RPG · September 1, 2020

Crusader Kings III (2020)

trophy188 achievementsextension23 DLClocal_offer-70% current discountgroup1M–10M ownerstrending_up14.3k peak concurrentrecommend90.1k recommendations
Your legacy awaits. Choose your noble house and lead your dynasty to greatness in a Middle Ages epic that spans generations. War is but one of many tools to establish your reign, as real strategy requires expert diplomatic skill, mastery of your realm, and true cunning . Crusader Kings III continues the popular series made by Paradox Development Studio, featuring the widely acclaimed marriage of immersive grand strategy and deep, dramatic medieval roleplaying. Take command of your house and expand your dynasty through a meticulously researched Middle Ages. Begin in 867, 1066 or 1178 and claim lands, titles, and vassals to secure a realm worthy of your royal blood. Your death is only a footnote as your lineage continues with new playable heirs, either planned… or not. Discover a sprawling simulated world teeming with peasants and knights, courtiers, spies, knaves and jesters, and secret love affairs. An extensive cast of historical characters can be romanced, betrayed, executed, or subtly influenced. Explore a vast medieval map stretching from the snowswept Nordic lands to the Horn of Africa, and the British Isles in the west to the exotic riches of Burma in the east. Claim, conquer, and rule thousands of unique counties, duchies, kingdoms, and empires. Each character is larger than life, with traits and lifestyle choices determining their actions and schemes. Prompt fear and dread as you rule with an iron fist, or inspire your subjects with magnanimous deeds. Genetics can be passed along to your children, be it the gift of genius or crippling stupidity. Groom your heir with the appropriate guardians or educate them yourself. If found wanting, marry them off or despatch them through other means. Customize your ruler and noble house, from appearance to attributes, and create a monarch worthy of all their inherited virtues and vices. Govern an ever-evolving realm and grant titles to whom you see fit - or usurp your liege to claim their crown as your own. Be wary of rivals, from restless serfs to revengeful concubines. The shadows stir frequently, and danger lurks around every darkened corner. Recruit agents and other unsavory elements to undermine, blackmail, or murder those who stand in your path. Or be inspired by the bard and ballad, and seduce your way to power and influence. Blood will flow. Assemble men-at-arms units and powerful knights. Manage your battlefield tactics and armies. Raid and plunder nearby lands or hire mercenaries and Holy Orders for your major conflicts. Be a pious king to invite the religious powers to your side, or design your own faith as you battle between everlasting fame or eternal damnation. Bring novel innovations to your culture and construct mighty castles and bastions to increase the wealth, prestige, and security of your realm. The paths to follow are limitless: experience thousands of dynamic events and life-altering decisions tailored to each and every conceivable situation and character. There are countless ways of securing and keeping your place in the history books.

Position in RPG

MetricThis titleGenre position
Review volume126.9k Steam reviewsTop 4% in RPG
Positive rating90% positiveGenre average: 83% — this title sits in top 33%
Metacritic91/100Genre average 78 — top 9% of RPG titles
Concurrent peak14.3k playersTop 3% in RPG by live player count
Engagement hours138 h averageTop 1% for session depth among RPG

Community Tag Signals

Tag weights reflect how many Steam users voted each descriptor — larger pills = stronger consensus.

  • Strategy · 1.3k
  • Medieval · 948
  • Grand Strategy · 939
  • Simulation · 909
  • RPG · 888
  • Historical · 859
  • Management · 808
  • Character Customization · 622
  • Life Sim · 601
  • Sandbox · 578
  • RTS · 574
  • Choices Matter · 570
  • War · 563
  • Singleplayer · 554
  • Economy · 531

Peer RPG titles

Comparable titles in the same genre and review-volume band — ranked by Steam positive percentage.

Reception Metrics

Steam community

90%Very Positive · 126.9k reviews

114.2k positive · 12.7k negative

Metacritic

91/100 critic aggregate

Open Metacritic page

Metacritic user score

8.4/10

Curator recommendations

90.1k

Peak concurrent players

14.3k

RPG releases from 2020

13 RPG titles launched in 2020 — top 6 by review volume.

Localization Coverage

Interface / Subtitles (9)

  • English volume_up
  • French
  • German
  • Spanish - Spain
  • Russian
  • Simplified Chinese
  • Korean
  • Polish
  • Japanese volume_up

Full audio (2)

  • English
  • Japanese

Features & Capabilities

Multiplayer

  • Multi-player
  • PvP
  • Online PvP

Community

  • Steam Achievements
  • Steam Trading Cards
  • Steam Workshop
  • Steam Cloud
  • Remote Play on Tablet

Other

  • Single-player
  • Family Sharing

More from Paradox Development Studio

Paradox Development Studio has 9 titles indexed — top 6 by review volume below.

Press Quotes

“A new king of historical strategy has been crowned.” 10/10 – IGN “Crusader Kings 3 is my Game of the Year so far.” 5/5 – VG 24/7 “... Crusader Kings 3 is incredible.” 94% – PC Gamer

Engagement Profile

All-time avg

138h

extensive (100+ hours)

Median

34h

Typical completion time

2-week avg

13h

Current engagement

Achievements

188

Steam unlocks available

Release & Availability

Release dateSep 1, 2020
DeveloperParadox Development Studio
PublisherParadox Interactive
Base price$14.99 -70%
DLC / Add-ons23 released
PlatformsWindows, macOS, Linux
Estimated owners1M–10M
External linksOfficial site · Metacritic page · Support · [email protected]

Editions & Packages

  • Buy Crusader Kings III