Crusader Kings III vs Europa Universalis IV
Crusader Kings III is an RPG sandbox game from Development Studio (2020) while Europa Universalis IV is a sandbox simulation game from Development Studio (2013).
What each one is
Steam files Crusader Kings III under RPG and Sandbox. In contrast, it files Europa Universalis IV under Sandbox and Simulation.
Love, fight, scheme, and claim greatness. Determine your noble house’s legacy in the sprawling grand strategy of Crusader Kings III. Death is only the beginning as you guide your dynasty’s bloodline in the rich and larger-than-life simulation of the Middle Ages.
Rule your land and dominate the world with unparalleled freedom, depth and historical accuracy. Write a new history of the world and build an empire for the ages.
At a glance
| Crusader Kings III | Europa Universalis IV | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | 8.1/10 | 8.0/10 |
| Steam rating | Very Positive (90%, 143,235) | Very Positive (88%, 137,275) |
| Critic aggregate | 91/100 | 87/100 |
| Price | $49.99 | $49.99 |
| Install size | 20 GB | — |
| Steam Deck | playable | unsupported |
| Released | 2020 | 2013 |
| Developer | Development Studio | Development Studio |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Crusader Kings III vs Europa Universalis IV, point by point
Each facet side by side. A round is marked won only where a figure settles it; feel and "which is better" carry no mark, because no number we hold decides them.
Genre and premise
Crusader Kings IIIRPG sandbox gameEuropa Universalis IVSandbox simulation gameWhat each is filed as. Each game describes itself in full above; we do not judge a premise.
How it plays
Crusader Kings IIIStrategy, Medieval, Grand StrategyEuropa Universalis IVGrand Strategy, Strategy, HistoricalThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
Crusader Kings III ✓Score 8.1 · 90% on Steam · 91 criticEuropa Universalis IVScore 8.0 · 88% on Steam · 87 criticThe GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment, critics and popularity, computed the same way for every game.
Content and scale
Crusader Kings III143,235 reviews · 33 add-ons · 20 GBEuropa Universalis IV137,275 reviews · 33 add-onsReach and footprint, not quality: more reviews or a bigger install is not a better game.
Price
Crusader Kings III$49.99Europa Universalis IV$49.99Read live from Steam and subject to change.
On a Steam Deck
Crusader Kings III ✓PlayableEuropa Universalis IVUnsupportedValve's own Deck compatibility rating.
Crusader Kings III takes 2 of the marked rounds to 0. That is only what a number can decide, not which you will enjoy more.
The two on the grid
Compare the whole catalogueCrusader Kings III and Europa Universalis IV on the axes the GamingPickz Score is built from, on the full 0 to 100 scale so each dot is its real position. Change either axis to compare them on any measure.
2 games have both
Players. The share of Steam reviews marked positive, pulled toward the catalogue average in proportion to how few reviews stand behind it. A game with 200 reviews moves a long way toward the average; one with 200,000 barely moves at all. Without this a title sitting at 100 percent on nine reviews outranks Half-Life 2 at 98 percent on 278,000.
Popularity. A blend of two things that are not the same. Audience is how many people wrote a Steam review, which is a floor on how many played it. Reach is how many language editions of Wikipedia document the game, which is cultural footprint rather than sales. A game can score high on one and low on the other: a huge free-to-play title has audience without reach, and a landmark console exclusive has reach without a Steam audience at all. Where both exist they are averaged; where only one does, that one carries it.
- Multi-platform
- PC
Every point links to that game's entry. The value map and the reception map are fixed views of the same data.
How positions are decided
No paid placement, no favouritism, live third-party data
- Placed by the published method, not by us. Every coordinate is computed from the axis definitions and weights printed on this site. Nobody moves a point. See the axes.
- Nothing here is paid for. No sponsored placements, no promoted slots, no arrangement of any kind affects a position. If that ever changes it will be labelled and sit outside the ranking.
- No favouritism, including our own. The 16 games we have written full reviews of are scored by exactly the same formula as the other 1,510, from the same third-party inputs, and they land where it puts them. Our own opinion of a game does not enter its coordinates.
- A position is not an endorsement. It says how a game was received and what it costs, not that we recommend it. Where we do recommend something, it carries a written review with a name on it.
- Fetched from live third-party data. Player sentiment from Steam, critic aggregates as published on store pages, prices checked hourly, attention from Wikipedia. Each figure carries its source and the date it was read, and we do not adjust any of them.
Which to pick, by what you want
- Better on a Steam Deck: Crusader Kings III (playable)
What they have in common
Both are tagged by Steam players with:
StrategyGrand StrategySimulationHistoricalManagementSandboxSingleplayerEconomy
Where they differ
MedievalRPGCharacter CustomizationLife SimRTSChoices Matter
Alternate HistoryMilitaryWargameDiplomacyReplay ValueNonlinear
Tags players apply to one game and not the other.
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, Crusader Kings III is middle-of-the-road on difficulty. Europa Universalis IV is middle-of-the-road on difficulty.
System requirements, side by side
| Crusader Kings III | Europa Universalis IV | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum GPU | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 | Nvidia® GeForce™ GTX 460 / AMD® Radeon™ HD 5850 |
| Minimum CPU | Intel Core i5-750 | Intel® Core™ i3-2105 / AMD® FX 4300 |
| Minimum RAM | 8 GB | 4 GB |
| Install size | 20 GB | — |
Can your PC run them? Check each against your own kit: Crusader Kings III · Europa Universalis IV.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 6 accessibility features for Crusader Kings III and 0 for Europa Universalis IV. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
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Common questions
How different are Crusader Kings III and Europa Universalis IV in scope?
Crusader Kings III has drawn 143,235 Steam reviews, ships 33 add-ons and installs in 20 GB. Europa Universalis IV has drawn 137,275 Steam reviews and ships 33 add-ons.
Is Crusader Kings III or Europa Universalis IV better?
By the GamingPickz Score, Crusader Kings III rates higher (8.1 to 8.0). That is a composite of player sentiment, the critic aggregate and popularity, not our taste. "Better" also depends on price, length and platform, which the table above lays out.
Which is cheaper, Crusader Kings III or Europa Universalis IV?
Crusader Kings III is cheaper right now at $49.99, against $49.99. Prices move, so this is read live from Steam and can change.
Do you rank one above the other for a fee?
No. Neither game, nor anyone else, pays for placement or a verdict here. The order and every figure come out of the same public data the rest of the site uses.
Related comparisons
How we compare, and what we will not do
The GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment (adjusted for sample size), the critic aggregate and popularity, computed by the same code every ranked list on this site uses. The Steam rating label is Valve's own, reconstructed from the positive percentage and review count. Prices are read live. We do not write an opinion of which game is "better": we report the numbers and say which wins each measurable question above.