Explore medieval Europe
Taking its inspiration from the Europa Universalis series of historical strategy games, this is the first entry in a quite extensive series of titles that continues with Crusader Kings 2 and its numerous add-ons. There's nothing spectacularly original here but if you you like tactics with a lot of historical detail, then you should find much to entertain you here. This one focuses on the period of European history from 1066 to 1419, with the player starting out as the ruler of a number of regions and with your goal being to increase your prestige and power, although this can be for your own gains or for your country, king or even the church. All the fun of the court is included here, with possibilities to arrange weddings, assassinations and other political skullduggery, while there is always recourse to the battlefield to settle your arguments. You can extend your influence to far off lands, and pass on your wealth to your descendants to create a time-spanning empire, while there are also several scenarios to enjoy, including the Battle of Hastings, and a number of playable factions, such as the Byzantines, to choose from. The first issue with the game for many will be the overwhelming amount of historical detail to wade through, which can prove offputting, so beware of this. If however, you like this sort of thing and haven't got fed up with Europa Universalis, then you are sure to get a kick out of this. It's much the same stuff to be honest, but remains as compelling as ever, thanks to the wealth of options so if you want to get lost in the past, take a look here.
