Historical Games PC: The Best History Video Games on Steam by Genre

Published October 8, 2026 · By Alehundred Studios

The best historical games PC players can pick up today are Civilization VII and Age of Empires for strategy, Crusader Kings III for medieval politics, Manor Lords for city building, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II and Ghost of Tsushima for open-world adventure, and Pentiment and Valiant Hearts for story. This guide sorts those history video games by genre, explains why PC is such a good home for them, shows which ones you can play co-op with friends, and lists what kind of computer each one needs.

Why is PC the best platform for historical games?

PC is the best platform for historical games because the biggest history genre, strategy, was built for mouse and keyboard, and because PC versions add mods, editors and display options you rarely get elsewhere.

Strategy is a big deal for history fans. In the Entertainment Software Association's 2026 Essential Facts report, 31% of American players age 8 and up said they played strategy games regularly in the past year. Almost every great history strategy series, from Civilization to Total War, is at home on PC.

PC players also shape history themselves. Historian Ylva Grufstedt notes in the Lund University journal Scandia that "Practices such as modding, streaming, and participating in online forums show that players constitute active co-creators of historical narratives." Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, for example, lists an in-game editor and mods on its store page, and its description mentions "ongoing support for the Scenario Editor."

Finally, the PC versions of big historical adventures look their best on a desktop. The PC release of Ghost of Tsushima lists support for "Ultrawide (21:9), Super Ultrawide (32:9) and even 48:9 Triple Monitor support."

What are the best historical strategy games on PC?

The best historical strategy games on PC are Civilization VII, Age of Empires II and IV, Crusader Kings III and Total War: PHARAOH.

Sid Meier's Civilization VII. The definitive game for leading a civilization through time. In Civilization VII you "Rule as legendary leaders from throughout history" and guide your empire "Across the Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern Ages."
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition. A classic that still feels fresh. Age of Empires II: DE promises "over 200 hours of gameplay and 1,000 years of human history."
Age of Empires IV. The modern take on real-time strategy. Age of Empires IV offers "4 distinct campaigns with 35 missions that span across 500 years of history from the Dark Ages up to the Renaissance," and it is welcoming to beginners, with "a tutorial system that teaches the essence of real-time strategy."
Crusader Kings III. History as a family drama. Crusader Kings III lets you "expand your dynasty through a meticulously researched Middle Ages" and "Begin in 867, 1066 or 1178."
Total War: PHARAOH. Ancient Egypt on a grand scale. Total War: PHARAOH mixes "dynamic real-time battles and incredible turn-based empire management" as you face the Bronze Age Collapse.

Strategy games also teach a way of thinking. Grufstedt explains that games use counterfactual scenarios "to test alternative historical developments," which is exactly what happens when your Civilization or Crusader Kings campaign drifts away from the real timeline.

What are the best historical city builders on PC?

The best historical city builders on PC are Manor Lords and Medieval Dynasty, two very different ways to build a medieval settlement.

Manor Lords. A medieval city builder that takes realism seriously. The Manor Lords page says it is "Inspired by the art and architecture of late 14th century Franconia" and "prioritizes historical accuracy wherever possible." Your villagers even "build their homes in accordance with the historical burgage plot system."
Medieval Dynasty. Survival, farming and building from the ground up. In Medieval Dynasty "You start as a simple farmer or a hunter," and grow into "the head of a prospering town."

What are the best historical action and RPG games on PC?

The best historical action and RPG games on PC are Kingdom Come: Deliverance II and Ghost of Tsushima, two open worlds built on serious research.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. Warhorse Studios' Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is "A thrilling story-driven action RPG, with a rich open world, set in 15th century Medieval Europe." A 2025 study of the series in Acta Ludologica found that the studio's projects "emphasize in-depth research of historical sources," with "consultations with internal and external historians."
Ghost of Tsushima DIRECTOR'S CUT. Sucker Punch's samurai epic came to PC with Ghost of Tsushima DIRECTOR'S CUT. It is set "In the late 13th century," as the Mongol empire reaches Tsushima Island, and the PC version adds "unlocked framerates and a variety of graphics options tailored to a wide range of hardware."

What are the best story-driven history games on PC?

The best story-driven history games on PC are Pentiment and Valiant Hearts: The Great War, two narrative games where the history lives in the art and the characters.

Pentiment. Obsidian's Pentiment is "a historical narrative-driven game focusing on character development, heavily stylized art, and choice-driven storytelling in early 16th century Bavaria." Its art is "inspired by great illuminated manuscripts and the earliest printed books."
Valiant Hearts: The Great War. Ubisoft Montpellier's Valiant Hearts is "a 2D animated comic book adventure, mixing exploration, action and puzzles" set during World War I, revisiting "the Battle of the Marne or the Battle of the Somme!"

Which historical PC games can you play co-op with friends?

Several historical games on PC support online co-op, so you can play history together instead of alone.

Age of Empires II: DE lists Online Co-op and LAN Co-op among its Steam features.
Age of Empires IV lists Online Co-op, and its page says you can "compete, cooperate or spectate with up to 7 of your friends."
Medieval Dynasty lets you "Play solo or team up with friends and explore the beautiful but harsh medieval world in the Co-Op Mode together."
Ghost of Tsushima DIRECTOR'S CUT lists Online Co-op among its Steam features.

Teaming up against the computer in Age of Empires is one of the easiest ways to bring a friend into historical strategy.

What PC do you need for historical games?

Most historical games run on a mid-range PC, and the minimum requirements on Steam range from very light to fairly demanding.

Light: Valiant Hearts needs only "2 GB RAM" and "2 GB available space." Age of Empires II: DE asks for "4 GB RAM."
Middle: Civilization VII, Manor Lords and Ghost of Tsushima each list "8 GB RAM" as the minimum. Ghost of Tsushima needs "75 GB available space," with an SSD recommended.
Demanding: Kingdom Come: Deliverance II lists "16 GB RAM," an "NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB)" graphics card and "100 GB available space," and adds: "SSD required."

Check the System Requirements box on each Steam page before you buy, and compare it with your graphics card and memory.

How do you choose a historical game on PC?

Choose by the era you love first, then by how much time you want to spend in each session.

Start with an era. Ancient Egypt points to Total War: PHARAOH, the Middle Ages to Crusader Kings III, Manor Lords or Kingdom Come, feudal Japan to Ghost of Tsushima, World War I to Valiant Hearts.
Match the session length. Grand strategy and open worlds reward long evenings; story games like Pentiment fit shorter sessions.
Decide solo or together. If friends are part of the plan, look for Online Co-op in the Steam features list.
Check your hardware. Compare the minimum requirements with your PC before you commit to a big open world.

Where does Coins Catcher: Co-op Lands fit?

Coins Catcher: Co-op Lands is a historical game on PC with a twist: it is an online co-op 3D platformer for up to 8 players, on Steam in Early Access. PC players share the same match with friends on mobile and in VR, and everyone has voice chat.

You are about 4 inches (10 cm) tall and travel through magic portals into giant dioramas of seven real historical eras, from Italy 1956 back to Alexandria 300 BC, with each diorama hiding 8 signs of real historical curiosities. You collect themed coins and spend them on talents like jump height and run speed, defeat the enemies and the giant beast of each era, and when the group gathers 100 coins the era's tower opens for a race to the top and the Magic Gem. Fire, ice, oil and bubble spells keep it chaotic, and yes, you can hit a friend with fire and steal their coins.

FAQ

What are the best history games on PC?

Civilization VII, Age of Empires II and IV, Crusader Kings III and Total War: PHARAOH for strategy; Manor Lords for city building; Kingdom Come: Deliverance II and Ghost of Tsushima for open-world adventure; Pentiment and Valiant Hearts for story.

What is the best historical strategy game on PC?

Civilization VII is the best pick for the sweep of all of history, Age of Empires IV for real-time battles across 500 years, and Crusader Kings III for medieval politics and dynasties.

Which historical games can you play with friends on PC?

Age of Empires II: DE, Age of Empires IV, Medieval Dynasty and Ghost of Tsushima list Online Co-op on Steam. Coins Catcher: Co-op Lands is an online co-op platformer for up to 8 players across seven historical eras.

Do historical PC games need a powerful computer?

Not always. Valiant Hearts runs on 2 GB of RAM and Age of Empires II: DE on 4 GB, while Kingdom Come: Deliverance II asks for 16 GB of RAM and an SSD.

What is a good historical video game for PC beginners?

Age of Empires IV is a great start, with a tutorial system that teaches real-time strategy step by step. For a story-first experience, Valiant Hearts is gentle on hardware and mixes exploration, action and puzzles.

Sources

Entertainment Software Association. 2026 Essential Facts About the U.S. Video Game Industry (PDF). ESA, 2026.
Grufstedt Y. Scandia introduces: Historical game studies. History in, with, and of (digital) games. Scandia, 91(2), 2025.
Pravdová H, Cihlářová M. From Chronicles to Quests: Integrating Historical Sources into the Digital Games Kingdom Come: Deliverance. Acta Ludologica, 8(2), 2025.
Firaxis Games. Sid Meier's Civilization VII. Steam store page.
World's Edge, Forgotten Empires, Relic Entertainment. Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition and Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition. Steam store pages.
Paradox Development Studio. Crusader Kings III. Steam store page.
Creative Assembly. Total War: PHARAOH. Steam store page.
Slavic Magic. Manor Lords. Steam store page.
Render Cube. Medieval Dynasty. Steam store page.
Warhorse Studios. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. Steam store page.
Sucker Punch Productions, Nixxes Software. Ghost of Tsushima DIRECTOR'S CUT. Steam store page.
Obsidian Entertainment. Pentiment. Steam store page.
Ubisoft Montpellier. Valiant Hearts: The Great War. Steam store page.