1 – Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition
To give the number one spot to a given game is always a challenge, and I have changed it multiple times during the time it took me to write this article (several games were changed to! This is hard!), but if you follow me for a while, you know a couple of things about me: the first one is that I adore visiting medieval castles and towns; the second is my well-documented love affair with the Stronghold. With the recent releases of Stronghold: Definitive Edition (my review here) and Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition (review here too, if you want to check it out!), I was beyond elated with the fact that two of my favorite real-time strategy games were successfully brought up to modernity.
With that being said, let me ask you a question: If you enjoy visiting medieval castles, and enjoy video games? What is the best game if you want to recreate the castle you just visited and put it to the test? Well, the answer is pretty obvious, isn’t it? You have to do it in Stronghold, because it’s the best castle simulator ever put to code, and it has an amazingly simple editor to play around with, and I even managed to recreate my very own Battle of Aljubarrota, with a semi-realistic order of battle, and a realistic outcome!
Go Back In Time and Play the Pivotal Moments in Human History
I know there are hundreds of more historically accurate games out there, and I could be here all day, writing about most of them, but I wanted to keep this list consice, and challenge myself to create a top 10 of games, and as we wrap up this list, it’s clear that the appeal of these titles lies not in their absolute historical fidelity, but in their power to transport us back in time. Whether to manage vast empires, navigate the tactical challenges of infantry combat, or recreate a castle you have seen on your holidays, these games offer a unique, engaging way to interact with the past.
Ultimately, my top ten are the games I turn to when I feel the pull of history. The ones that best scratch that itch to relive, reimagine, and strategize across different epochs.
Ultimately, my top ten are the games I turn to when I feel the pull of history. The ones that best scratch that itch to relive, reimagine, and strategize across different epochs. Now that you know what kind of games I want, I want to know what your favorite historical games are, and why you enjoy them so much in the comments!
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