Entering the Crusader Kings series is not a simple task. I once bought Crusader Kings 2 with all the DLCs on a whim and then epically failed to comprehend it, which was a major mistake. However, since it is such a fantastic series, it has a sizable and devoted fan following, which it well deserves. There's no other political sim or grand strategy that is this meticulously detailed. And from May 10 and May 12, 2024, you can play it for free on Steam to see what all the excitement is about.

There's a free weekend and a huge discount on Crusader Kings 3.

I promise that three days will be more than enough to see what Crusader Kings 3 is all about and choose if it's right for you. With Crusader Kings 2, I was done in a matter of hours. If you like what you see, you can get the whole game for $20, a 60% savings, by clicking the link. It's okay if you need more time to process it; the price reduction will last until May 23rd, 2024. I still highly suggest that you give this kind of game a try even if I'm not into it. There's enough of joy to be had creating it yourself, even if you find it difficult to play it "properly." For instance, attempting to create the most foolish monarch that has ever been on Earth while simultaneously resembling Groucho Marx.

Of course, taking control of a particular medieval dynasty and guiding it through several generations of monarchs, conquering, waging war, participating in diplomacy, etc., is the "real" method to play any Crusader King. In the meanwhile, you're working to ensure your family's future by producing heirs to whom you may pass on your genetic characteristics. Better still if that resulted from a well orchestrated political union. Eventually, boredom sets in and you attempt to produce a creature that is so cloned it might pass for deli meat.