Summary

  • Explore mods like The Third Odyssey to rebuild the Roman Empire in EU4 with new nations, religions, and event chains.
  • Enhance graphics quality in EU4 with mods like AFPS and Shader Boost for smoother FPS, improved shaders, and a crisper experience.
  • Transform EU4 gameplay with mods like EU40K, offering a grand strategy experience in the Warhammer 40K universe with unique factions and events.

In Europa Universalis 4, players already have quite a bit of content to occupy their time. However, once players get the hang of the base mechanics, successfully running a country in Europa Universalis 4 becomes a much more feasible endeavor. Where can the game go from there?

Europa-Universalis-4_Pro-Tips
Pro Tips For Europa Universalis 4

Players looking to dive into Europa Universalis 4 should learn some tricks and tips to help them on their way. Knowledge is power after all!

Luckily, EU4 isn't lacking in mods on the Steam Workshop. A dizzying array of selections are available that overhaul both large and small aspects of the gameplay. When looking to spice up the next playthrough, players can't go wrong with installing these excellent add-ons. Best of all, downloading them is as easy as clicking the "Subscribe" button on the Steam Workshop.

Updated on January 9, 2025 by Rhenn Taguiam: Although fans of Paradox Interactive wait with bated breath for the devs to announce Europa Universalis 5, they still have the wonders of Europa Universalis 4 to try and satiate their desire for exciting alternate history experiences. And for players who want to enhance their experience even further, they may want to consider checking out mods for EU4 that can drastically alter their overall experience. Among must-try mods for EU4 include ways of accessing a much sleeker map, and total conversions focused on returning the Roman Empire to its former glory and even a simulation of the Warhammer 40K universe.

26 Third Odyssey: Back to the Motherland

Reform The Glory Of Rome Or Die Trying

Third Odyssey Back to the Motherland
  • Created By: Scurek
  • Link

Players who want to experience the world of Europa Universalis 4 from the perspective of a new nation will enjoy The Third Odyssey: Back to the Motherland. The mod offers a new experience geared towards “rebuild” the great Roman Empire, alongside opportunities to encounter new religions, minor nations, event chains, Vikings, and even a new formable Rhomania nation from the ashes of the Byzantine Empire.

Gamers can even play as the new Nation of Elysia, which in itself has the potential to become a local superpower when grown correctly.

Players should take note that Third Odyssey isn’t compatible with Ironman modes and is incompatible with other gameplay-altering mods, making this mod rather limiting. However, its alternate timeline appeal should be enough for history buffs to consider checking out this new experience.

25 AFPS and Shader Boost

Get A Sleeker Map

AFPS and Shader Boost
  • Created By: Ukab
  • Link

Players who want something to improve their Europa Universalis 4 experience without drastically affecting gameplay should consider installing AFPS and Shader Boost. This specific mod improves the game’s overall graphics quality with much smoother FPS and more effective shaders alongside more visible islands, star symbols for capitols, and brighter fog - giving players a crisper experience while playing the grand strategy title.

Given the mundanity of Europa Universalis 4’s UI and overall graphics, the boosted shaders are a welcome change for players. The mod is compatible with Ironman sessions, allowing players to enjoy a reinvigorated gameplay experience with the game’s more challenging difficulties.

24 EU40K - Total Conversion

Replay The Great Crusade In EU4

EU40K - Total Conversion
  • Created By: Ro
  • Link

Players looking for a much wilder version of Europa Universalis 4 total conversions will enjoy EU40K - Total Conversion, a reinvigoration of the EU4 gameplay within the Warhammer 40K universe. Players can enjoy a WH40K grand strategy experience as most of the game’s major factions and planets, giving an in-depth take on grand strategy in the 41st Millennium that no other game has provided gamers.

Given the conversion’s settings, EU40K - Total Conversion comes with factions with their own Mission Trees, National Ideas, government and religious ideas, as well as units and tech groups. While the mod devs said that most events, mechanics, and missions are limited to the Imperium of Man, the wealth of content associated with the faction should be enough for players to whip up a quick session as the Imperium and enjoy some of the series’ most iconic events in EU4 fashion.

23 Theatrum Orbis Terrarum for 1.30+

Enjoy The Known World’s First Atlas

Theatrum Orbis Terrarum for 1.30+
  • Created By: EarthwormDan
  • Link

When players install the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum for 1.30, they will experience one of the most immersive takes on a Europa Universalis 4 mod. The mod is roughly translated to “Theatre of the World,” and represents the first true modern atlas as created by Abraham Ortelius in 1570. The mod largely recreates Ortelius’s version of the atlas in the game, translating into a historical-flavored map complete with lettering and drawn details such as mountains and rivers. The recolored feel of the map refreshes EU4 with a never-before seen vibrance.

The mod is a complete map overhaul, with improvements to the GUI and other elements such as map lighting, dynamic transparency, shields and flags, trade routes and arrows, and other UI elements that can make the game much easier on the eyes and to the overall experience.

22 Show National Ideas

See More Of Their National Ideas

Show National Ideas

Given the strategic depth of Europa Universalis 4 gameplay, players of the acclaimed grand strategy title might want to make sure they can stick to a decision before ever making them. This is especially the case when forming a new nation, as this decision can make or break the player’s endgame trajectory. While there’s always the option to look up the new nation’s potential National Ideas prior to creating them, seeing them live in the game can give players more room to think about their decision. This is something Show National Ideas achieves.

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Thanks to this mod, players can now see the National Ideas of the nation they are about to create, complete with custom icons integrated into the event text to hint at Ambitions, Traditions, and Ideas of their new nation. The mod even offers a movable window that lets players compare the new nation’s ideas with their existing ones, allowing them to make more informed decisions before making the switch.

21 Bigger UI V1.37

Expand UI For A Better Gameplay Experience

Bigger UI V1.37

The mark of a useful mod isn’t always with the vast extent of its features. In the case of Bigger UI V1.37, this Europa Universalis 4 mod might not offer a grand list of new countries, cultures, and missions, but it does provide something that a lot of EU4 players are looking for: a larger but workable user interface.

At its core, the Bigger UI V1.37 makes it easier for players to access relatively smaller-scale parts of the UI that can make the game difficult to navigate. Technically inspired by Delincious’s series of “Bigger” mods, Prodarit’s take on the mod now adjusts the scale and locations of various icons and buttons for accessibility, provides larger room for Ideas, windows for War and Peace offer more space, and increases list lengths of information-intensive areas such as advisor choice, rival selection, province selling, and the like.

20 Religio Romana - Victorum Universalis

Get A Crusader Kings Spin On EU4

Religio Romana - Victorum Universalis

While not necessarily a large mod in itself, fans of older European religions may want to try Religio Romana - Victorum Universalis to revive the Old Hellenic Pagan religion in their Europa Universalis 4 experience. This mod tries to switch things up from the default Europa Universalis 4 generic events and transition into more “active” and overarching plotlines that the likes of Crusader Kings offers. The mod is an expansion of the Hellenic Polytheism mod from Jan.

From a thematic overview, players can now have any country within the Latin, Old Latin, or Byzantine culture group transition back to Paganism - although they can’t be the Pope, Defender of the Faith to do this. This option can be expanded into other more nuanced options, such as restoring the Imperial Cult and becoming the Pontifex Maximus. After transitioning back to Paganism, players now have to deal with the repercussions of losing faith in Christianity during the rise and height of the Renaissance.

19 Veritas Et Fortitudo

Get More Out Of EU4 With New Countries, Cultures, Events

Veritas et Fortitudo

Unlike other mods that try to add a feature here and there for a player’s Europa Universalis 4 playthrough, Veritas et Fortitudo transforms the entire grand strategy experience into a more immersive look into what the game can offer. From a top-down perspective, Veritas et Fortitudo offers entirely new mechanics that take into account new countries, cultures, decisions, religions, events.

Aside from an overhauled map, the game now provides a dynastic system that keeps track of how players manage their holdings. The mod also offers a more nuanced way of integrating vassals into one’s empire, subjects come in a wider range of variants, a more immersive (and demanding) estates system, and entirely new sets of missions to try.

18 Responsible Warfare

Make War More Meaningful

Responsible Warfare

Unlike other mods that affect Europa Universalis 4 gameplay, Responsible Warfare is a more specific add-on that combines the former’s more fluid approach to history with the population-focused aspect of Victoria 2. As a result, players can encounter warfare where standing armies have drastically smaller sizes and dramatically increased costs. This aims to replicate a more realistic approach in combat while ensuring the economy doesn’t fall apart simply because a player engages in warfare.

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Specific stats-wise, Development now grants half manpower and sailors, while Force Limits are effectively quartered regardless of whether they’re from Holy Roman Empire states or Trade League members. However, Maintenance Costs are almost doubled, and Manpower Levels now affect Morale upon reaching certain numbers.

17 Fast Universalis

Help Lower-Performance PCs Run The Game

Fast Universalis

Looking at Europa Universalis 4 at first glance might give players the impression that the game might not be as demanding as other grand strategy titles. While this much is true, given its age and general requirements, some players may still encounter difficulties running the game with much older devices.

Fast Universalis attempts to change this by providing more in-depth settings to aid players with lower-performance machines to run the game. When activated, the mod allows players to toggle various animated aspects of the game that may affect performance. These include more general components such as particles, borders, moving units, the minimap, and post effects, as well as more specific settings such as reflections, shadows, trees, and uncolonized terrain.