Hearts of Iron IV similar games & best alternatives

Hearts of Iron IV - Trailer
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Hearts of Iron IV

Linux, PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac • 2016

Should you play it?

Victory is at your fingertips! Your ability to lead your nation is your supreme weapon, the strategy game Hearts of Iron IV lets you take command of any nation in World War II; the most engaging conflict in world history.

What works

  • Deep strategic gameplay
  • High replayability with mods
  • Large variety of playable nations
  • Immersive wwii simulation
  • Active multiplayer community

Things to keep in mind

  • Steep learning curve
  • Ai can be inconsistent
  • Dlc content behind paywall
  • Can be addictive to a fault
  • Some technical performance issues

What to play next

Top picks

Games that feels the closest overall

  • Making History II: The War of the World

  • Victoria II

  • Space Empires V

  • SuperPower 2 Steam Edition

  • Dummynation

  • ICBM

More story-driven

Games that feels like Hearts of Iron IV but with deeper narrative immersion

  • Crusader Kings II

  • Crusader Kings III

  • RimWorld

  • Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game

  • Hearts of Iron III

  • Europa Universalis III Complete

Choose your own criteria ->

From the same developer

From the same developer, ranked by motivational fit.

  • Europa Universalis IV

  • Europa Universalis III Complete

  • Hearts of Iron 2 Complete

  • Stellaris

  • Crusader Kings III

Similarity map

How to compare these games

Compare nearby games

Each card is a nearby game on the similarity map, compared with Hearts of Iron IV. Swipe sideways to move between games. Titles already listed in What to play next are left out.

  • Cover and title: open that game’s page.
  • What works / keep in mind: the same highlights as the desktop comparison panel.
  • Bars: the main motivational differences versus this game.
How to use the graph

Similarity map

Each dot is a game placed from its motivation profile relative to this page’s game. Direction shows which motivation differs most; distance along that axis shows how large the gap is.

  • Purple star: this page’s game at the centre — everything is relative to it.
  • Direction: each axis is a main motivational difference vs this game (e.g. more / less competitive).
  • Distance on an axis: how large that difference is (ring scales show +/− points).
  • Coloured chips: click to highlight games that mainly differ on that motivation; click again to reset.
  • Dotted line: link between this page’s game and the one selected for comparison.
  • Hover a dot to preview that game in the panel on the right; click to keep that comparison.
  • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom.

How to read the map This is a polar difference map: direction = which motivation differs, and distance = how much (same units as the sidebar deltas).

Swipe to compare nearby games with Hearts of Iron IV. These titles are not in What to play next.

Hearts of Iron IV: Broadly representative of its motivational profile, with a few distinct shifts. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Competition, Status, Fellowship, Domination. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Leadership. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Story, Relaxation.

Last update: 21/08/2026