Used to identify the game, unaltered. Hearts of Iron III wordmark, trademark of its owner, from the publisher's Steam store listing

Hearts of Iron III

Catalogue entry · not reviewed · store data read 30 August 2026

Hearts of Iron III lets you play the most engaging conflict in world history, World War 2, on all fronts as any country and through multiple different scenarios. Guide your nation to glory between 1936 and 1948 and wage war, conduct diplomacy and build your industry in the most detailed World War 2 game ever made.

Strategy

Player score

7.6/10

6,081 reviews

Released: 2009
Developer: Development Studio
Platforms: 1 systems
Critics: 77
Steam Deck: unsupported
Download: Not stated

We have not written a full review of this game.This is a catalogue entry: everything below comes from a source we can link, checked on a stated date. There is no score and no verdict here, because we only publish those after a reviewer has played the game and written it up properly. Our team may well have played this one. Until someone writes the review, we are not going to imply a verdict we have not put our name to.

What is Hearts of Iron III?

Description as published by the developer on its own store page, read 30 August 2026. It is marketing copy, not our assessment.

The record

Catalogue facts
First released	29 June 2009
Developer	Development Studio
Publisher	Paradox Interactive
Platforms	PC
Genres	Strategy
Languages	4 supported

Source. Catalogue facts from Wikidata Q222473, seeded 30 August 2026. Store data from Steam, read 30 August 2026.

How was Hearts of Iron III received?

Players76%positive of 6,081 · Mostly Positive

Metacritic77critic aggregate, PC

Method. Player figures are Steam's own totals for the PC version, read 30 August 2026. The Metacritic score is the one Steam publishes on its store page and can lag the site itself. Metacritic page. Neither is our opinion. We have not published a review of this game.

What does it support?

Technical support
Capability	Support
Controller	Not stated
Cloud saves	No
Cross-platform play	No
Mod support	No official workshop
Online play	Single-player only
In-game purchases	No
Steam Deck	unsupported
Download size	Not stated
Add-on content	18 DLC listed
Age gate	None

Method. Read from the publisher's Steam listing on 30 August 2026. Describes the PC version. Console versions differ.

What does it cost?

$9.99

Steam price in US dollars, read 30 August 2026. Prices move hourly and vary by region. Check the current price.

Problems players report

We read the 300 most recent negative Steam reviews of Hearts of Iron III on 30 August 2026 and counted what they mention. These are complaints, not confirmed defects: we have not reproduced any of them, and a review describes one person's machine. What the counts tell you is which problems more than one person ran into.

Crashes and freezes103 of 300 (34%)
The game crashes on Windows 10 frequently.
Steam review, 22 January 2024 · 22 hours played · 41 readers marked it helpful
The game freezes frequently on 64 bit machines.
Steam review, 9 June 2024 · 216 hours played · 25 readers marked it helpful
Will not launch or install14 of 300 (5%)
If your players can't run it, you shouldn't be selling it.
Steam review, 16 September 2024 · 3 hours played · 25 readers marked it helpful
This Game doesn't run in windows 10.
Steam review, 13 November 2023 · 0 hours played · 25 readers marked it helpful

A further 6 reviews call the game buggy or broken without saying how, which is why they are counted separately rather than assigned to a theme. Counted by keyword across review text, so a review discussing two problems is counted under both. Read the reviews yourself.

Games like Hearts of Iron III

24 games overlap with Hearts of Iron III on the tags Steam players applied to it, on genre, and on theme. The closest are Victoria II, Europa Universalis III and Hearts of Iron IV.

All 24 games like Hearts of Iron III

Common questions about Hearts of Iron III

What platforms is Hearts of Iron III on?

Hearts of Iron III is available on PC. It first released in 2009.

How much does Hearts of Iron III cost?

$9.99 on Steam in the United States, read on 30 August 2026. Prices move often and vary by region, so check the store before buying.

Do players recommend Hearts of Iron III?

76% of 6,081 Steam reviews are positive, which Steam rates Mostly Positive. That is players rating it, not our review. We have not published a review of this game.

What is the Metacritic score for Hearts of Iron III?

77 out of 100 for the PC version, as published on the game's own Steam store page. Steam can lag Metacritic by a few points.

Does Hearts of Iron III work on Steam Deck?

Valve rates Hearts of Iron III as unsupported on the Steam Deck, from its own testing.

Who made Hearts of Iron III?

Hearts of Iron III was developed by Development Studio and published by Paradox Interactive.