Europa Universalis III vs Europa Universalis IV
Europa Universalis III is a sandbox simulation game from Development Studio (2007) while Europa Universalis IV is a sandbox simulation game from Development Studio (2013).
What each one is
Steam files Europa Universalis III under Sandbox and Simulation. In contrast, it files Europa Universalis IV under Sandbox and Simulation.
Europa Universalis III Complete includes the original Europa Universalis III as well as the expansions In Nomine and Napoleons Ambition Europa Universalis III delves deeply into the areas of exploration, trade, warfare and diplomacy.
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
| Europa Universalis III | Europa Universalis IV | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | 7.2/10 | 8.0/10 |
| Steam rating | Very Positive (83%, 2,001) | Very Positive (88%, 137,275) |
| Critic aggregate | 83/100 | 87/100 |
| Price | $14.99 | $49.99 |
| Install size | — | — |
| Steam Deck | unsupported | unsupported |
| Released | 2007 | 2013 |
| Developer | Development Studio | Development Studio |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Europa Universalis 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
Europa Universalis IIISandbox simulation 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
Europa Universalis IIIGrand Strategy, Strategy, HistoricalEuropa Universalis IVGrand Strategy, Strategy, HistoricalThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
Europa Universalis IIIScore 7.2 · 83% on Steam · 83 criticEuropa Universalis IV ✓Score 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
Europa Universalis III2,001 reviews · 11 add-onsEuropa Universalis IV137,275 reviews · 33 add-onsReach and footprint, not quality: more reviews or a bigger install is not a better game.
Price
Europa Universalis III ✓$14.99Europa Universalis IV$49.99Read live from Steam and subject to change.
On a Steam Deck
Europa Universalis IIIUnsupportedEuropa Universalis IVUnsupportedValve's own Deck compatibility rating.
Across the rounds a number can settle, it is level at 1 each. Which one is "better" is the part no figure decides, so we leave it to what you want from the two.
The two on the grid
Compare the whole catalogueEuropa Universalis 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.
- 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
- The higher-rated of the two: Europa Universalis IV (GamingPickz Score 8.0)
- The cheaper right now: Europa Universalis III ($14.99)
- The safer bet by weight of reviews: Europa Universalis IV (137,275 reviews)
What they have in common
Both are tagged by Steam players with:
Grand StrategyStrategyHistoricalReal-Time with PausePoliticalSandboxSimulationSingleplayer
Where they differ
Political SimAddictiveRTSWarMedievalLogic
MilitaryWargameDiplomacyEconomyReplay ValueNonlinear
Tags players apply to one game and not the other.
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, Europa Universalis III is middle-of-the-road on difficulty. Europa Universalis IV is middle-of-the-road on difficulty.
System requirements, side by side
| Europa Universalis III | Europa Universalis IV | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum GPU | — | Nvidia® GeForce™ GTX 460 / AMD® Radeon™ HD 5850 |
| Minimum CPU | — | Intel® Core™ i3-2105 / AMD® FX 4300 |
| Minimum RAM | — | 4 GB |
| Install size | — | — |
Can your PC run them? Check each against your own kit: Europa Universalis III · Europa Universalis IV.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 0 accessibility features for Europa Universalis III and 0 for Europa Universalis IV. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
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Common questions
How different are Europa Universalis III and Europa Universalis IV in scope?
Europa Universalis III has drawn 2,001 Steam reviews and ships 11 add-ons. Europa Universalis IV has drawn 137,275 Steam reviews and ships 33 add-ons.
Is Europa Universalis III or Europa Universalis IV better?
By the GamingPickz Score, Europa Universalis IV rates higher (8.0 to 7.2). 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, Europa Universalis III or Europa Universalis IV?
Europa Universalis III is cheaper right now at $14.99, 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.