s not about memorizing dates; it’s about understanding how political ideologies, strategic choices, and industrial limits shaped the global conflict. Even the smallest countries get a shot at history, and that’s part of the fun.

How historically accurate is it?
Hearts of Iron IV is grounded in real-world leaders, ideologies, events, and military tech from the 1930s and ’40s. It models logistics, industry, and diplomacy in a way that mirrors the immense complexity of total war. The game helps you feel the pressure of wartime decision-making rather than just reading about it.

That said, it’s also a sandbox. Alternate history is built in, from monarchist Germany to communist Britain. The AI sometimes breaks from historical logic, and outcomes can spiral in strange directions. But even within that chaos, the game captures essential truths: diplomacy is fragile, small choices matter, and war is never predictable. It’s not a perfect simulation—but for anyone curious about how WWII played out (or could’ve), it’s one of the most engaging history labs around.

7. Total War: Rome II (with Divide et Impera mod)

Total War: Rome II, paired with the Divide et Impera (DeI) mod, transforms an already ambitious strategy game into a deeply immersive ancient warfare experience. The base game mixes turn-based empire-building with real-time battles, but DeI overhauls nearly everything: unit stats, recruitment, morale, logistics, and politics. Conquest becomes a slow, deliberate process. You can’t just steamroll your enemies—you have to manage supply lines, maintain army cohesion, and balance internal politics. Battles are slower and more tactical, while the campaign feels less like a game of risk and more like a long-haul simulation of empire-building.

What makes this pairing stand out as a historical game isn’t just the Roman aesthetic—it’s how it feels to rule like a Roman. DeI emphasizes cultural distinction: Rome plays nothing like the Arverni or Baktria. Each faction has unique mechanics, rosters, and challenges that reflect their actual historical contexts. Internal politics aren’t just flavor—they influence your campaign with civil wars, party dynamics, and leadership reforms. The result is a strategy game where the systems themselves echo the complexities of antiquity, not just the visuals.

How historically accurate is it?
With DeI installed, Rome II becomes one of the most historically grounded strategy experiences available. The mod rebalances units to match historical compositions, integrates reform timelines like the Marian Reforms, and adjusts campaign pacing to reflect the long arc of ancient conquest. Factions have realistic limitations, culturally accurate armies, and distinct government systems—no more Carthage fielding Roman legions or Gallic empires overnight.

Still, it’s a Total War game at heart. Some liberties are taken for gameplay balance, and the AI can behave in ways ancient generals definitely wouldn’t. But DeI aims for historical plausibility over rigid simulation. It captures the feel of ancient warfare and governance—brutal, political, slow-burning, and unpredictable. If you’re looking for a strategy historical games that teaches you how ancient empires worked, not just what they looked like, this is as close as it gets.

6. Pentiment

Pentiment is a narrative-driven adventure set in 16th-century Bavaria, on the edge of the Protestant Reformation. You play as Andreas Maler, a journeyman artist entangled in a series of murders and conspiracies spanning decades. This isn’t a historical game of swordplay or courtly politics—it’s about the everyday struggles of a small Alpine town. History isn’t presented as trivia; it’s embedded in everything: the rise of the printing press, fading folk customs, religious upheaval, and the slow churn of social change all ripple through your choices. Rather than reenact history, Pentiment asks you to live in it—and feel its weight.

Gameplay revolves around dialogue and investigation. There’s no combat, no leveling system. Instead, your background affects how you converse and how others respond, with consequences that unfold gradually. What makes Pentiment such a compelling history game is its attention to context. It doesn’t chase spectacle or parade historical celebrities—it immerses you in how people thought, believed, and argued. Beautifully illustrated in the style of illuminated manuscripts, it’s a slow, intimate game about change, belief, and memory. If you’re drawn to history that feels lived rather than taught, Pentiment is quietly extraordinary.

How historically accurate is it?
Pentiment is impressively accurate—not through encyclopedic fact-dumping, but by portraying how people lived, worked, and believed during a pivotal moment in European history. Obsidian, led by Josh Sawyer, backed the game with extensive research, citing academic texts on everything from monastic life to peasant revolts. The result is a rich, textured world where medieval traditions and Renaissance ideas collide.

Historical events and tensions—like the Reformation, the Great Peasants’ War, and shifts in literacy and language—shape the story without dominating it. Even the game’s typography reflects social class and education: peasants speak in rough script, monks in Gothic blackletter, nobles in polished calligraphy. While the town of Tassing is fictional, its culture feels authentic—rooted in faith, folklore, fear, and change. Pentiment doesn’t just reference history; it makes you understand what it was like to live through it.

5. Crusader Kings III

Crusader Kings III is a dynastic soap opera dressed in medieval robes. Spanning Europe, North Africa, and parts of Asia from 867 to 1453, this grand strategy game isn’t about ruling a nation—it’s about guiding a lineage. Your job is to shepherd your noble house through centuries of shifting alliances, succession crises, holy wars, marriages of convenience, and the occasional scandal. Unlike typical 4X or empire-builders, CK3 leans into character-driven gameplay: every ruler has distinct traits, secrets, and relationships that shape their reign. A shy scholar plays differently than a wrathful zealot—and either can elevate or doom your legacy.

As a historical game, Crusader Kings III shines by capturing the spirit of the Middle Ages—not just the events, but the worldview. Feudal chaos, dynastic politics, and religious fervor unfold through systems grounded in real medieval customs: primogeniture, papal influence, regional cultures, and schisms all play out in dynamic, often unpredictable ways. You can reform religions, create hybrid cultures, or roleplay real houses like the Capetians or Abbasids with outcomes that feel historically plausible. You’ll absorb medieval concepts like vassalage, claims, and diplomacy not from a textbook, but through hands-on experience—often involving backroom plots, scandalous alliances, or last-minute crusades. It’s educational the way Shakespeare is: bloody, dramatic, and weirdly instructive.

How historically accurate is it?
Crusader Kings III walks the line between authenticity and freedom. It’s not a strict simulator—it’s a historical sandbox. The starting conditions at 867 and 1066 are deeply researched, with accurate dynasties, cultures, and religious structures. You’ll encounter figures like Alfred the Great or Harald Fairhair, complete with well-researched traits and relationships. Core systems like feudal contracts, succession laws, and religious doctrines reflect the period’s complexities.

But once the game starts, it’s your story. Historical plausibility gives way to emergent narratives. Catholic Mongols ruling Sweden? A Norse-Jewish empire in North Africa? Entirely possible—and intentional. CK3 is less about what did happen and more about what might have. It’s not a textbook, but it brilliantly conveys the logic of medieval life: power as inheritance, borders as fluid, and politics as deeply personal. It doesn’t teach history in facts and dates—it teaches how history felt.

4. Old World

Old World stands out in the historical strategy genre by offering a fresh take on the 4X formula, focusing entirely on the ancient and classical eras. Instead of racing from the Stone Age to spaceflight, it invites players to fully inhabit a single historical period. You don’t just play as a nation—you lead a dynasty, with rulers who live, age, and die, each bringing unique traits, ambitions, and relationships. That dynastic layer, reminiscent of Crusader Kings, adds a human dimension that makes political decisions, family alliances, and succession crises feel as critical as battlefield victories. These aren’t just narrative flourishes—they directly shape your empire’s stability and long-term trajectory.

What makes Old World an excellent historical game is how deeply it respects the complexity of ancient civilizations without sacrificing gameplay. Thousands of handcrafted events—often rooted in history or myth—inject personality and consequence into your court and territories. Mechanics like the shared orders system (which limits how many actions you can take each turn) echo the administrative challenges real rulers faced. Rather than turning history into a checklist of tech trees and wonder builds, Old World lets you feel it—through dynastic tension, diplomatic treachery, and cultural shifts. It doesn’t just show you what happened; it gives you a sense of why empires rose and how they collapsed under the weight of ambition.

How historically accurate is it?
Old World excels at capturing the cultural, political, and military dynamics of the classical world. You’re not just moving units around a map—you’re navigating dynastic succession, founding religions, managing noble families, and making court decisions with lasting consequences. Events draw from real historical themes and figures—Hammurabi, Cyrus, Romulus—but spin them into branching choices that let you experiment with alternate outcomes.

While the city-building, military, and resource systems are stylized for gameplay, they remain grounded in historical logic. You deal with tribes rather than city-states, juggle resources like stone, wood, and iron, and construct wonders on timelines that feel era-appropriate. The character portraits and aging system reflect period aesthetics, and religions evolve in plausible ways, influencing your policies and diplomacy. It’s not a classroom history lesson—but it offers a rich, textured appreciation of how ancient power functioned, how legitimacy was earned or lost, and why legacy mattered as much as conquest.

3. Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is a full resurrection of one of the most beloved real-time strategy games ever made. With updated 4K visuals, new civilizations, and over 200 hours of campaign content, it preserves the soul of the original while making it smoother, sharper, and far more welcoming to modern players. The core loop remains as satisfying as ever: gather resources, build your town, train your army, and try not to get flanked by a Mongol cavalry rush. What makes this version shine are the quality-of-life upgrades—auto-reseeding farms, customizable UI, zoom levels, and improved pathfinding—that make gameplay feel like a well-oiled battle machine instead of a micromanagement slog.

What really sets AoE II: DE apart is how naturally it turns history into a playground. With 42 civilizations—each with unique tech trees, architecture, and units—you can experiment with strategies that echo real historical tactics. Want to relive the Hundred Years’ War or pit the Aztecs against the Vikings? You can. The campaigns guide players through real conflicts and figures like Joan of Arc and Saladin, blending strategic challenges with digestible slices of medieval history. It doesn’t preach or pander—it lets gameplay do the storytelling. That mix of chaos and subtle education is why Age of Empires II hasn’t just survived—it’s thrived for decades.

How historically accurate is it?
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition knows exactly when to bend the truth to keep things fun. It pulls from real civilizations, battles, and leaders across a thousand years of history, from Charlemagne to Genghis Khan. Many campaigns are grounded in real events, and the game captures the general arc of those stories well. You’ll see real names, places, and events—but accuracy always plays second fiddle to balance and variety.

Civilizations are simplified, stylized, or idealized. The Vikings have longboats—sure—but also farm more efficiently, which isn’t exactly archaeologically sound. Teutons are tanky, Mongols are fast—those traits reflect stereotypes shaped to fit gameplay. The tech tree is mostly shared, with civ-specific units and upgrades providing flavor. Don’t expect linguistic realism, either—the voice lines are stylized medieval gibberish. But for a game that wants to be educational, accessible, and competitive, AoE II: DE hits a sweet spot. It’s not a textbook—it’s a playable version of history, packed with charm and cultural flavor that sparks curiosity more than it teaches facts.

2. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II isn’t your typical fantasy RPG—it’s a grounded, richly detailed journey into 15th-century Bohemia that doesn’t care if you’re ready for the mud, blood, or bureaucracy of medieval life. You play as Henry, a blacksmith’s son with no special powers and no grand destiny—just a rough world full of politics, poverty, and power struggles. From the realistic swordplay and layered reputation system to historically plausible quests and a dense codex of medieval lore, the game pulls you in not with spectacle, but with substance. Every action feels rooted in realism, forcing you to think like someone who actually lives in this world—not someone just passing through.

What makes Kingdom Come: Deliverance II stand out as a historical game is its unapologetic commitment to authenticity—how people talk, dress, fight, and treat each other. Architecture, weaponry, and social structures are carefully researched, while the narrative weaves in real political tensions and figures from the Holy Roman Empire. Instead of relying on fantasy tropes, it captures the everyday drama and slow-burn tensions of life in a fractured kingdom. History isn’t just the backdrop—it’s the bones of the experience, recreated with cutting-edge visuals, nuanced storytelling, and a refusal to simplify. For players who want to live the Middle Ages rather than conquer them, there’s nothing quite like it.

How historically accurate is it?
By modern gaming standards, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is remarkably historically accurate—though it takes a few necessary liberties to stay playable. Warhorse Studios made authenticity a core pillar of the series, and the sequel deepens that commitment. Set in early 15th-century Bohemia, part of the Holy Roman Empire, its landscapes, settlements, clothing, weapons, and social hierarchy are rooted in real historical research. Towns are modeled on actual medieval maps, and figures like Sigismund of Luxembourg, Radzig Kobyla, and the Hussite movement are woven into the narrative with attention to real events. The in-game codex functions like a medieval encyclopedia, offering deep dives into period-accurate topics—from alchemy to noble etiquette.

That said, it’s not a museum. Historical realism occasionally yields to gameplay or narrative cohesion. Combat, while heavy and technical, still has to feel rewarding and balanced. The absence of certain population demographics—like children or visibly ill individuals—softens the edges of realism. And while Henry’s rise from peasant to elite fighter unfolds faster than history would allow, the arc is designed for emotional payoff over 100+ hours. It’s not a simulation—but it is one of the most faithful and immersive representations of medieval European life ever created in a game. If you’re a history nerd, there’s a lot here to appreciate—and even more to learn.

1. Assassin’s Creed Shadows / Odyssey / Valhalla (Discovery Tours)

Assassin’s Creed Shadows transports players to the rich and turbulent world of Sengoku-era Japan, offering a sprawling, reactive open world that shifts with the seasons and challenges players to adapt. The dual-protagonist system lets you experience the chaos of the time through two sharply contrasting lenses: Naoe, a stealthy shinobi assassin who thrives in the shadows, and Yasuke, a powerful samurai with a more direct approach. From castle sieges to silent infiltrations under moonlight, the game leans hard into its varied playstyles. The ability to recruit spies, build a customizable hideout, and interact with feudal politics adds strategic depth beyond the usual action-RPG formula.

What sets Shadows apart as a historical game is its immersive dedication to setting—not just through aesthetics, but through mechanics and narrative. The world brims with references to real locations, cultural practices, and historical dynamics of the period. Ubisoft clearly invested in bringing feudal Japan to life, from bustling port towns to shrines tucked into snow-covered mountains. The inclusion of Yasuke, a real historical figure, expands the boundaries of samurai-era storytelling, inviting players to explore underrepresented narratives. While some criticisms have surfaced regarding historical liberties and microtransactions, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows still delivers a compelling, if imperfect, window into one of Japan’s most captivating eras.

How historically accurate is it?
Let’s call it “selectively historical.” Ubisoft has always taken creative license with the Assassin’s Creed series—blending real events and figures with speculative fiction and sci-fi lore—and Shadows is no exception. Set during the Sengoku period, a time of civil war and shifting alliances, the game captures the mood through visuals, architecture, clothing, and clan-based politics. In that sense, it nails the atmosphere.

But the liberties are clear. Yasuke is based on a real African man who served Oda Nobunaga, but historical records about him are sparse. Ubisoft has turned him into a fully fleshed-out warrior with a bespoke combat system. Naoe, meanwhile, is fictional—an embodiment of the shinobi archetype more inspired by modern media than historical ninja. And, of course, features like battle passes, microtransaction gear, and weather-linked gameplay have no historical grounding. So: historically inspired? Absolutely. Historically accurate? Not really. But that’s the Assassin’s Creed way—and honestly, it’s still a blast.

FAQ: Best Historical Games to Play in 2025