Greatest Historical Games Of The Last 20 Years, Ranked

When it comes to historical immersion, no other medium can match the power of video games. Interactive worlds that players can freely explore at their own pace, focusing on the exact aspects they prefer; authentic characters to engage with; convincing daily life portrayals; as well as specific details of past eras and unique settings all over the globe — many video games have long used historical inspirations to their benefit, perfectly blending fictional elements with rich real-world backgrounds.

Of course, we are talking about entertainment here, so in many cases, the game creators easily allow certain liberties, sacrificing authenticity in favor of fun. Today, though, our focus is mostly on the opposite: games that were willing to go the extra mile in pursuit of historical realism, ones that involved plenty of research to portray things just right, even if not every player would appreciate such devotion. The games below might not be 100% historically accurate, but they represent the greatest and most authentic titles of the past 20 years, with very few fictional elements.

The games are ranked based on their historical aspect, prioritizing authenticity, research involved, and accuracy in portrayal of their respective time periods above anything else.

Honorable mentions (non-ranked):

• The Forgotten City
• Europa Universalis 4
• Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord
• Bellwright
• Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth
• Valiant Hearts: The Great War
• Hearts of Iron 4
• Manor Lords (early access)

10

Mafia: Definitive Edition

Fictional Lost Heaven, Illinois (inspired by Midwestern US cities) of the 1930s

Despite being set in fictional cities, the Mafia games provide some of the most stunning and authentic recreations of past eras and events in the open-world format, with admirable accuracy in capturing the overall daily feel. While games like Mafia: Definitive Edition and Mafia: The Old Country are both arguably inspired by Hollywood mobster movies more than real history, it’s impossible not to include the series on such a list for their gorgeous and detailed worlds alone, serving merely as backdrops to immerse players in their dramatic stories.

Walking the streets of Lost Heaven, soaking in the vibe of 1930s America in all of its charm in Mafia: Definitive Edition, surrounded by convincing retro vehicles, authentic fashion, architecture, and music, is as atmospheric as it gets. Some real historical events reflected throughout the story may also interest players enough to learn more.

9

Crusader Kings 3

The Middle Ages (867–1453) Across Feudal Europe And The Holy Roman Empire

One of the last of its kind, Crusader Kings 3 brings the good old days of grand historical strategies on a global scale, allowing players to experience the Middle Ages with great systemic authenticity. Crusader Kings 3 delivers a strong portrayal of various historical trends, like feudalism, religion, diplomacy, warfare, and intrigue, while offering flexible emergent storytelling to glue it all together.

However, as in many games of its type, history in Crusader Kings 3 can easily diverge into complete fiction, driven by the player’s own actions and decisions. In a way, Crusader Kings 3 is just a simulation tool that can either be used for extremely authentic immersion or easily serve as a fun, very loosely history-based alternate timeline where anything is possible, preventing it from ranking higher.

8

Assassin’s Creed Origins

Ptolemaic Egypt (Late Hellenistic Period), 49–43 BCE

I know, I know — you can fight literal ancient gods like Sekhmet and Sobek in Assassin’s Creed Origins, visit mythical realms, and face Anubis warriors and zombies (exclusively in The Curse of the Pharaohs DLC). Still, outside of the optional God trials, serving more as a fun side challenge, and excluding the DLC, AC Origins is simply exceptional for its meticulous recreation of the rare Ptolemaic Egypt setting on an unprecedented scale. If not for its sci-fi/fantasy elements, AC Origins would easily rank much higher on the list, as the work here is simply astounding.

Stepping into the world of AC Origins is still mesmerizing, almost a decade later. The game captures the heat of the deserts and the bustling cities perfectly, while also introducing the non-violent Discovery Tour mode to the series, allowing fans to learn more about real history and appreciate all the research done for bringing this world to life.

7

Ghost of Tsushima

The First Mongol Invasion of Japan (Kamakura Period), 1274

For many players, Ghost of Tsushima is Assassin’s Creed stripped of its fictional layer and modern-day aspect. It’s a grounded, immersive historical open-world action-adventure set amid the intriguing timeline of the real-world Mongol invasion of 1274. The game depicts historical characters and events just accurately enough to remain a fun video game at its core, with strong accuracy in elements like armor, architecture, geography, and cultural clash.

While Sucker Punch can’t compete with Ubisoft when it comes to creating massive, detailed worlds with sprawling cities and hundreds of NPCs, the studio perfectly knows how to cut corners without sacrificing much of the historical charm. One may argue that just like the Mafia games, Ghost of Tsushima is more inspired by movies, taking major liberties with the characters, plot, and customs for cinematic storytelling, yet the game remains respectful and impactful, even resulting in a huge surge in real-world Tsushima tourism.

6

Medieval Dynasty

Fictional Medieval Eastern Europe In The 11th–12th Centuries

The definitive game for survival in the harsh medieval environment, Medieval Dynasty might not be as well-known as some other entries, yet it deserves attention not just from life sim fans. Medieval Dynasty excels in portraying the grind of daily peasant life almost as thoroughly as the Kingdom Come: Deliverance series, minus the cinematic character-driven story and large-scale battles. Instead, players carve their own path with a focus on essentials like farming, hunting, crafting, and building, while constantly facing harsh realities like hunger and dynamic seasons.

Medieval Dynasty stays grounded and authentic at all times, thanks to the team’s dedication to real-world inspirations. Historical research for tools, customs, architecture, clothing, and economy is apparent here, resulting in fully immersive “lived-in” sandbox authenticity. Sure, some omissions are unavoidable for gameplay reasons, including the deliberate absence of any structured religion, yet Medieval Dynasty is a spectacularly convincing package that shouldn’t be overlooked by any gamer with a knack for historical titles.

5

Total War: Shogun 2

Japan During The Sengoku Jidai (Warring States Period), 1545–1615

The Creative Assembly’s Total War franchise is perhaps the most overarching historical strategy-tactics series ever, spanning over a dozen games set throughout history (and even some occasional totally fictional ventures like Warhammer). With such a rich legacy, Total War: Shogun 2 remains the pinnacle of the franchise, perfectly capturing the complex times of 16th-century feudal Japan during the Sengoku Jidai (Warring States).

While taking some simplifications to the core elements of the series for a more fun campaign flow, Shogun 2 remains highly authentic in its portrayals of units, armor, armies, castle designs, clan politics, period warfare, and other elements. Even 15 years later, Total War: Shogun 2 remains one of the most acclaimed in the series, with very few games striking such an admirable balance between authenticity, depth, and sheer fun.

4

Red Dead Redemption 2

Fictionalized American Frontier, 1899–1907

Based strictly on its historical aspect, Rockstar’s biggest masterpiece to date takes “only” a fourth spot here, which is more of a testament to how deeply accurate the top-3 games are. Red Dead Redemption 2’s reflection on the 1899 American frontier and the life of an outlaw is pure fiction rooted in history, capturing the era’s spirit better than most despite some liberties, while delivering a convincing look at the complex social shifts in industrialization, law, racism, and daily routines.

Red Dead Redemption 2’s portrayal of the past still stands unmatched in many areas, featuring unparalleled world detail in wildlife, horses, clothing, weapons, architecture, accents, and more, representing one of the best games for immersion ever. Still, above all else, RDR 2 is a game that can afford plenty of liberties with its map, funny moments and missions, and Easter eggs of varied caliber.

3

L.A. Noire

Los Angeles, California, 1947

Obsessively authentic Los Angeles of 1947 was a major talking point about L.A. Noire back in the day, and even after all these years, there’s pretty much nothing like it. The game’s open world serves merely as a backdrop for the story, akin to the Mafia games, yet the environments are recreated as accurately as it gets. It’s not a fictionalized version of the city with free-form elements or names, as many other games do — it is the real city, created using period maps and photos to ensure every detail is in its right place.

L.A. Noire goes to extreme depths in depicting its era’s architecture, cars, fashion, radio, and even crime cases, closely inspired by real-world detective cases. From authentic LAPD procedures to an admirably believable post-World War 2 society, the game offers just the right portion of naturalism and boredom. Overall, it’s one of the strongest period-piece open worlds ever that will probably still impress another ten years from now.

2

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

Kingdom of Bohemia, 1403

When it comes to immersion into a past era, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 can teach a thing or two, even to Red Dead Redemption 2, striking a near-perfect balance between character-driven RPG and medieval daily life simulator, where players have to perform mundane tasks just to survive and get by. Building on the already rich historical foundation of the original, KCD 2 doubles down on realism and research depth, offering unmatched authenticity in daily life (hunger, hygiene, chores), combat (armor, weapons, injuries), architecture, clothing, customs, dialects, and politics.

Moreover, unlike many games on the list, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 isn’t afraid to build its story around real historical events of 1403 Bohemia, involving real figures from the past and offering a close look at their deeds. While it’s not actually a history book, Warhorse consulted historians extensively, so the game’s fiction blends extremely plausibly, with very few liberties in key elements.

1

Pentiment

Fictional Town In Upper Bavaria, 1518–1543

There are historically inspired games, and then there’s Pentiment. Created almost as an ode to everything medieval without romanticizing those difficult times, Pentiment looks, sounds, and plays like a living historical document, boasting absolutely unique art inspired by illuminated manuscripts and the earliest printed books. Obsidian’s narrative-driven murder mystery in a 16th-century Bavarian village is exceptionally faithful to the era’s daily life, clothing, food, social structures, religious influences, class dynamics, manuscripts and fonts, and intellectual debates.

Heavily involving contributions from real historians, Pentiment is easily among the most well-researched games of its kind, authentic in everything up to minor details like walking animations. Fictional yet grounded story and town aside, Pentiment is a pure immersive paradise, created to offer a new definition of what “historical game” means.