Seemingly out of nowhere, Paradox Interactive has announced that Crusader Kings 2 has sold one million copies.
What makes this accomplishment even more astounding is that Paradox also found average playtime for the game is over 99 hours. It is highly unlikely that everyone who bought the game played it for that long. However, this does indicate that among that one million are very dedicated players.
Crusader Kings 2 is a rare breed in this day and age, best described as a dynasty simulator. You do not play through a military campaign, or a series of wars, or even a lifetime of a monarch. You play throughout the years 1066 to 1453, playing through the lifetimes of several rulers. There is no real in-game objective, aside from earning prestige points to pass your rivals. The game only ends when the current ruler dies without an immediate successor.
Crusader Kings 2 is incredibly dense and esoteric, incorporating elements of law, religion, intrigue, and war, into its gameplay mechanics. It closest modern day contemporary in the genre isEuropa Universalis, but even Europa is not this intimidating.
Crusader Kings 2’s success possibly boils down to successfully targeting a very dedicated niche. It helps that Paradox have continuously provided several major and minor DLC packs, and two conversion mods to adapt the game to the The Elder Scrolls and A Song Of Fire and Ice fantasy worlds.
Are you a Crusader Kings 2 player? What do you like about this game? Have you tallied over 99 hours in gameplay? Share your thoughts with us below.
