Hearts of Iron Video Game Series
A series of RTSs of the grand strategy type, behind which is the Paradox Development Studio team. We are talking about the developers who have in their portfolio, among others, such brands as Crusader Kings, Victoria and Europa Universalis.
In the games of the series Hearts of Iron you can play alone or in multiplayer mode (over the Internet or on a local network). Productions under this banner are characterized by a rather simple graphic design; the game takes place in them on a political map of the world, and most of the time we spend staring at various elements of the interface.
In the course of the gameplay, we are engaged in managing a country and conducting political and military activities before, during and after World War II. How much we delve into the whole process depends on our individual preferences and skills. Games in the series Hearts of Iron allow us both to watch over all aspects of our country's functioning and to focus solely on making the most important decisions.
The first installment of this series, titled Hearts of Iron (published in Poland as Europa Universalis: World War II), made its debut on personal computers in November 2002. The title depicted the events of 1937-1946 on a global scale. The production was artistically and commercially successful, so after a little over two years it lived to see a continuation. Game Hearts of Iron II went on sale in January 2005. Compared to its predecessor, the discussed item stood out due to various changes and improvements in mechanics and a wider range of possibilities available to players. The title lived to see three expansions, namely Doomsday (2006), Doomsday - Armageddon (2007) and Iron Cross: A Hearts of Iron Game (2010), developed by Irshappa studio.
Fans had to wait a little longer for the full-fledged third part of the series, until August 2009. Hearts of Iron III drew handfuls from the legacy of its predecessors. Nevertheless, the interface was bent, which became more accessible. In addition, the production lived to see a three-dimensional graphic design. The title received more than a dozen add-ons, among which there were both large expansions and smaller add-ons, introducing new units, cosmetic elements and music tracks.
The support, which lasted for years, was henceforth to become a standard for the series. Game Hearts of Iron IV debuted in June 2016, and in addition to updated visuals and a re-improved interface, it brought changes to the command structure and introduced new tactical options. In addition, it introduced a day and night cycle and changing seasons. Like the third part of the series, the item in question lived to see a variety of additions - from smaller DLC to large expansions, released on average once a year.
Hearts of Iron Series Evolution
2016
Hearts of Iron IV
2011
Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game
2009
Hearts of Iron III
2006
Hearts of Iron 2: Zlota Edycja
2005
Hearts of Iron 2
2002
Hearts of Iron
Hearts of Iron IV
June 6, 2016
Strategy, Interwar Period, Economic, Grand Strategy, World War II, Internet, LAN, Multiplayer, RTS, Sandbox, Singleplayer, War Strategy.
The fourth major installment in a series of larg-scale strategy games, which originated in 2002 as a spin-off to the popular Europa Universalis series. Both franchises are consistently developed by Paradox Interactive. The game lets you take the lead of a country from the World War II period and beyond, specifically the years 1936-1948. Your responsibilities involve taking care of international relations and building alliances, but also developing the army, choosing the right strategy, and conducting the military operations. As it was in the previous editions of the series, the game combines faithfully recreated historical events (including authentic leaders, as well as military forces and technologies used by particular countries, along with the possibility of putting the history on a different course. As compared with the previous games, micromanagement was slightly reduced, and the focus shifted to larg-scale strategy. Other additions include the day and night cycle and changing seasons, as well as an option of grouping provinces into regions to facilitate management.
Gamepressure
OpenCritic
Steam
Expansion Packs:
- Hearts of Iron IV: Together for Victory December 15, 2016
- Hearts of Iron IV: Death or Dishonor June 14, 2017
- Hearts of Iron IV: Waking the Tiger March 8, 2018
- Hearts of Iron IV: Man the Guns February 28, 2019
- Hearts of Iron IV: La Resistance February 25, 2020
- Hearts of Iron IV: No Step Back November 23, 2021
- Hearts of Iron IV: By Blood Alone September 27, 2022
- Hearts of Iron IV: Arms Against Tyranny October 10, 2023
- Hearts of Iron IV: Trial of Allegiance March 7, 2024
- Hearts of Iron IV: Götterdämmerung November 14, 2024
- Hearts of Iron IV: Graveyard of Empires March 4, 2025
- Hearts of Iron IV: Prototype Vehicles Unit Pack May 15, 2025
- Hearts of Iron IV: No Compromise, No Surrender November 20, 2025
Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game
April 5, 2011
Strategy, Grand Strategy, World War I, World War II, Internet, LAN, Multiplayer, RTS, Singleplayer, Cold War.
A real-time strategy which presents the military and political actions taking place from the beginning of the 20th century until the break-up of the Soviet Union on a global scale. The game requires the player to deal not only with the military aspect, but also with the economic, political and social aspects.
Steam
Hearts of Iron III
August 7, 2009
Strategy, Interwar Period, Grand Strategy, World War II, Internet, LAN, Multiplayer, RTS, Singleplayer, War Strategy.
Another installment in the popular historical strategy games franchise by Paradox Interactive, taking players back in time into the period of the bloodiest conflict in history – World War Two. As the player, your task is to come into power in your country of choice – either one of the superpowers of the time, or a militarily weaker country – and lead it through the global conflict. The plot of Hearts of Iron spans from 1936 to 1948, so you can choose to prepare for the inevitable war first. The creators have taken historical accuracy seriously, thanks to which you witness many events that really took place, although much still depends on your actions. The third instalment of the franchise features a huge world map, divided into around ten thousand provinces. In Hearts of Iron III, you can meticulously manage economic and military factors, although the less experienced players may just limit themselves to issuing general commands. It's the first title in the series to feature 3D graphics and customizable resolution options.
Steam
Users
Expansion Packs:
- Hearts of Iron III: Semper Fi June 6, 2010
- Hearts of Iron III: Semper Fi - Dies Irae Götterdämmerung May 10, 2011
- Hearts of Iron III: For the Motherland June 29, 2011
- Hearts of Iron III: Their Finest Hour September 26, 2012
Hearts of Iron Anthology
August 30, 2007
Strategy, Interwar Period, 2D, Grand Strategy, World War II, Internet, LAN, Multiplayer, Package, RTS, Singleplayer, War Strategy.
Complete set consisting of four products. These are primarily the first two parts of the "Hearts of Iron" series. In addition, we can count on a stand-alone add-on "Doomsday" and booster pack "Armageddon".
Users
Hearts of Iron 2: Zlota Edycja
June 16, 2006
Strategy, 2D, Grand Strategy, World War II, Internet, LAN, Multiplayer, Package, RTS, Singleplayer, War Strategy.
Hearts of Iron 2: Gold Edition is a special edition of Paradox Interactive's popular real-time war strategy (RTS). The package includes the base game and the official Hearts of Iron 2: Doomsday extension. Thanks to the efforts of the local distributor - Cenega Poland - both titles have been prepared in the Polish language version.
Users
Hearts of Iron 2
January 4, 2005
Strategy, Interwar Period, 2D, Grand Strategy, World War II, Internet, LAN, Multiplayer, RTS, Singleplayer, War Strategy.
A sequel to the well-received grand strategy game set during World War II, developed by Paradox Interactive. Hearts of Iron 2 spans the entire world and requires us to oversee not only military activities but also all kinds of economic, political, and social dependencies. The player can lead any country, including the biggest superpowers of the era, such as Germany, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union. Hearts of Iron 2 offers great freedom in preparations for the outbreak of the World War II. The general premise of the gameplay recreates the solutions of the game's predecessor, but the sequel features many novelties, including additional diplomatic and political options (for example, you can check what would happen if Marxist ideas were introduced in Germany), an open negotiation system, trade agreements, or experience acquisition for military units. Historical scenarios that let us see the conflict through the eyes of a famous commander were also enhanced.
Steam
Users
Expansion Packs:
- Hearts of Iron 2: Doomsday April 7, 2006
- Hearts of Iron 2: Doomsday - Armageddon March 29, 2007
- Iron Cross: A Hearts of Iron Game July 10, 2010
Hearts of Iron
November 26, 2002
Strategy, Interwar Period, Grand Strategy, World War II, Internet, LAN, Multiplayer, RTS, Singleplayer, War Strategy.
A real-time strategy game set in the times of the World War II, developed by Paradox Interactive. The production shows military and political events that took place in years 1937 to 1946 in the global scale. The map spans the entire world, and the players have complete freedom in choosing the nation they will lead. We conduct warfare even in areas which historically weren’t touched by the World War II. The gameplay is enriched by an advanced system of weapon and unit development and a political system with historical commanders and leaders (the title shows the confrontation of three ideologies: fascism, communism, and democracy). There are over 100 land, sea, and air units at players’ disposal. The production comes with a scenario editor that lets us design our own campaigns. Apart from solo play, Hearts of Iron features a multiplayer mode.
Users
Hearts of Iron Series News
Record-expensive DLC for the popular grand strategy game is now available. HoI4 players complain about the price and lazy content
Hearts of Iron: No Compromise, No Surrender is so far not another disaster, but players still have reason to complain about Paradox's new DLC.
video games
November 21, 2025
HoI4: The Great War - huge mod for Hearts of Iron IV updated to 0.25
The Great War mod for Hearts of Iron IV has received a major update. Among other things, it brings news related to Poland.
Files and Mods
November 16, 2025
„Your greed is unbearable.” Paradox's latest move only fuels the anger of Hearts of Iron 4 fans
Hearts of Iron 4 will get another edition, but players are still reluctant about Paradox Development after the publisher's recent decision.
video games
October 16, 2025
One player on Steam spends 8,000 hours in difficult strategy game, says first 1,000 are just the tutorial
Paradox Interactive creates games that require more time to master than to complete, as seen in several major titles.
video games
October 7, 2025
HoI4 fans harsh reactions to the announcement of another DLC pack
We learned the contents of Expansion Pass 2 for Hearts of Iron IV. Players aren't thrilled, especially since the price for this set has gone way up.
video games
September 26, 2025
Players are calling for smarter AI in HoI4, but they’re not convinced a DLC would be a good solution
Hearts of Iron 4 needs more than new nations. Until the AI improves, new content alone won’t satisfy the community.
video games
September 2, 2025
HoI4: Graveyard of Empires devs admit their mistakes. They explain what went wrong and promise changes
Paradox Development Studio promises not only short-term fixes for Hearts of Iron 4: Graveyard of Empires, but also changes in its approach to DLC scale.
video games
March 11, 2025
Paradox games under fire. Review bombing from Chinese players hits Stellaris, Crusader Kings and Europa Universalis
Why did Hearts of Iron IV's alternate path get Stellaris and other Paradox games in trouble? Here’s everything you need to know about the latest backlash.
video games
February 17, 2025
„Exotic” expansion to popular strategy brings great empires out of history graveyard. HoI4: Graveyard of Empires with release date
Graveyard of Empires, a new expansion to the Hearts of Iron 4 strategy, will take us into the heart of the struggle for supremacy, between the Euphrates River and the Bay of Bengal. Elephants will also be included.
video games
February 11, 2025
USSR's Absurd Superweapon From Hearts of Iron 4: Gotterdammerung Confused Players, Even Though It Isn't Fiction
World War 2 has known many absurd designer ideas. Even as detached from reality as the Soviet tank megacruiser from Hearts of Iron 4: Gotterdammerung.
video games
November 22, 2024