Summary
Crusader Kings 3, the new and modern successor to Paradox Interactive’sCrusader Kings 2, is a grand strategy game that blends cultures, religions, characters, and noble titles to serve players a unique experience that’s part life-sim and part map painter strategy game.
This unique focus isCrusader Kings 3’sstrength and allows players to get into the thick of the action by controlling a dynasty of characters of varying faiths and cultures. Like character choice, cultures have a big impact onCK3gameplay, so sometimes it pays to go off the beaten track.
1Pictish Culture
Revive a Long-lost Culture of Scotland
Pictish is a culture without any rulers at the game start in the earliest bookmark, and worse than that, it disappears entirely by the 1066 start date. But it can be a fun game trying to revive the fortunes of the Picts in Scotland, even if to play as a Pict, players need their character to convert culture.
Pictish Scotland has a flavor all its own, and it’s definitely worth having a go trying to revive this long-lost culture in a game ofCrusader Kings 3.
2Lhomon Culture
Existential War is Fun, Actually
The Lhomon cultured characters all live between much larger and much more powerful cultures, making for a thrilling game with lots of twists and turns. With cultural traditions outside of the usual conquest and war-focused choices, Lhomon culture offers a route into a slightly unusual kind of gameplay thanks to its Medicinal Herbalists and Mystical Ancestors traditions.
Situated between the Tibetan plateau andthe Indian subcontinent, Lhomon rulers have a lot of cool options for expansion too, making them a great choice.
3Carantanian Culture
Flexible and Adaptable Culture of the Balkans
The Carantanian culture is a small culture wedged between real behemoths of theCrusader Kings 3world - such heavy hitters as the various German cultures, the Italians, and even the Greeks. Carantanian culture has few cultural traditions, which gives it fewer bonuses than other cultures, but that’s part of its charm.
Players with a bit of ambition can seek to reform the Carantanian culture to give it powerful new bonuses, all chosen to fit that specific playthrough. This bit of flexibility gives Carantanian culture the potential to be different in every single game, making it a great choice.
4Welsh Culture
A Quick Path to Kingdom Rank
The Welsh culture is a great alternative choice for playing in the British Isles. In either start date, the Kingdom of Wales is relatively easy to form, being a quick option for gaining the King rank, and its ethnic homogeneity makes it easy to rule, too. But more than that the Welsh culture has access to concubines as feudal rulers thanks to its cultural traditions, and its longbowmen-at-armsare pretty nice, too.
Having a self-contained, stable realm can be a massive boost to the early game, especially in the 1066 start date, where there’s a built-in threat in the form of the Norman Conquest to keep players on their toes.
5Syriac Culture
Beset on All Sides, with No Rulers of Their Own
The Syriac culture inCrusader Kings 3is in an extremely difficult place, squashed in between a variety of hostile cultures. There aren’t even any Syriac rulers to start as - to play as a Syriac character, players need their starting ruler or one of their descendants to convert culture.
Make no mistake, Syriac cultured characters are in a precarious position, but that’s all part of the fun of playing them. Syriac culture has some fun cultural traditions too, such as the Philosopher King tradition. Success as a Syriac character is tough but rewarding, offering some greatCK3gameplay.
6Pulaar Culture
Laughs Charismatically “I’m in Danger!”
Pulaar culture is present in only a single county on the map, making it the very definition of a small culture. But this is part of its charm, asCrusader Kings 3offers a variety of different ways players can paint their maps - including with cultures. Taking Pulaar culture from a single county to a world-spanning mega culture is definitely a fun time.
Its cultural traditions support astrong diplomatic play, too, making it a bit easier not to get conquered - or to help with vassal management.
7Tuyuhun Culture
Small but Formidable Mongolic Horse Lords
Present in a single county at the edge of the map, Tuyuhun culture isn’t the immediate stand-out culture to play. But it has some great cultural traditions, making it an excellent choice for the conquest of the steppe. Its cultural traditions give great bonuses to horses and cavalry for fast and effective conquest, while also giving it some nice economic options for those times in between conquests.
This tiny culture has great potential thanks to its location, its bonuses, and even its associated faith. Starting as a Tuyuhun ruler can be difficult but rewarding.
8Saka Culture
Established but Threatened Scythians of the Gobi
Starting the game with five cultural traditions already unlocked, Saka culture has some nice bonuses, all of which are useful for the position of its rulers. This culture has a nice bit of flexibility to it, offering good options for conquest or economy-focused players.
Its position on the map is pretty nice as well, having good options for expansion with a little bravery on the player’s part, making it an exciting choice when played right.
9Bozo Culture
No, Not That Kind of Bozo
This small West African culture is a great choice because it’s very flexible. Situated between the Islamic world to the north and a variety of West African indigenous religions to the south, the Bozo culture gives players a lot of options for fun gameplay.
Thanks to itscultural traditionof Religion Blending, characters of the Bozo culture get great discounts when creating or reforming a religion, which is perfect given the region where Bozo culture appears. Ambitious players can choose to reform the indigenous religion, or convert to a new faith and start their very own religious schism.
10Kirati Culture
Challenging Start, Pious Journey
The Kirati culture is a tiny culture in a pretty awkward spot, wedged in between the Indian subcontinent and the Tibetan plateau. Present in only a handful of counties, Kirati cultured characters have few options for cultural allies. Coupled with its few cultural traditions, it can be hard to play.
But the Kirati culture also comes with a cool, equally tiny, religious faith, and the Religion Blending cultural tradition gives powerful discounts toreforming or creating faiths. Playing as a Kirati cultured character can be a satisfying challenge, seeing a once small sect spread far and wide.
