The idea of a video game about ruling a country is not new, and it has been used in genres such as Real-Time Strategy, Turn-Based Strategy and Construction and Management Games. This genre aims to take things a little closer to the real experience, with all its nuances and complexities. In fact, the term "Grand strategy" is borrowed from real life and describes the art of governing without losing sight of the long-term interests of a nation; it can be contrasted with other levels of warfare. Some games are even used in the real world to teach an introduction to those complexities.
The genre may intersect with 4X, but often some of its principles are modified or absent. For example, Crusader Kings lacks exploration and special resources on the map, and military conflict in most Paradox Interactive games is abstracted. A 4X game may be Grand Strategy as well if it is complex enough and goes well beyond just the production and combat of units. Note, by the way, that there are cases of standard strategy games being marketed as this genre: as Grand Strategy is the shiny new thing in PC games and its name has better gravitas than others, some games are marketed as being Grand Strategy when they belong more clearly in other genres.
The genre easily lends itself to cover real-world countries and time periods, but it has examples set in outer space empires as well.
Examples
- Age Of History II
- Ageod's American Civil War
- Ageod's American Civil War II
- Birth of America
- Crusader Kings
- Distant Worlds
- Dominions
- Europa Universalis
- Field of Glory: Empires
- Generation of Chaos
- Hearts of Iron
- Hegemony Series
- Humankind
- Imperator: Rome
- Imperiums: Greek Wars
- March of the Eagles
- Nobunaga's Ambition
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms (Koei)
- Sins of a Solar Empire
- Star Dynasties
- Stellaris
- Supreme Ruler: The Great War
- Terra Invicta
- Total War
- Victoria: An Empire Under The Sun
