A Complete Beginner's Guide To Paradox Grand Strategy Games in 2022

[@AndysTake]

Get amazing discounts on the games you want on Instant Gaming, and use my link to support the channel: www.instant-gaming.com/?igr=andysinstantgaming

[@andrewgreenwood9068]

I will never forget the first time I played stellaris. Having no idea what was out there as I first sent ships beyond the solar system made for a truly magical experience.

[@AndysTake]

It was and continues to be magical! :D

[@KingOfTheHollows]

So great. Stellaris was my second paradox game (first was CK2). One word to describe this experience : magic

[@jackgeary6928]

I enjoyed this until they completely changed the interface. Never wanted to invest so much time into jumping off the learning cliff again. I guess I wanted to remain married rather than newly divorced.

[@hankmartin9455]

Stellaris was the best thing to happen to fans of spore back in the day. EA can [too extreme to type] itself.

[@Sevatar_VIIIth]

I bought it a year ago on sale, but I've yet to play it bc I keep getting told I need the DLC otherwise it's only half a game and not fun. It looks amazing. I have both Stellaris and CK3 but zero dlc for them so I haven't tried them, they seem pretty daunting just the base game lol. I'm a TW player.

[@crassustheelder9665]

Always love when a creator gives some time to judge games based off how they currently play and not off their rocky releases (particularly because I love Imperator)

[@AndysTake]

Appreciate it, Crassus! I love the Imperator so much and feel like it's Paradox's biggest mistake that they turned away from it at its height - and yet, only when it finally had the foundation to become one of the best PDX games out there.

[@chicken4976]

Fr, Imperator is very very underrated.

[@loneirregular1280]

Just a shame they have officially abandoned Imperator Rome :(

[@Berserker3624]

@@loneirregular1280 don’t lose hope there’s still a chance it’ll pull a Vicky 2 and be back as a timeless gem in a decade or so

[@jbird976]

@@chicken4976 I want to like it but I am lost, care to recommend a good tut?

[@kalervof3464]

A Complete Beginner's Guide To Refill My Wallet in 2022 next please

[@AndysTake]

That one is more difficult...

[@lollo_C]

Its not that easy but you need access to the black market dlc. Then after that you sell a kidney

[@phillipisayev1273]

@@AndysTake a complete guide to get bitches next? Or am I never going to get any because I play EU4?

[@accidiaet]

@@phillipisayev1273 only vic 2 players get bitches sorry buddy I don't make the rules :/

[@stormyprawn]

It's called keys. Perfectly legal, far cheaper and mostly steam compatible. Of course don't do this for small developers but for games with absurd DLC lists like HOI4 and EU4, I think it's justified.

[@BigMackWitSauce]

For HOI4 I think another key piece of it is that it is the shortest of the paradox games, one can expect a HOI4 campaign to go from like 5-15 hours depending on what you're going for, where as a single campaign in any of the games likely means over a day a play time if you play till the end

[@AndysTake]

This is true - it's short, but oh so damn intense

[@bosniangamesms8957]

depends on your computer, I have to play eu4 whole day for 20 years to pass in the game, its literally unplayable, I can only watch others playing on KZbin

[@BigMackWitSauce]

@@bosniangamesms8957 gotta hit those minimum requirements my dude

[@bosniangamesms8957]

@@BigMackWitSauce am poor

[@bhec7715]

@@bosniangamesms8957 yeah, Crusader Kings 3 crashes on me nonstop the larger my empire got. I had to give up.

[@ranger6609]

I love Stellaris so much for many reasons but the main is reason is how you aren't set to specific empire from real history, you can create your own from the ground up with their own motives, lore, species, origin etc etc.

[@cembaturkemikkiran4109]

Yeap, I play as Humans from 40K. Truly a unique style.

[@macrinus-mauri]

you can do that in Crusader kings 3

[@MercUndGut]

I think after playing CIV for what feels like 1000 years where I mainly play with "real" leaders on fictional planets (I know I can set the map type to "Earth" but it's not the same), I'm super up for something with real regions and real countries. This is the main reason why I think I'll go for any of the other titles, although not being sure which one yet. I haven't played any of them and don't know what awaits but the video made it a little easier. I'm between EU4 and HOI and will decide today to have something for the upcoming weeks.

[@ranger6609]

@MercUndGut Agreed. I'd love to see an game with real countries and leaders but plays similar to Stellaris. Sadly most games other than CIV are only set in certain periods. CIV is too small scaled (and I dislike turn based) for me to really get immersed in.

[@ivanaznar6495]

Paradox games taught me geopolitics/ geography from an early age. Its weird how a "map game" can be so compelling

[@Ilayshatz]

I am 13 playing ck3 and it’s teaching me more than my history class

[@dzamalas6136]

Son, ask your perants for some books also, history CK is a real fun combo​@@Ilayshatz

[@wvw_one]

So basically you don’t know much, heh?

[@DuxEtRex]

Civ 1 made me want to be a dictator

[@constitution7167]

I never realised that Paradox franchises were like sequels to each other. Even though I’ve played EU4 and CK3, I thought they took place during roughly the same time period. It’s honestly pretty cool that each game takes place in a different era so regardless of what time period you like, there’s a game for you.

[@AndysTake]

Absolutely

[@100_Dollar_Bill]

In fact, you can import your saved game into the next game. In other words you can use the same saved game to go all the way through Crusader Kings up to HOI4. Not sure if CK3 imports but I know that CK2 does.

[@Padopoulosman]

bruh moment

[@FuriousFapper326]

Man I just have such a huge crush on Stellaris, the mysteries of space, advancing science to crazy new heights, building megastrucures that capture entire stars, genetically ascend your species, and most importantly genociding xenos on a galactic scale, this game just makes me dream

[@AndysTake]

The game is fantastic and I still cannot believe to this day how beautiful both the game and its soundtrack is

[@Joeligma69420]

PURGE THE XENO SCUM!

[@nyxknight7555]

@@AndysTakegot hooked on ck3 rn but sure I’ll be on stellaris here soon once again

[@FalconOfStorms]

Truly it makes me feel as though we could wipe out the xenos 😌😌🥺

[@thalmoragent9344]

Well, some species don't need to be wiped out

[@historyking9984]

Crusader kings is my favorite . A key marriage alliance, a bad death can make huge changes in power and the game to a degree you won’t see in some other games

[@hessen5498]

They once Killed me and my 3 sons... My Kingdom never recovered from that

[@Pangora2]

Amusingly, due to internal mechanics, everything that makes the game interesting stays around from the first year of gameplay until the last. being large or small doesn't remove all the challenge.

[@Watchmanskey]

CK2 is my first Paradox game and it completely hooked me in the first time I played it. The fact that you are not playing as a godly being like in Civ or AoE, but a real medieval noble that has its own traits, ambition and character is appealing to me back in 2014

[@Hyperversum3]

@@Toast_6 Isn't that the beauty of this game? You may fall deep because of your choices or enemy actions or you can rise like a great leader. My best game was back in CK2, playing an italian Duke (technically of german culture, but the area was Italy. That'sthe early age start for ya lol). Over the course of few generations, I established myself as the most important vassal of the King of Italy, expanding a lot towards the Balkans and kicking germanic ass back to the north a couple of times. My plan was to play chill and aim to remain part of a kingdom rather than take the big chair for myself, just to see how the game developed playing like this. But no matter what, the King of Italy dinasty fucking hated my guts. I ended up guiding a faction to kick his ass, establish indipendence but leave it at that. Then the son of that dude tried to conquer me back. Defeated and jailed. As an old fart, he tried it again. At that point my young Duke was some kind of genius of subterfuge somehow while being bad at almost everything else, so even with little advantage I ended up playing as the King of Italy and exterminate that family. Satisfying.

[@dylanmurphy9389]

@SPQSpartacusI had a few collapses but came out stronger every time

[@lobotomaticc2656]

Me who’s been playing HOI4 since release: “Hoi4 shouldn’t be a 5/5 it’s so easy” The part of me that forgot naval exists: “come again?”

[@AndysTake]

Exactly hahaha, there’s always another theatre of war!

[@lobotomaticc2656]

@@AndysTake naval doesn’t exist if you just don’t acknowledge it and make a *small* donation to their fund by spamming destroyers and hoping the British fleets not there

[@janslavik5284]

I have 2000+ hours on HOI4 so my judgment might be off, but I honestly think it's one of the easiest Paradox games, maybe excluding CK3. Sure, there are multiple systems that take time to learn (spies/naval/air/paratroopers), but in all honesty you don't really need to 100% understand them to have a good time in the game. All a new player has to do is to choose blue/brown/red ideology and join one of the factions, everything else from that point forward is the main gameplay loop, aka research->produce->combat->gain land. You don't need to have the best equipment or best division template to have an impact, hell the basic infantry with rifles only is enough in most cases. On the contrary, I've recently bought Vicky 3. Having never played Vicky 2 most of the economic/political features are really hard to understand, at least for me. The problem is that not understanding in Vicky 3 equals to debt, which leads to bankruptcy and eventual game over. There are very few things that can cause a game over screen in HOI4, which is something you have to keep in mind with other Paradox games in my opinion.

[@Aerozona23]

as someone coming from imperator, eu4 and ck3, hoi4 is so confusing lol

[@moulinexm7600]

@@Aerozona23 I've played pdx games since EU2. Then I played EU3, Vic1 and Vic2. Then CK2, EU4, Stellaris. I had always dismissed HOI games. Only focused on war and complex on army management. And for a weird reason I gave it a shot it was hard to figure but it's my favorite pdx game now. It's crazy I changed so much

[@ObiKKa]

Quick title selection menu: 0:49 - Imperator: Rome (Difficulty: 3/5) 4:12 - Crusader Kings III (Difficulty: 2/5) 7:41 - EU IV (Difficulty: 4/5) 10:35 - Victoria 3 (Difficulty: 5/5!) 13:33 - Hearts of Iron IV (Difficulty: 5/5!) 16:08 - Stellaris (Difficulty: 4/5)

[@Vebian]

i played them all ecxept HOI, imperator is way more difficult than victoria imo

[@grub833]

​@@Vebian and hoi4 is way easier than ck3 The battles are so rng based in ck3 than you lose battles you shouldn't

[@mathiascayla1964]

@@grub833 The fuck? Ck3 battles are all about numbers? If you are more than ennemy you win easily

[@alexkhorne7733]

@@mathiascayla1964 it isn't only about battles. I can't rate difficulty of CK3, because I started with CK2, but for me CK2 was the most difficult title from Paradox. War isn't complicated there of course, but it isn't plain at first how to get a Casus Belli for a war? How to preserve your domain and titles after succession? How not to be thrown and how to restore power if you was? Also after EU4 it was so fckn weird that I'm not the only ruler in my realm. And you don't own just "land", but you own titles and their system is kinda confusing after other paradox map painters.

[@Soccerkiller86]

@@mathiascayla1964 I disagree. Battles in CK2 or CK3 are heavily influenced by focusing on MilTech, terrain, and troop compositions further strengthened by choosing the right commanders. Just numbers don’t confirm victory.

[@rbrizzle4394]

I really wanted to get into it paradox games, the learning curve is just a bit much for me, considering the limited amount of time I have to game between work and my marriage. I’m gonna keep periodically giving CK3 and HOI4 a go, but the total war series is what I always end up falling back on.

[@hugomsb9391]

EU4, Stellaris and HOI4 are the ones for me. All 3 are easy to learn...the basics;after you get into micro management,you can get lost. And soundtrecks,amazing,helps to relax and to dive into the game.

[@goose93]

No vic2? Is it the economics?

[@christianwright5813]

Crusader kings and Stellaris are some of the games that always have fun playing, with Stellaris being the most fun even if you discover the rest of the galaxy a little too quickly and it turns into HOI4 with all the boundaries

[@Pangora2]

Yeah, the exploration part of Stellaris is easily one of the more fun parts, but even on the largest size galaxies you quickly 'wall off' the exploration. I think systems should have multiple claimants that can explore territory before it becomes fully one empire's.

[@neochris2]

EU4 is THE game for me. I love the time setting, the depth, the amount of content. Every time I play I discover new things about the game, and new things about world History and Geography. Stellaris is my second greatest addiction. And I am now getting into Victoria and HOI. Trying to learn them. If I had the time I'd go for Imperator too, since it seems to combine so many good qualities I like from the other games.

[@Rain322-]

I have something I love from each of the games EU:Rome was my first Paradox grand strategy, and I enjoyed Imperator. It felt like a spiritual successor. I love the personal aspect of CK3 Empire building in EU4 is really fun, even if it's kinda map-painty. It's my most played one by far. I'm really bad at Vic2 and I haven't tried Vic3 but I really like the historical period it takes place in. What I like about HoI4 is the arms race period before the massive war. I personally love the Old World Blues mod. Stellaris brings back the age of discovery but in Space. I love media like Star Wars and the Legend of the Galactic Heroes and it puts me into those space operas.

[@zelos7413]

What I really love about Imperator Rome is the Missions. Its very rewarding and it always gives you a goal to work towards.

[@AndysTake]

Check out the updated 2023 version of this video right here :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/jabKaZyBmKtjfKcsi=Glr7s1Za58qVhJMx

[@rabiaahmad8318]

real

[@popepisspot1675]

For me CK2 with all the dlc is the perfect game to roleplay a character in , stellaris is the perfect game to roleplay a nation (if that makes sense) and EU4 is a game i enjoy playing casually because of all the flavour decisions and missions a lot of nations have and victoria 2 is my 4th favourite game to play mostly bc i do like the victorian era as a setting for a game.

[@InspireRise300]

Is CK2 better than CK3?

[@craimaxblack]

@@InspireRise300 Technically speaking, yes, a lot, but with all DLC of course

[@rosalind1635]

​@@InspireRise300Don't listen to them!

[@Otto500206]

@@rosalind1635 Go play Crusader Kings II before talking.

[@mathiascayla1964]

Even sunset invasion DLC ? 🤣

[@Punggles]

As you know I’m a complete newbie with Paradox so I really appreciated this video! Great work

[@AndysTake]

Thank you so much, mate, I'm glad it was helpful :D

[@LiveCustoms]

I love economics and the industrial era so Victoria 3 is a no brainer for me. Although I do like HOI4 as WW2 is also a time period I’ve always been interested in, although the micromanagement of war and armies that comes along with it can get tedious at times.

[@AndysTake]

Yeah the warfare is excellent, but when it's virtually the entire game it can be tiring haha

[@anti-spiral159]

@@AndysTake Same when Victoria 3 is based all around economics and politics but the most developed thing is war, but it's still not appreciated nor flexible.

[@judeknowles2319]

Exactly what I would say. Bravo.

[@therealgaben5527]

What we need in hoi5 is hoi4+ Victoria 2 economy and population system

[@retrofuturepi]

I got victoria 2 because I am broke lol

[@reddeaddude2187]

I LOVE the idea of these games and I want to get into them, they're just so complex it's overwhelming.

[@tefky7964]

HOI4 in its most basic form is "if you are at war,move soldiers from areas with green bubbles to areas with red bubbles. If green bubble have high numbers,move your soldiers into attack into that area." Ofcourse as in every grand strategy it takes a lot of time to be atleast decent at it,more if you want to be really good,but for atleast being able to atleast survive right from the start it is the easiest game.

[@VinyZikss]

Same I've been dying to buy Victoria 3 but it seems like it will forever to learn it lol

[@pedrofelipefreitas2666]

Start with CK, as a guy who took several months to learn HOI4, Crusader Kings is MUCH easier to learn (a single week would probably do it), it's pretty straightforward and actually very fun. EU4 might be the hardest, possibly tied with HOI.

[@griiiizz4023]

@@pedrofelipefreitas2666 yeah, all the people that say: oh, but hoi is easy have like 4000hrs

[@sergialcoleadelagala5519]

I love the variety in every Paradox Game but, when you risk on changing a formula to prevent it from becoming repetitive, there's always the possibility of doing wrong. For example, I love CK3 (is my favourite strategy game ever, in general) as well as HOI4, Vicky 2, Imperator:Rome, Stellaris, etc., but I could never get into EU4. They're so different that, sometimes, it's hard to believe they've been made by the same company. Now, I'm strugling to understand Vicky 3 but, fortunately, I'm having a good time while learning. Good video Andy, as always :D

[@Razorcarl]

I love EU4

[@AndysTake]

Thank you so much, Sergi! I love them all haha, and you're right it's hard to understand how they're made by the same company sometimes, but that's what makes them so great and special, and makes the company itself so dynamic!

[@CarterElkins]

This is very true. EU4 took me a while to get into, and if not for the interesting time period, I probably never would have. For me, HOI4 is the one I just can't get invested in, not yet anyway, primarily because it focuses on the things I enjoy least about Paradox games: combat and tactics. The idea of simplified war in V3 is very appealing to me (as is the time period), so I'm very interested to try that one out sometime soon.

[@Melodeath00]

EU4 is the only one left of the "previous generation" of PDX games. It should be compared to CK2, Vic2 and HoI3, not their modern sequels. The success of EU4 and CK2 was also kind of what catapulted PDX to the status they have today, with EU4 still regularly having higher numbers than everything but HoI4, and CK2 was still actively played all the way up to the release of CK3 a couple of years back.

[@AndysTake]

@@Melodeath00 I would agree that EU4 is not connected to their modern sequels, but the fact that it's still being updated makes it a bit more complicated - plus the leap in visuals makes it markedly more "modern" than CK2 as well imo.

[@stephencooley5523]

You did not mention the soundtracks which come each game. They are amazing and easily some of the best computer games soundtracks ever made and I often listen to them when out for a run, in the gym or out food shopping. My favourite is Crusader Kings 3 followed by Stellaris and then Imperator Rome which is very underrated game.

[@stephencooley5523]

@@1992zorro I adore the Crusader Kings 2 soundtrack. My favourite songs on the Crusader Kings 2 soundtrack are Charge of the war Elephants, City of Birka, Legacy of Rome, Locust storm, Campfire, Our kingdom will fall main mix, Viking gods, We're that perfect storm, Go forth out of thy country, The holy land, Saladin besiege Jerusalem and the main theme.

[@EbonySaints]

Ah yes, the soundtracks that deliberately try and make me go deaf every time I start a game. Looking at you EU4 and Vic2.

[@Coldnoah]

I love listening to whistling noises for 7 hours while I have to constantly manage my heirs then get my eardrums killed when I declare a war

[@Brawler006]

I appreciate how Andy spoke positively about imperator. That game at its peak was one of the best paradox games I've ever played, but then the community just killed it by complaining about every little aspect.

[@AndysTake]

Indeed, at 2.0 the game had the amazing foundations for future expansions. Sadly, like you said, it was largely abandoned by the community only a few weeks after launch… a tragedy in the history of paradox games

[@Pangora2]

I think its because every little thing IS broken. It has all these mechanics and then says "no". Like, try to become a Dictator. You have to look up guides and exploit mechanics. Or try to get a marriage with another kingdom, compared to say CK. The game does not want to be played. Now disclaimer, I think its still fine and playable...but its a horse that must be broken.

[@LuckyAJC]

@@Pangora2 marriage is easy

[@Pangora2]

@@LuckyAJC it's markedly more difficult than ck 2 or 3. Let the game tick past the opening generation then try to gather up all the rare bloodlines.

[@LuckyAJC]

@Ryan all you need is +40 relations with a country and you can royal marry with them, now you have to hope countries don't die or lose their main bloodlines.

[@guimhoff]

And all the music of every of these games is just a perfect masterpiece

[@bernard3303]

I got stellaris today and the music is perfect

[@Bthewildcard]

I have about 8 paradox games. They are pretty immersive. So I think the harder choice is what to play first.

[@AndysTake]

Indeed, it's just as hard a question! Which would you recommend?

[@AlexiosTheSixth]

Maybe try a megacampaign?

[@shorewall]

I have played CK2 the most, because I keep wanting to do a megacampaign. :D I think I have once transferred a file over to EU4. :D I played a ton of Imperator when it came out for the same reason, but the break in time period between Imperator and the other games makes it not as attractive for that option. Although Imperator is still almost tied with Eu4 for second on my hours played, even though I haven't played it in a while. In contrast, I have barely touched HOI4. I like aspects of it, but it's laser focus on war kinda puts me off.

[@Bthewildcard]

@@AndysTake I love hearts of iron 4 the most but crusader kings three has some great elements. Where else can your spy master report he has discovered his plot to kill you?

[@elgirl19]

All of them take many many hours to learn, they are best learned with a teacher so if you have a friend who plays one I would recommend playing with them regardless of interest. Or join a discord for the one you are most interested in and ask for help their. This is the quickest route to proficiency, but you can just try to ram your head against it with trial and error and KZbin but the road will be hard and frustrating. You do however get that joy of discovering the way a deep and hidden mechanic works when you play by yourself, which is ultra satisfying.

[@SamuelChac0n]

0:11 cumania??? I’m sold

[@Ilayshatz]

U got it?

[@ViterZHir]

I'm quite hungry

[@everhat]

Thanks so much for this! This helped me begin to figure out which game to begin with probably Crusader Kings 3.

[@real-name7965]

ALL OF THEM, and not just the good ones, but victoria and imperator too!

[@dantereinhardt6911]

I have a saying that Paradox doesn't make bad games, it just makes games that aren't good yet. Everything with Paradox takes time, be it playing their games or waiting for the games to improve from release through patches and billions of DLCs. I sincerely don't mind waiting and paying extra for the experience of Paradox games, because I always found it more than worthwhile.

[@k_aesar]

nah march of the eagles sucks

[@Aerozona23]

imperator with the invictus mod is in such a good spot right now, it's my favorite pdx game (EU4 being a close second)

[@Aerozona23]

@@1992zorro invictus is not an overhaul mod, it is a mod that improves the flavor and balance of vanilla. You can essentially think of it as a continuation of development. the bronze age mod is an overhaul mod, that one is very fun as well.

[@sandsiren4840]

I love this overview! Really puts things in perspective!

[@AndysTake]

Thank you so much! :)

[@dejanvranic8833]

I have used many, many hours in Hearts of Iron games just renaming the divisions to historical correct names and adding each historical commandeer to the correct units. And I thought it was fun. 🙂

[@Shexigawra77]

Should i play it, I've never played strategy games is it hard to learn?

[@Savvysnek]

Great guide! EU4 will always be my favourite but Stellaris is a close second for me. On the fence about getting Victoria 3, as I’m sure it feels different with the economic focus rather than conquest, but the beautiful map is enticing me.

[@AndysTake]

Stellaris is such a gem, the music literally makes me cry, and I just find the whole deep space vibe to be so enchanting and enthralling. I really need to play the latest version soon, as it's been waaay too long since I truly played a long campaign there. Now EU4 has taken my sleep away on too many nights lol. Also I highly recommend Vicky 3, a great game, although I would perhaps wait just a month (Christmas sale?) for some of the worst bugs to be patched :)

[@al_wombat]

7:42 learning that CK3 is the easiest game to learn among these was quite humbling.

[@bradwhiteuk]

Fantastic video. Love the way you blended the soundtracks from the different games!

[@LeftoverPat]

Really happy the shoutout for Imperator Rome! It scratched an itch EU4's Imperium mod couldn't give me. It's so interesting that it combines a lot of parts of the other paradox games

[@Tomasz987987]

I'll never forget my first time turning alines into food in stellaris

[@Obloms]

It's such a shame that Imperator got dropped from being updated. I quite like the game now days, certainly more vs Crusader Kings 3.

[@talknight2]

I love Imperator, Crusader Kings and EU4 but man, HoI4 is by far the most gripping and engaging. As soon as war kicks off you'll be on the edge of your seat for days trying to micromanage your divisions' compositions, supplies and maneuvers while mulling over the most important new technology to research next and trying to decide between assigning your newly built military factories to small arms, trucks, medium bombers or light flamethrower tanks. And the focus trees allow for some of the most in-depth storytelling of any Paradox title, especially with incredible overhaul mods like Kaiserreich or The New Order.

[@davidsabillon5182]

I can't wrap my head around these games as much as I try.

[@Ben71246]

Controversial opinion maybe, but my favourite is Victoria 3. Now while I have more hours in hoi4 and stellaris, that’s just cause I’ve had it loger. I love the time frame of Vic 3, building up the economy, and the replay ability. Second place is prob stellaris though, it’s a close race

[@Synthiewavu]

Every game of Stellaris always feels new especially while the game gets constant updates and surprises

[@ideos8595]

Each of these games is good, each has a unique aspect that is different from the rest. I've played them all and can't say which is the best. It depends on the individual choice of each player. I just don't understand why Paradox stopped work on the Imperator Rome. It was a good game, and after Update 2.0.3 it has become very good. It is a pity for the wasted potential, I hope they will come back to it.

[@Visitant69]

CK3 has been my favourite for quite awhile. I love the focus on the individual family. Dying or having your empire broken can be a fun part of the game that doesn't stop you from progressing towards your ultimate goal. Using diplomacy, intrigue and war to place your family members on as many thrones as possible. Plus how badly you can break history. In my last play through I became an enormous catholic power and then reformed my religion to be matriarchal and made all of the generally shunned and criminal acts legal including deviance and witchcraft. Declared myself the pope of this new religion. Mended the schism and destroyed the papacy. Causing this new religion to become the standard christian religion meaning that most of the christian world would convert to it. Then started Crusading and holy warring my way through the rest of the world to spread my witch empire.

[@fiude]

I recommend every new play start in Imperator.

[@AndysTake]

It's a great game :)

[@shorewall]

@@AndysTake And there aren't a lot of DLC to buy. Most of the updates were free.

[@accidiaet]

You're a menace

[@jjazone]

Because it's good

[@dh7192]

Since I only have a console. I can only play CK3 or Stellaris, but I tell you they are 2 of my favorite games. No matter what games get released I always have a playthrough of these masterpieces on the go. I love space and history, especially the Viking age. That's why these games are right for me.

[@grallonsphere271]

One period Paradox has never tackled - which would be very interesting : the dark ages between the fall of Rome and the Middle-Ages. It could be character driven like CKIII, with elements of legends & magic - with a dash of the survival game...

[@sorayacatfriend]

Try the Fallen Eagle mod for CK3

[@Otto500206]

​@@sorayacatfriend CK2's The Winter King is better for that eras. That is the only Crusader Kings mod that has a dynamic title system and it's necessary for that period.

[@LiquidModernityTastesLikeUrine]

this sounds better to a mod

[@crosselsmith776]

I started with Ck2. The learning curve was hard as f. Easily 6/5 difficulty. Couldn't understand half the shits. Had to watch hours of tutorials. Took me about 5 months to learn it all. But it was worth it when I finally restored the Roman Empire in a playthrough. Felt like the real Augustus.

[@ashwynlentini1317]

I just love the fact that in stellaris I can create my own custom empires and then force them to spawn into the galaxy. I’ve created plenty of friends/foes just for the purpose of spicing up my gameplay. At this point I jump into a new game with at least 20 ai empires that all specialize in some particular thing that I have to either ally with or fight against depending on what I play. Also I have like 5-6 different earths that I play against and I get to choose what earth I want in the galaxy. One of them is if Germany won ww2 and they’re just fanatic purifiers, I got one where the last of us happened and it’s just the cordyceps virus controlling a hive mind (also purifiers), I got one that’s a true liberal utopia, one that’s if the current us government took over the world and one based on my last attempt on a mega campaign(idk how Victoria 2 works and when I converted from eu4 I had control over Spain, France, all of British isles, all of Africa, almost all of the Middle East, every eastern coast of the Americas so pretty much the Atlantic empire and I had by far the strongest army in the world but for some reason the converter said “nah fuck you” and my army was only marginally better then everyone else and I couldn’t cover all that territory and I got buttfucked by all my rivals losing most of France in the very first couple years. Also I started as a Shia count in cordoba in 769 I believe). Edit: I also got one that’s just if Amazon took over the earth(probably the most realistic tbh)

[@cristianiannello4689]

Amazing and detailed video. Excellent for potential new players to decide if they want to be part of the paradox family.

[@michaelpatras174]

Absolutely love EU4! I have tried HOI4, but it was really difficult for me to understand and get the mechanics down. Paradox makes such beautiful and in depth games, but they are rather difficult to grasp without watching a lot of KZbin videos😂

[@voidgaming1195]

it’s the opposite for me i love hoi4 and i’m trying to get into eu4 but it’s hard to understand

[@CarterElkins]

It really is such a shame that Paradox's tutorial game is so atrocious. I know there are potential fans who are turned off by this... my wife is one of them. I do enjoy turning to KZbin to help me refine my strategies, but it's practically a requirement in order to learn some of their games, and that should never happen.

[@pamparanea]

​@@voidgaming1195 Check out Red Hawk and Ludi videos, then you'll learn almost all of the mechanics in about 20 hours of watching those and playing. The game is 100% worth it.

[@zed3443]

Same, Eu4 is great asf and i learned to play without tutorial, bur hoi4 warfare is just too hard for me

[@yk_903]

@@zed3443 Hoi4 warfare explained: Combat width is how much of your troop can fight somewhere. Make division templates that add up to 20 or 40 and then you can have 4 times 20 width or 2 times 40 width fighting somewhere. You can stack 2 or 4 divisions on a tile to fight and that's it. Now to entrenchment: Get support company research and get the support company giving entrenchment, that's it, forgor what it was but now you can sit on a tile and get gud defense bonuses. That's basically it, also copy meta templates and focus a lot on oil and airforce, airforce and close air support is how you win wars.

[@dario2439]

For me Ck3 and Stellaris are the best, the roleplay in these game is so fun.

[@InspireRise300]

Is it?

[@malalalalalala]

@@InspireRise300 yes

[@grinningtaverngaming395]

Great summary! Thank you!

[@Deadsmegma]

Play them.. all. But especially Hoi4, so you can have Running in the 90s while you're Germany and Blitz through everyone all at once.

[@vladdrakul7851]

There is no game that ever took me so long to get into than EU IV and for a year it just sat there on my computer"but it is also the game I have played the most and the one I love. Like wine it takes time to appreciate it's subtleties but once hooked you become a WINO!

[@GamerGabe-k3e]

Which paradox game is right for you? Yes

[@101jir]

As someone that plays quite a bit of Vic3, HOI4, CK2, EU4, and did an "After Action Report" on Stellaris (yet haven't logged nearly as much time in any one as the specialists), I have to say the difference in difficulty is far more extreme between choices of nations than choice of game. There is an exception with Vic3, however, as it is newer and a lot of elements still need refining and clarity, it is generally harder overall. However, starting as Mercia in CK2 is far easier than starting as even Italy in HOI4. Starting as US in HOI4 is easier than pretty much any faction in any other game. Stellaris has perhaps the most consistency, with any faction being easier than some, harder than others in any other game (except perhaps Vic3 atm, or HOI4 on launch).

[@OdisraFlyrunner]

Great vid, thank you!

[@AndysTake]

Glad you liked it! :)

[@OdisraFlyrunner]

@@AndysTake Super helpful! I have about 350 hours in Ck3, and I was looking for another grand strat or 4x to play. One of the options I was looking at were Amplitude 4x games, but funny enough, seemz I would enjoy Imperator!

[@firstclaw1]

I have a title for each series, but currently, I kept CK2 and Vic2 instead of "upgrading". Regarding Hearts of Iron I started with IV and never looked back. I could write many stories, but here is my current overview, in case you like to know. I would love to write my feelings about each title, but that would be too long and honestly, I played a few titles too little to have a well-founded opinion in the first place. My favorite is Stellaris, followed by Hearts of Iron 4, and Crusader Kings (2). I plan to get CK3 in the future. For a beginner, I would recommend a) Imperator Rome for a historical experience as it is a pretty balanced blend of multiple aspects of other Paradox titles while being less overwhelming with the level of detail. b) The second recommendation is Stellaris, especially for a person loving SciFi and games with a 4X formula well blended into grand strategy. c) It is possible to play CK2 (vanilla) now for free to get a feel of this title. This could also be an interesting starting point If managing a dynasty fascinates you more than managing a nation. But CK2 is not only more complex than Imperator Rome as I see it, but also more strongly focused on this aspect of gameplay, while Imperator Rome offers a wider range of gameplay options. d) Hearts of Iron 4 is a great historical sandbox strategy sim of the war, but while big in strategy and military tactics it is very consequently designed as a sim of war logistics and troop organization and movements. e) IMHO not for beginners is EU4. It is awesome, but with such a mind-boggling plethora of parameters to influence your history, that I would recommend not to start with this title as first grand strategy due to the steep learning curve.

[@NA-hy6mg]

i had an easier time learning eu4 than hoi4

[@Pseudoplasmagore]

Lol when I was considering starting to play CK2 before CK3 was even released, I read somewhere that EU4 is the easiest Paradox game for beginners and it's better to start from that before moving on to CK2. So I tried EU4 first and I think it's the best game I've ever played and I still haven't started CK2

[@iuliannastasa6592]

Best choice, firstclaw. I also stay in CK2 and Victoria 2. They are insanely re-playable. In CK2, the fact that you may play as classical feudal dynasty, a merchant republic, a nomadic faction hoarding around the World, a pagan nation which may eventually reform its religion (to only name a few of the infinite options) makes every campaign unique and unforgettable.

[@Pseudoplasmagore]

@@iuliannastasa6592 sounds exactly like EU4 😉

[@iuliannastasa6592]

@@Pseudoplasmagore EU4 is also very good, but lacks the personal touch, does not have the same succession challenges and some other flavours. But, yes, you are right, the way I put it first, I could have been talking about EU4, too. :)

[@fluffybear3622]

I see you left the best till last

[@JMillMac1120]

I would love for Paradox to make a Cold War game! Obviously some mechanics would carry over from HOI4, but a post-war game with tons more focus on espionage, chances at revolution (perhaps several different kinds), and a setting where war breaking out might itself be the game over screen…all seems right up Paradox’s alley. I know there are some games that kinda do that, but Paradox’s version would probably be unmatched. Especially if you wanted to play as someone other than the USA or USSR.

[@christianalvarez9930]

always hoping for something like that too, you should check out espiocracy, is not out yet but it looks promising

[@judeknowles2319]

I would love th e civil wars started by the Cold War. So that would be amazing.

[@hia5235]

Imperator Rome is underrated! It is in a great state.

[@napoleonbonaparte7692]

Total war and paradox fans both can agree that stellaris is awesome. Also, me as a total war player see some appeal in hearts of Iron because its not a time period that total war covers, I do also have an interest in Victoria, and always tried to get into eu4 but just never could. The dlcs were too much of a purchase commitment to a game I wasn't quite that interested in

[@name_christian]

Nice to see some love for imperator

[@mooripo]

Till now I have played, in order, HOI 4, Stellaris, Crusader Kings 3 and I fall in love with Crusader Kings 3 after I had thought that HOI 4 is the best ever, will definitely try Victoria afterwards for the sake of that Economical aspect.

[@thomasjames9678]

I've played every game on this list, but I still watched, great video and awesome descriptions for each one. One thing I would add about Stellaris is that it really plays out a lot of stories, finding anomalies and discovering stuff is a big part of the gameplay. If you skip past all the reading you will miss a big part of the game's purpose, and that is to use your sci-fi imagination. I like Victoria III so far but I agree, it does need a lot of patching and expansions. I think the economic system is cool but it seems like it is the only thing that is "fleshed out" right now which is making the game a little shallow to play unless you are roleplaying.

[@Arrusoh]

CK3 is deffinatly mt favourite. It's because it's not only set in one of my favourite periods of history. but how character focused it is. Also it's my first, which probably helps in influencing it as being my favourite

[@RealSkyzGameplay]

love how they make little jumps in time from game to game, then you just have stellaris lmao

[@skyrimld1159]

I love ck3 mechanics and the way that war works, it’s probably the reason I just can’t do Victoria despite preferring the time period in Victoria sooooo much more

[@mugthemagpie3001]

My shot is Stellaris. It doesn't drown you in a lot of stats and while there is complexity, it's still easier to wrap head around the situation. Especially if you use preconstructed civilizations, small galaxies and two-three adversaries (no Fallens, no crisis.) There is also sort of tutorial to explain what is what, which I find good... Or a new player might just turn it off and do trial and error with or without saving, as Stellaris is also a hidden roguelike game when you think about it. I approach it like a roguelike, with Iron Mode, since most games don't take that long on smaller and medium maps (unless you know it better and rip yourself with Admiral difficulties, maxed out AI empires and so on). When player gets accustomed with how Stellaris works, creating a new empire menu is like realizing your already fat gift box has a second bottom.

[@Hyacsho]

Thank you for this; videos of this quality for 4X games are as rare as 4X games themselves.

[@Therealnapoleonbonaparte_]

For those who want to start playing these type of games I can’t recommend enough just diving in ck3 is a great place to start due to not being as complex as others and then afterwards try a harder one but play as will you and when you feel you can’t grasp a aspect of the game watch a tutorial

[@Shexigawra77]

Should i start with that, because I've never played strategy games? Is it easy to learn?

[@digitalworms]

Stellaris and hoi 4 are imo mad! Stellaris is crazy took me a beginner series just to learn some basics! Hoi 4 got to play it a little bit but still crave it!

[@robingram7655]

I started with Paradox with CK2, but soon transitioned to EUIV. I started learning how to play via Arumba, then transitioned to others when he had his falling out with Paradox. Eleven thousand hours in and I'm still barely average at the game. I couldn't pull off a world conquest if you put a gun to my head.

[@generellconfusion2592]

Victoria 2 needs mods to really shine, but is still way better than Victoria 3.

[@straydogstrut115]

I really enjoyed this overview of all the different games. Thanks for sharing. I've played EUIV on and off for years. I'm yet to fully understand it's mechanics and i've only ever played as Castille, which is meant to be one of the easier nations for beginners. I enjoy the political and military aspects, but I know I need to understand trade and development a lot more as I always seem to be short of income (either that or I just want to expand too quickly). However, it's always an enjoyable experience and I learn something new every time. I've been interested in trying HOI as I enjoy learning about that time period. The idea of the build up in peace time towards all out war sounds tense but thrilling. I technically own Stellaris as I love anything sci-fi/set in space, but i've never really given it a look beyond the tutorial yet. It sounds like a lot of fun.

[@-sCif-]

never wanted to dive that deep into "historical" paradox game, but sci-fi is my jam. and after playing all sorts of "galactic civilizations", "master of orion" etc and so on - imho stellaris is the best one, took some time to learn it, then learn it again then again as some patches completely changed game mechanics. all worth. wont find that ammount of stuf to build to do and to discover in any other similar game.

[@bettleybmx]

After replaying AOE2 as an adult I’ve got the big for strategy games again and been searching for something to sink my teeth into. I’d never heard of any of these games so thank you 🙏🏻 but you have given me the headache of deciding which one to choose first 😬

[@spatrk6634]

which one did you choose?

[@bettleybmx]

@@spatrk6634 I went for CK3. Been glued to it for 3 weeks now!

[@bravalloy]

Single Stellaris tip to make its difficulty 3 instead of 4. It is an economic game, first, but also one that escalates pretty quick. So, build a 2,000 power fleet early if you need a 2,000 power fleet and prepare yourself economicaly to bring it to 20,000 or even 40,000 quickly. At a minimum, quicker than your enemies.

[@fortniteslavemaster]

yeah giving stellaris 4/5 difficulty is total bullshit honestly. there is no way it is comparable in difficulty to eu4. I'm still scared of eu4.

[@TiagoEstevinha]

After this review, i'm going to buy CK III!

[@TiagoEstevinha]

Andy do you recommend the Royal Edition of CK III?

[@drpolargaming]

History is truly beautiful

[@christianlacroix4]

Honestly I am old, my favourite paradox games where the old games when music wasn’t copyrighted and they could use real music, I am talking EU2 and Victoria 1.

[@andreiferariu]

Going from CK3 to Vic 3, I think it's safe to say after a few months it has become clear that Victoria III is much easier than all other Paradox games.

[@Heisenberg946]

bro how , i struggle so hard in vic 3 somehow xD but hoi4 for example is easy to me

[@elite_sr2883]

Excellent video, I first bought Stellaris because it let me play as a robotic maid empire. I was dumbfounded by the scope of the game and how beautiful the visuals and soundtrack were! Sadly sci-fi is my home and I’ll likely not try one of the historical PDX titles, but I’m glad Stellaris give me a taste of how well the devs nail the grand strategy genre.

[@AlessandroScaltritti]

you're the first one that don't over criticize imperator rome, finally! it's the game that made me learn paradox 4x and it's still entertaining today imo

[@AndysTake]

I love it :) Glad you do as well!

[@sultaneteofrome9419]

I think its time to people give Imperator Rome a chance its been 3 years since release ,there is great mods, patches fixed he game and on top of that game is litterally free compared to other paradox games. Worth a try imo.

[@HomemdaFaina]

My answer: "All. Of. Them."

[@nislaav6712]

True, depends on a persons taste but they all have something special! ^^

[@bhec7715]

I started with Stellaris and loved it. I moved on to playing Crusader Kings 3 and loved it even more. Unfortunately, the game became unstable on Xbox fairly quickly, as my empire grew.

[@airsmellnice4133]

I couldn't figure out how to play ck3 )'

[@arthursandomine5464]

Great, now I want to play them all -.-

[@cynwraeth1943]

Paradox grand strategy games are basically the only games I play anymore. I'm too old for twitchy shit but at least my brain still kinda works.

[@kdegraa]

The first Paradox game I played was Europa Universalis 3 around 14 years ago. I loved playing Scotland and then crushing the English. Around 10 years later a work colleague recommended getting Crusader Kings. I bought it and enjoy playing it. However I never progressed beyond baby Ireland. I always started in the south west. Now I play Hearts of Iron IV. I like it a lot but again I only play as one country, Hungry. It is really weird that I find myself playing one country/faction/location. Despite this there are different results every time. These games have almost unlimited replayibity. They also teach history. They teach history is not one event leading onto another that leads to another.

[@blackmoon2128]

I was happy enough to have total war Rome II and Atilla for that time period, but this small review made me wnat to buy imperator Rome as well. also want to give a try eventually on hearts of Iron, when I get the money to grab it, lol. the other games I already love, then you made me want to play them all at once =P

[@mosquitobight]

I'd like to see a video comparing space exploration games like Srellaris, Master of Orion and Alpha Centauri.

[@mochipink5875]

Seeing that every Paradox Game hasd a focus on something specific, i'm wondering what the focus was in Sengoku.

[@LordeCego]

Great vid

[@marcgw496]

Roman history is by far my favorite time period, so Imperator is really my forte, but might give a couple more of these a try. It’s a shame what happened with Imperator, but especially with mods I really enjoy it.

[@bigle114]

The only game I played in the list is HOI4, but I would try to play a game focused more on diplomacy than war. Which one is the best ?