If you’re a history enthusiast as well as an avid gamer, then you’re in luck because there are lots of games out there that that will cater to both your love of history and your love for video games. If you have the best gaming laptop, here are the games that every history buff should have:
Age of Empires Series
Of course we have to talk about Age of Empires. It was one of the pioneers that blazed a trail for both strategy games and those set in historical settings. The first game was set in the Ancient world with Greeks and Persians going at it in one campaign. In the second game, you were in the medieval period fighting off the English as Joan of Arc or battling the Crusaders as Saracen leader Saladin. In the third game, it’s set during the age of exploration of the Americas. You’ll be playing through parts of American history as the fictional Black family.
Company of Heroes Series
Company of Heroes 1 and 2 simply put is one of the best WWII strategy games to ever be released. With the fast paced action and the strategic point-based resource collection system ensures that combat will happen. There are also mechanics like cover and suppression that adds some realness to the game. For the campaign, you lead Able Company through the beaches of Normandy and through the French countryside in the face of fierce Axis resistance.
Crusader Kings II
Crusader Kings II is a grand strategy game that sets you in a world much like Game of Thrones, only you’re playing in a historical setting. Filled with conquest, deceit, lust, and political intrigue, this game places you at the head of a noble family in the early medieval to late medieval period. From a lowly Count, you can rise to become a Duke, from Duke you can become a King, and from there you can forge a mighty Empire.
Total War Series
The Total War Series (Except Total War: Warhammer, of course) are all based on certain periods in history. Shogun was during the Sengoku Jidai period, Rome was set during the Roman Republic and Empire, Medieval was set during medieval times, Napoleon during the Napoleonic Wars, Empire during the colonization of North America and the American Revolution, and Attila is set during the fall of Rome. Total War is the perfect marriage between grand strategy and huge tactical battles.
Civilization Series
No list of historical strategy games would be complete without the Civilization Series. Clearly, a game that has withstood the test of time through its innovation, the series has six games. In the game, you can control various civilizations like the Babylonians, Japanese, Zulu, or Americans and as the player, your goal is to make your civilization “stand the test of time.” This turn-based strategy is one of the most addictive ever made, and we’re pretty sure that once you’re hooked, you’ll be telling yourself “just one more turn…” all the time.