Summary
Paradox Interactive has been at the helm of developing some of the greatest grand strategy games ever made. However, some people could make the argument that their games were pretty hard to get into, and players had to do their homework before they even launched one of the many games released by this studio. Nevertheless,Crusader Kings 3has managed to become one of their best games, mainly due to how approachable this title is.
The game has quickly shot up in the popularity charts as an incredible grand strategy experience that players can augment with a slew of mods as well. The most popular mods for this game are total conversions that add a whole different dimension to the series' gameplay. The best mods forCrusader Kings 3within this context are pretty engaging and can enhance the number of hours that players can spend in this game, which is already extremely high in its own right.
Updated June 13, 2025 by Rhenn Taguiam:With Q4 of 2025 marking the arrival of the entirety of Asia under the ambitious “All Under Heaven” DLC, fans of Crusader Kings 3 might want to perfect their colonization and diplomatic skills should they hope to make a mark in newcomers such as China and India - both of which (among others) boast massive empires in the past.
Thankfully, Crusader Kings 3 offers quite a lot of conversion mods for players to immerse themselves in unique settings, allowing them to “prepare” for the arrival of more unique ruling styles as Asia enters the fray before the end of the fiscal year. Among must-try mods include a version of Game of Thrones but in Essos, a reimagining of Mount and Blade, and a unique fantasy world set in the far future.
1Legacy Of Valyria
Subscribers: 32,461
While fans ofGame of Thronesmay already fall in love with the Westeros-inspired total conversion mod forCrusader Kings 3, players who want to create their own destiny in thevast lands of Essosmight want to playLegacy of Valyriainstead. This submod forCK3: AGOTwill let players experience the thrill of the lands unknown in the East, where forbidden magic is just as bizarre as the dragonlords of Valyria’s great home continent.
Legacy of Valyriatakes place past the destruction of Valyria, allowing players to either rebuild the empire to its lost glory, forge a new golden age among the region’s remaining powers, or even use a wide variety of tools to amass influence and absolute loyalty. The mod features vastly unique spells that can turn the tide of various circumstances, complete with a crafting system, unique scrolls, and even brand-new cultures to spice things up.
2Calradian Kings
Subscribers: 12,189
Players whoenjoyedMount & Bladecan bring Calradia toCrusader Kings 3with theCalradian Kingsmod. It takes place near the end of the Calradic Empire, where a civil war not only has various factions eyeing the throne but also comes with preferred ways of ruling the empire on players' terms. The mod will also bring the Calradian Senate into play, complete with opportunities for players to finally change how they are going to run things.
As the game is set in Calradia, specifically as aMount & Bladelove letter, players now have access to different artifacts as well as units first seen inBannerlordto make the game world much more immersive. The mod comes with specially designed faiths and religions that fit the context of theMount & Bladeuniverse, complete with an “expanded” view of the rest of the known world and its events - such as the southeast Darshi and the northern Sturgia.
3Godherja: The Dying World
Subscribers: 60,763
WhileCrusader Kings 3has been no stranger to total conversion mods set in fantasy realms,Godherja: The Dying Worldtakes things to overdrive as this mod is now set in the dying stages of a fantasy world. After having killed their Creator, humanity has unleashed a Fog that had begun summoning monsters and destroying everything in their wake - to the point where humans and their world-shattering magic haven’t been able to make a move against them.
This total conversion mod feels like a different game of its own, complete with a theme song (fromHeroes of Might and Magic’s Paul Anthony Romero), a unique magic system, flavorful and flexible migration and civil war mechanics, and even a Fog that players can control so they can play a “normal” conquest title or up the ante for a survival-fest. Beasts have to be managed alongside survivors, while wastelands can be conquered and salvaged - with the right technology. Factions can now form Cliques of unique government types. To top it all off, the game features a beautiful hand-made map and unique character models.
4Flogi’s Buildings And Technology Mod
Subscribers: 6,004
Out of all the conversion mods on this list, this one is perhaps the most vanilla-friendly of the lot. While it doesn’t change the layout of the map itself, what it does do is overhaul the system of constructing buildings and researching technology.
Abunch of new resources, buildings, and technologiesare added to the game to make it feel fresh and unique once again. It makes for a great time that proves just how amazing the modding community is.
5Age Of The Fifth Sun
Subscribers: 7,890
The age of the Precolumbinian Americas is a wonderful era to explore in aCrusader Kings 3mod, making it clear why fans would be so hyped to the moon and back to check out a unique total conversion mod that immerses players in this setting via the tried-and-tested gameplay loops brought about by this game.
The mod starts in the year 1068 and lets players explore this diverse culture to their heart’s content as they come to understand the culture, heritage, and workings of these colonies before the eventual takeover of modern America. Despite being in an alpha state, Age of the Fifth Sun is a great total conversion mod for players to check out if they want to try out something new and different in a game they’re intimately familiar with.
6The Way Of Kings
Subscribers: 27,396
Fans of high fantasy literature will recognizeThe Stormlight Archiveseries by Brandon Sanderson, where the world of Roshar is constantly at risk of Desolations caused by mysterious Voidbringers, and only the Knights Radiant can stop them. InThe Way of Kings, players can take theirCrusader Kings 3gameplay straight to Roshar itself, where the game’s geopolitics adapt to that unique setting. This comes complete with devastating highstorms, the magic of stormlight in gems, as well as the priest-wizards who use Soulcasters and warriors who use Shardblades to wield said magic.
Players who have not read the books can appreciate the open nature of The Way of Kings. While the mod is named after the first book ofThe Stormlight Archive(and the mod’s events are loosely based on the overarching plot), the creator has provided enough variation in outcomes that canon events can wildly diverge into unique setups. The conversion also added the series’ unique magic system, complete with game-changing Artifacts, a magic-based Investiture resource, and even unique Radiant Innovation.
7Bronze Age Reborn
Subscribers: 28,056
While the premise ofCrusader Kings 3is to take players on the wild ride of geopolitics in the Middle Ages,Bronze Age Reborntakes players centuries back, proving that mankind’s struggle for power began in the earliest signs of civilization. This mod, created as a successor to the discontinued The Bronze Age: Maryannu mod, takes players back to the Bronze Age that features some of mankind’s earliest civilizations.
The mod gives players a custom map highlighting the Near East and Aegean, making room forCrusader Kings 3versions of the Ancient Egyptians, Sumerians, Elamites, and Assyrians, as well as the Minoans and Mycenaeans. The mod also provides players with two start dates (2115, 1590 BCE) and new mechanics: exposure-based Innovations that have to be encountered before being researched, as well as new religious Tenets inspired by the culture of the times (Sumerian Mythology, Pharaohs, Oracles).
8The Witcher’s Realms
Subscribers: 28,240
The Witcheris one of the more recent fantasy worlds to take over the world, with CD Projekt Red’s work on the third title catapulting the series to the mainstream. This led to the books becoming popular, Netflix greenlighting a show based on this IP… and aCrusader Kings 3mod that lets players rule asone of the leaders in the Continent.
The Witcher’s Realmsis a great total conversion mod that is pretty engaging in its own right. Fans of the series will love how loyal this mod is to the world, and there’s just something special about getting immersed as one of the rulers in the world and trying to either maintain a flimsy alliance with certain nations or go to war and attempt to attain as much glory as possible.
9Tales Of Ireland
Subscribers: 38,672
The idea of expanding on the hierarchy in Ireland might not sound all that exciting for some… but the vast majority ofCrusader Kings 3players are well aware of the rich history of this country. So, it’s easy to see why so many people love the Tales of Ireland mod.
The country’s realms have been expanded upon to a ridiculous degree, to the point where it almost holds as much detail as the entire play area in the base game! It’s a brilliant mod thatIreland history buffs will have a great time with.
10Vampirism And Lycanthropy
Subscribers: 41,774
Princes of Darkness is an incredible total conversion mod, but some people might feel like it goes a bit too far in its bid toemulate the life of vampires and the lot. Thankfully, there’s a simpler mod to help emulate the same.
The Vampirism and Lycanthropy mod adds both these creatures of the night and werewolves to the game, adding a new dynamic to the gameplay. If that wasn’t great enough as is, then this mod also lets players become hybrids of both or slayers of these demonic races as well!
