StrategyRTS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opTacticalHistoricalIsometric
Steam👍 82%· 93KRAWG👍 78%· 169MC85IGDB82· 6OC85· 70
Year 2019Dev Feral Interactive · SEGAPlaytime ~10hOn PC · Apple Macintosh · Linux
63 Games like Hearts of Iron III that you should try
Games like Hearts of Iron III · Find similar →
More about this game →Hearts of Iron III is hard to replace: few games combine real-time strategy, punishing difficulty and sandbox world in quite the same way. We analyzed over 2,000 titles across 12 gameplay attributes and found 63 genuine alternatives — not generic genre suggestions. Total War: THREE KINGDOMS, Empire: Total War and Total War: Shogun 2 lead the list, with Total War: THREE KINGDOMS reaching a 97/100 similarity score. Every game here is ranked by how closely it replicates what makes Hearts of Iron III special.
iRank80/ 100
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Quick answer
The closest game to Hearts of Iron III is Total War: THREE KINGDOMS — scoring 97/100 on our similarity scale. Empire: Total War and Total War: Shogun 2 follow close behind.
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Games like Hearts of Iron III
63 similar games foundUpdated May 2026
StrategyRTS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opTacticalHistoricalIsometric
Steam👍 91%· 38KIGDB90· 6
Year 2009Dev The Creative Assembly · SegaOn Linux · Android · PC
StrategyRTS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opTacticalHistoricalIsometric
Steam👍 92%· 67KIGDB88· 4
Year 2011Dev The Creative Assembly · SegaOn Linux · PC · Mac
StrategyRTS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opTacticalHistorical
Steam👍 90%· 3.8KRAWG👍 74%· 70MC80IGDB80· 2
Year 2009Dev Best Way · 1C CompanyPlaytime ~1hOn PC
StrategyRTS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opTacticalHistoricalIsometric
Steam👍 95%· 178KRAWG👍 88%· 307MC85IGDB78· 3
Year 2019Dev Forgotten Empires · Microsoft StudiosPlaytime ~5hOn PC · Xbox
StrategyRTS
SoloMultiplayerTacticalIsometric
IGDB94· 2
Year 2007Dev Massive Entertainment · Sierra EntertainmentOn PC
✓ Nearly identical: real-time strategy, combat tactical and single-player focus.
≠ Missing: turn-based strategy.
StrategyRTS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opHistoricalIsometric
Steam👍 93%· 36KIGDB69· 2
Year 2014Dev Ensemble Studios · Microsoft StudiosOn PC
StrategyRTS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opTacticalHistoricalIsometric
Steam👍 79%· 113KRAWG👍 50%· 872MC80IGDB78· 11
Year 2013Dev Feral Interactive · SEGAPlaytime ~4hOn PC · Apple Macintosh · Linux
StrategyRTS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opTacticalSandbox WorldHistoricalIsometric
Steam👍 88%· 136KRAWG👍 83%· 396MC87IGDB85· 2
Year 2013Dev Paradox Development Studio · Paradox InteractivePlaytime ~6hOn PC · Apple Macintosh · Linux
#10Victoria II
93
iRank87
StrategyRTS
SoloMultiplayerTacticalSandbox WorldHistorical
Steam👍 92%· 20KIGDB76· 1
Year 2010Dev Paradox InteractiveOn Linux · PC · Mac
StrategyRTS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opTacticalHistoricalIsometric
Steam👍 85%· 53KRAWG👍 74%· 106MC75IGDB81· 4OC83· 100
Year 2020Dev Forgotten Empires · Xbox Game StudiosPlaytime ~3hOn PC
StrategyRTS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opTacticalIsometric
IGDB89· 5
Year 2010Dev Blizzard EntertainmentOn PC · Mac
✓ Fits the real-time strategy games cluster, with real-time strategy, combat tactical and single-player focus
≠ Stands apart with setting scifi and setting space, while skipping turn-based strategy
StrategyRTS
SoloMultiplayerTacticalHistoricalIsometric
Steam👍 95%· 17KIGDB91· 3
Year 2004Dev The Creative Assembly · SegaOn Android · PC · iOS
StrategyRTS
SoloMultiplayerTacticalHistoricalIsometric
Steam👍 92%· 27KIGDB83· 3
Year 2010Dev The Creative Assembly · Feral InteractiveOn PC · Mac
StrategyRTS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opIsometricSci-Fi
Steam👍 89%· 3.1KIGDB76· 3
Year 2007Dev Hellbent Games · THQOn PC
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Rankings in the same genre
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best game similar to Hearts of Iron III?
- The closest game to Hearts of Iron III is Total War: THREE KINGDOMS, scoring 97/100 on our similarity scale. They share 8 gameplay attributes, including real-time strategy, turn-based strategy and single-player focus. It's the most faithful alternative currently available.
- What are the top games like Hearts of Iron III?
- The three closest games to Hearts of Iron III are: 1. Total War: THREE KINGDOMS (97/100, 8 shared attributes) 2. Empire: Total War (95/100, 8 shared attributes) 3. Total War: Shogun 2 (94/100, 9 shared attributes). All share Hearts of Iron III's most important gameplay attributes, ranked out of 63 candidates across 12 dimensions.
- Is Empire: Total War similar to Hearts of Iron III?
- Yes, very much so — Empire: Total War scores 95/100 similarity to Hearts of Iron III. They share 8 attributes, including real-time strategy and turn-based strategy. It's one of the most direct alternatives available.
- What RTS games are similar to Hearts of Iron III?
- The best RTS games similar to Hearts of Iron III are Total War: THREE KINGDOMS, Empire: Total War, Total War: Shogun 2 and Men of War. All share the RTS genre alongside other key Hearts of Iron III attributes like real-time strategy, turn-based strategy and single-player focus.
- How is similarity to Hearts of Iron III calculated?
- We compare Hearts of Iron III against every game in our catalog using 12 gameplay attributes: genre, atmosphere, world structure, play modes, combat style, and more. Each category is weighted differently — genre matters more than visual style, for instance. The result is a 0-100 score reflecting how closely a game replicates the Hearts of Iron III experience, not just whether it shares the same genre label.