Summary
For decades, the grand strategy genre has invited gamers to sink hundreds of hours into playing some of the most complex and mechanically intricate games available. Simulating everything from economics to combat, this genre is famous for giving players a wide variety of tools to use in order to outthink and outplay their opponents, with perhaps none as satisfying as diplomacy.
From dictating unequal treaties to forcing an enemy into vassalage,well-made diplomacy mechanicscan often be the most valuable and rewarding to engage with. These are some of the best games to play to bring out the master negotiator.
10Civilization 6
TheCivilizationseries was one of the founders of the grand strategy genre on PC, with Sid Meier producing the first game all the way back in 1991. Since the original release, the series has continued to grow in both popularity and mechanical complexity, adding new features with every title and DLC.
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Civilization 6added to its original suite of diplomatic tools with theGathering StormDLC in 2019, introducing the “World Congress” mechanic and the “Diplomatic Favor” currency. With these additions,Civilization 6gives the adept player the means to negotiate their way to a true diplomatic victory.
9Hearts Of Iron 4
Building on the original release with DLCs such asDeath or DishonorandTogether for Victory,Hearts of Iron 4now includes some of the most varied and unique diplomacy mechanics of any game in the genre,giving even neutral nations powerful toolsto influence their neighbors.
Players can send expeditionary forces and establish lend-lease agreements, and those nations with civilian factories to spare can find intelligence agencies that recruit agents who are able to steal secrets and foment coups. The peace conference system is unique to the title as well, allowing victorious players to demand fleets and factories in addition to territory at war’s end.
8Humankind
Released in 2021,Humankindsought to build onthe turn-based formula popularized by theCivilizationseries, and in doing so established itself as both a familiar and fresh addition to the grand strategy genre. Like its main inspiration,Humankindintroduced a “Congress” system after the 2022Together We RuleDLC, which also added embassies and agents into the game, as well as a diplomatic currency called “Leverage.”
Perhaps most unique is its “Grievance” mechanic, which allows factions to make demands for compensation when wronged in some way. If these demands are ignored or refused, anything from embargoes to war may follow.
7Imperator: Rome
Poorly received on launch (and no longer in development), the 2.0 update ofImperator: Romebrought players a fully realizedParadoxtitle, complete with all the hallmarks and features fans have come to expect from the developer. With a diplomacy system based on that ofEuropa Universalis 4,Imperator: Romeexpands on its predecessor’s mechanics in some key ways, adding a new diplomatic stance feature and building upon the diplomatic reputation system.
The diplomatic action “Demand Subject Transfer” is also a welcome addition, allowing players to sway and bring their enemy’s subjects to their side.
6Victoria 3
Fans ofParadox Interactive’s grand strategy games had been waiting forVictoria 3so long that it had become a meme. Unfortunately for fans of the series the game isstill sitting atMixedon its Steam page, due mostly to the highly controversial changes made to the warfare system.
Though the combat mechanics may not be the best of the genre,Victoria 3excels in the area of diplomacy, launching with a fully realized “Diplomatic Play” system that adds depth to even the more minor diplomatic actions. The “Infamy” system from its predecessor returns as well, in addition to a new “Obligation” system that givesVictoria 3some of the most intricate diplomacy mechanics of anyParadoxtitle.
5Total War: Warhammer 3
The latest entry in the long-runningTotal Warseries,Total War:Warhammer 3builds upon the success of the preceding titles to give players the most comprehensiveTotal Warexperience to date. Though the series is most known for its in-depth real-time combat,Warhammer 3boasts an impressive suite of diplomatic features, with the game taking into account everything from faction reliability to racial bias when it comes time to make a deal.
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Once the enemy is brought to the negotiating table, the player can propose anything from trade agreements to confederations, giving this game a satisfying alternative to pure map painting.
4Crusader Kings 3
Perhaps the most unique game on this list,Crusader Kings 3gives its diplomacy mechanics a more personal touch, focusing on managing a family and their relationships over hundreds of years. Rather than negotiating trade agreements, players will be negotiating marriages and vassal contracts, trading favors for privileges, or, if skilled in intrigue,blackmailing their vassals and peersinto submission.
Alliances are not as simple as most games either, requiring the marriage of close family members to cement the relationship (though there’s a perk that grants its owner one marriage-free alliance), making the player character’s offspring some of the most valuable tools in their diplomatic arsenal.
3Age Of Wonders 4
The newest game on this list,Age of Wonders 4launched to broadly critical acclaim and still maintains a ‘Very Positive’ all-time review average on Steam. Building off the success ofAge of Wonders 3andAge of Wonders: Planetfall,Triumph Studiossought to build and expand on the systems that have made their games so popular.
The diplomacy mechanics inAge of Wonders 4received plenty of attention from the studio, with a trading system that allows players to negotiate for everything from cities to prisoners, and a pressure system that adds more depth to the similar “threat level” mechanics of similar titles, in addition to staples of the series such asfleshed-out personalities for the AI.
2Europa Universalis 4
A veritable classic of the grand strategy genre,Europa Universalis 4has had players navigating their way through a complex web of diplomatic relations and power politics for just over a decade. In peace, players can make use of the relatively new “Favors” system to influence friends and enemies alike, as well as all the classic covert actions.
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In war, players can force their defeated rivals into anything from transferring their trade power to converting their religion. Be careful not to push too much, however, as the “Aggressive Expansion” system can punish the greedy and unprepared with hits to national stability and often insurmountable enemy coalitions.
1Stellaris
Released in 2016,Stellarishas become one ofParadox Interactive’s most popular titles, with a wider range of playstyles than almost any game in the genre. The game’s seven main DLCs have continued to add to these options as well,bringing systems such asthe “Galactic Community” and “Federations” to the title.
The diplomatic-minded player can find themselves with more tools at their disposal than they might know what to do with, with deep subject and vassalage mechanics that make purely diplomatic playstyles more than viable, and a bilateral agreement system that allows for relationships based on research and commerce over purely military arrangements.
