Summary
Depending on the geographic area covered, the Renaissance Era ran from the late Middle Ages to the early 17th Century. This gives game designers a long period of human history to mine for strategy game ideas. The Crusades did much to set the scene for the Renaissance Era, leaving the church in ascendance, and national borders under contention in many parts of the world. This makes for the perfect setting for a great historical strategy game.
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Some strategy games focus on just a short fragment of the Renaissance Era, while others offer gameplay that encompasses the entire period from the 14th to the 17th Century. Others still allow the player to progress from the Renaissance Era into more modern times. All of these make for great setting for some of the best strategy games set during the Renaissance Era.
7 Port Royale: Gold, Power And Pirates
Exploiting The Power Of Piracy
- Platforms: Microsoft Windows
- Released: 2002
- Developer: Ascaron
- Genre: Strategy
Developed as a sequel to Port Royale 2, Port Royale: Gold, Power And Pirates builds on the gameplay of the previous game, and adds more depth to the strategy layer. The player takes on the role of an independent businessman with pirate tendencies, and is tasked with expanding their empire within the Caribbean.
Gameplay takes place between the 16th and 17th Centuries. The player will need to combine both commercial acumen and a flair for conquest in order to master the game. It is included on this list due to the fact that few other games have managed to successfully simulate life as a pirate with the focus more on trade and commerce than ship combat and pillaging.
6 Europa Universalis 4
Accurate Historical Grand Strategy
Europa Universalis 4
- Released
- August 13, 2013
- Developer(s)
- Paradox Development Studio
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Genre(s)
- Strategy
The 4th installment in the Europa Universalis franchise, and arguably the best of them, Europa Universalis 4 covers the Renaissance Era and more. It begins in the late Middle Ages, but proceeds beyond the Renaissance Era and into the Napoleonic Era.
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The game is notable for its incredible attention to historical facts, and its deep gameplay. This is a game with a very steep learning curve, but it is well worth investing time into mastering it. Players can and will use conquest to win, but this is not the only avenue to success. Political and diplomatic gameplay is another option, as is trade and commerce. Gamers shouldn’t let the age of this game put them off, as it still stands tall alongside more modern counterparts such as Civilization 6 with regard to its gameplay features.
5 Cossacks: European Wars
Epic Real-Time Battles
- Platforms: Microsoft Windows, DOS
- Released: 2000
- Developer: GSC Game World
- Genre: Real-time strategy
Cossacks: European Wars, begins at the start of the 17th Century, towards the end of the Renaissance Era, and progresses into the 18th Century. The game combines a good amount of historical accuracy but with some creative license taken to make the strategic gameplay more fun. The developers state that every decision the player makes has a chance of having an impact on the outcome of the game.
Conflict takes place in the Mediterranean and on the shores of Eastern Europe. The feature that secured a place on this list for Cossacks: European Wars is the sheer scope of the massive real-time battles that can occur.
4 Age Of Empires 3
Encompasses The Entire Renaissance Period
Age of Empires 3
- Released
- October 18, 2005
- Developer(s)
- Ensemble Studios
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Genre(s)
- Strategy
The gameplay in Age of Empires 3 covers the time period from the 16th Century through to the 19th Century, which means it covers the Renaissance Era in its entirety from start to finish. This makes for an intriguing geopolitical map. The game focuses on exploration and conquest, with a large dollop of political diplomacy thrown into the mix.
With its excellent construction system, it is fun to build cities and settlements that are not just functional, but also aesthetically pleasing. Visually, this is an impressive-looking game, with its hybrid grand strategy and RTS mechanics and massive real-time battles. It deserves its place on this list as one of the most successful games of its type, ever.
3 Anno 1701
Covering The End Of The Renaissance
- Platforms: Microsoft Windows
- Released: 2006
- Developer: Sunflowers Interactive Entertainment Software
- Genre: Real-time strategy, city building
Anno 1701 only just makes it onto this list, as it doesn’t cover all of the Renaissance Era. Instead, it begins in the 17th Century at the end of the Renaissance, and then progresses into the Age of Enlightenment in the 18th Century. That's still enough to give a reason to include it here, as this is a game that strategy fans won’t want to miss.
Anno 1701 is part city-builder and part grand strategy game. It must be said that micromanagement in this game can be a little on the overwhelming side at times. That being said, some players love having to juggle several events happening at the same time. A full range of trade, conquest, and diplomatic options are open to the player, as they aim to colonize an increasingly large area of the map.
2 Medieval 2: Total War
Huge Real-Time Battles
Total War: Medieval 2
MEDIEVAL II brings Total War’s compelling mix of massive real-time battles and intricate turn-based strategy to Android. Set across three continents during the turbulent Middle Ages, spectacular conflicts and scheming rivals line the path to power as the great kingdoms of the medieval world vie for supremacy. Be it through diplomacy or conquest, trade or subterfuge, you must secure the resources and loyalty required to rule an empire from the shores of Western Europe to the sands of Arabia.
THE STRENGTH OF NATIONS: Unlock up to 17 playable factions and build them into major world powers through statecraft, subterfuge or all-out war.
THE KINGDOMS EXPANSION: Available via in-app purchase, this massive expansion includes 24 playable factions across four unique, fully featured campaigns. Wage war from the jungles of the Americas to the deserts of the Holy Land, from the deceptively gentle shores of the British Isles to the frigid Baltic plains.
THE ART OF WAR: Deploy infantry, archers and cavalry into huge real-time battles, with a full range of medieval weaponry at your command.
THE TOOLS OF STATE: Use sophisticated diplomacy, lucrative trade agreements and daring agents to forge alliances or destabilise your rivals.
THE TEST OF TIME: Shape the destinies of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East through five momentous centuries of combat, competition and conquest.
THE POWER IN YOUR HANDS: Take command, with a brand-new user interface and enhanced touch controls for fingertip control of the battlefield. Or, play with any Android-compatible mouse & keyboard.
- Released
- November 10, 2006
- Developer(s)
- Creative Assembly
- Genre(s)
- Real-Time Strategy, Turn-Based Strategy, Tactical
The previous entry on this list started near the end of the Renaissance Era. This one starts a little ways before it, with the game’s timeline proceeding into the Renaissance. Medieval 2: Total War lets the player take care of an empire, and wage war across a map that covers the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.
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As with all Total War games, the feature that really stands out with Medieval 2: Total War is the immense real-time battles that take place. While some grand strategy games focus more on trade and diplomacy, this game is all about victory through might. No good list of strategy games would be complete without one of the Total War games being present, and Medieval 2: Total War fits the Renaissance Era time period perfectly.
1 Manor Lords
Party City Builder, Part Strategy Game
Manor Lords
- Released
- April 26, 2024
- Developer(s)
- Slavic Magic
- Platform(s)
- PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Strategy, City Builder
Released in 2024, Manor Lords is one of a new breed of game that combines multiple genres into a coherent whole. Set in the early Renaissance Era during the Middle Ages, it is both a city-building game and a strategy game. Taking on the role of Lord of the Manor, the player has to manage their settlement, and eventually expand it into a city and beyond.
As a feudal lord, the player must handle diplomacy, combat, and resource gathering to ensure that their estate runs smoothly and remains secure. The game adds a fun mode, where the player can walk around the map they've designed and watch their serfs and vassals at work. Overall, it comes in at number one on this list because it breathes fresh new life into a somewhat stagnant genre.
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