While many video games take us to fantastical worlds that defy everything we know, some video games take a more grounded and historical approach. These games in 2024 represent that.
Update: We will continue to update this list periodically throughout the year, so you will likely see some games removed or added. These games are not ranked in any particular order, as the focus here is to showcase titles we are excited to see hit the marketplace.
#11 Kingmakers
Being completely honest here… Kingmakers isn’t historically accurate…at all. As in, it’s not the least bit accurate because it features a person from the future trying 500 years into the past to try and stop a war in England during the Medieval period of history. Oh, and it’s further historically inaccurate due to how your weapon of choice to defeat your enemies are various guns, bombs, and motorized vehicles!
But hey, who needs historical accuracy when you can mow down enemies on horseback with ease and potentially save the future? Sometimes, accuracy just isn’t enough to make a game fun, wouldn’t you say?
#10 Sand
Sometimes, being a “historical title” means not focusing on our own history but focusing on an alternate history that we could’ve lived in. Sand, the game, not the natural element, is one such title that tries to do that.
In this case, the game features a version of humanity that went into space around the 1910s due to new energy resources being found, and that led to the birth of an empire that went and conquered planets in our solar system and beyond.
You are one of many people attempting to find ancient resources on the planet Sophie. Numerous obstacles will make it difficult, but the reward will be worth it.
#9 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Time to don the hat and whip once again! Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will see the beloved adventurer and teacher go on a journey unlike any he has seen before. When a break-in at his school’s museum leads him to wonder about a “meaningless” artifact, he soon finds himself on the trail of an ancient religious artifact that could give the German forces all the power they need to conquer the world!
You’ll fight, climb, solve puzzles, and more in first-person, and work along a new ally to see what is the true Great Circle and how you can keep it out of the wrong hands.
Cue epic theme music!
#8 Manor Lords
There will be a few games on this list that fall under the category of “building your own kingdom,” and Manor Lords is the first of that set. This one particularly focuses on the designing and creating of your manor and how you manage it afterward.
Unlike many other games of its kind, this title forces you to think like an actual builder and designer when making your home and putting it on your land. Then, as you expand, you don’t simply place things down and be done with them; you must ensure that everything flows together and works well.
Oh, and you need to raise armies to defend your lands. Fun!
#7 War Hospital
From the supernatural to the medicinal, let’s talk about a game called War Hospital. The title takes place in the throughs of World War I. Here, before medicine truly came into its own, battlefield hospitals were the best chance for soldiers to recover from their injuries. But it was far from a certain thing!
You play a doctor in charge of one of these hospitals and must build your team to handle all sorts of injuries and do whatever you can to heal the soldiers that come through your tents.
Will you be able to save as many as possible? Get your medical tools ready and find out!
#6 Headquarters: World War II
Let’s jump from World War I to World War II. We’ll be showing a few games from that period to give you a heads-up.
Headquarters: World War II will focus on one of the key parts of that war: the invasion of Normandy. But the twist is that you’ll get to see this invasion from three different angles and partake in all three campaigns to either invade or defend the invasion points.
Command your forces to complete the objectives assigned to you, and try to withstand all that is put against you. Will you be able to endure this key point of history?
#5 Commandos: Origins
See? Told you there would be quite a few games in World War II to cover. Next up is Commandos: Origins, the sequel/prequel to the beloved strategy game.
In it, you’ll partake in key missions within World War II to help save the world and ensure victory for the Allied forces. Your group is comprised of some of the best around, including a green beret, a marine, a sniper, and more. You’ll have to use your squad to the best of your abilities so you can complete these tasks and get out alive.
People won’t remember what you’ve done, but you must still do the job!
#4 Ara: History Untold
Plenty of titles out there’ll let you lead a nation. But how many of them let you truly shape what they become? In Ara: History Untold, that will be your task. You’ll pick a nation and leader and then start at the beginnings of human history. Then, march through time and decide how you want your nation to be remembered.
Will you be a key inventor of sciences and wonders to create glorious technologies? Or will you be the most powerful nation in the world via your military might? With so many ways to play, you can do each option to see where it goes!
#3 Millennia
If that last title wasn’t enough for you in the “create your own history” kind of thing, then you’ll want to check out Millennia.
The game gives you a “simple task.” Take a nation and walk it through 10,000 years of history to see where everything ends up. Like in other titles, you get to choose what your course through history will be. The twist is that you’ll also get to see the futures you help create. The game prides itself on the different timelines you can enter based on what you do and don’t do.
So, what will history be like when you’re done shaping it?
#2 Men of War II
This isn’t the last World War II title you’ll see on this list, but it arguably might be the most strategic of the bunch. Men of War II puts you in some incredibly tough battles across the campaigns of the war, and you’ll need to use in-depth strategies to defeat foes of all kinds.
You’re not just commanding troops but vehicles as well. Use aerial and ground forces to the best of your abilities to implement your plans and beat the enemy back. The game’s AI will be a serious challenge, so don’t underestimate it.
Plus, you can battle your friends online and see who is the best commander!
#1 Rise of the Ronin
We will end this list with a couple of games about Japan, so be ready!
In Rise of the Ronin, you’ll head to a key point in Japan’s history where numerous forces were trying to influence the nation to go in one direction or another. But in the midst of all of this, you are the one who will steer it in the direction you feel is best.
You are a ronin—a samurai without a master. You’ll wander Japan and fight for what you believe in. But what do you believe in? That’s for you to choose. Along the way, you’ll get into epic samurai battles! Team Ninja is behind the title, so you can expect some great things!
