The best Game of Thrones mods
With swordplay and sorcery, personal drama, political intrigue, and hundreds of characters, George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire is fantastic source material for strategy games and RPGs. HBO’s Game of Thrones series is over, but we’re still waiting for the final novels to arrive, so to pass the time why not create your own stories and conflicts?
Here are the best mods that bring Martin’s world to PC games.
Crusader Kings 2—A Game of Thrones
Download from ModDB
It’s hard to find a better match between game and mod than Crusader Kings 2 and the full-conversion A Game of Thrones mod. It transforms CK2’s medieval Europe into the continent of Westeros. With random events and your own decisions quickly entangling the characters you know and love (or hate), your game will quickly veer from the story you remember into a kind of bizarro-world fan-fiction.
We’ve written a few times about our experiences using the mod, with Rich McCormick playing as Ned Stark in Surviving Westeros, and my diary about playing as Littlefinger’s next-door neighbor, Game of Checkers.
Mount and Blade: Warband—A Clash of Kings
Download from ModDB
Rather than playing as one of the main characters, you can get a view of the drama in Westeros from ground level with the A Clash of Kings mod for Mount and Blade: Warband. The mod adds thousands of custom items, naval battles, and a huge map of Westeros, plus plenty of notable figures from the fiction.
I made an attempt to align myself with both the Lannisters and Baratheons and had a nasty encounter with Gregor Clegane in my write-up of the mod here.
Minecraft—Westeroscraft
Official Site
Westeroscraft is a Minecraft server with its own custom launcher and mod suite. While it someday hopes to become an open world MMORPG, it’s currently in build mode, creating Westeros (and someday Essos) in blocks. And it looks spectacular so far. Anyone can join and explore the world but if you want to help build it, you’ll need to apply here .
Civilization 5—A Mod of Ice and Fire
Subscribe at the Steam Workshop
This is one of our favorite mods for Civ 5—it adds a sprawling map of Westeros and lets you play as a number of civs and leaders, like Robb Stark in The North, Stannis Baratheon in The Stormlands, Daenerys, of course, and even Mance Rayder of the Free Folk.
Each civ has a unique trait plus special units and buildings.
Civilization 6—A Civ of Ice and Fire
Subscribe at the Steam Workshop
Play Civ 6 as the Starks, Boltons, Greyjoys, Baratheons, Targaryens, and even The Night King representing the White Walkers. Maps cover both Westeros and Essos, and wonders include Casterly Rock, The Red Keep, the Titan of Braavos, and more. There’s support for the Gathering Storm expansion as well (and it’s required to play as the Night King).
Total War: Attila—Seven Kingdoms
Download from ModDB
This total conversion for Total War: Attila delivers over two dozen playable armies you can use to recreate the fiction’s massive historical battles, plus it adds scores of recognizable characters from the HBO show.
Medieval 2: Total War: Kingdoms—Westeros: Age of Petty Kings
Download from ModDB
Rather than taking place amidst the current events of Game of Thrones, the Age of Petty Kings mod takes place a thousand years prior, though it’s still based on George R.
R. Martin’s lore.
Ages of Empires 2: HD Edition—War of the Five Kings
Subscribe at the Steam Workshop
This scenario for Age of Empires 2 recreates the devastating civil war in Westeros following the death of King Robert. Eight players can join the fray as the Greyjoys, Starks, Tyrells, both Baratheons, and the other major factions in the War of the Five Kings.
Skyrim—The Game of Thrones Adaptation
Mod page at ModDB
You can’t play it yet—it’s currently between versions, with the older version having been taken down ahead of the release of a new beta—but this is definitely one to bookmark. It’s an overhaul that plans to transform Skyrim into Westeros, with dozens of locations and characters from the fiction and custom quests. Ambitious, to be sure, and there’s no mention of a release date at the moment.
While you wait, you can check out a trailer below, which is already looking pretty great.
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7 amazing Game of Thrones PC mods to make your gaming more thrones-y
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Game of Thrones is over for another year, and the prospect of waiting till late 2018 for our fantasy fix is almost unbearable.
As Jon Snow and his motley crew head out to face the horrors from beyond the Wall, we’re left to contemplate how to fill our Sunday evenings. Season 8 might be a long way off, but the wait needn’t be dark and full of terrors. With hundreds of characters, personal drama, and political intrigue, George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire has been a haven for modders looking to bring his grizzly world to life. I’ve searched the depths of the Citadel to find the very best Game of Thrones mods to help sate your bloodlust during the Long Night.
Mount and Blade: Warband – A Clash of Kings
Download the mod from ModDB
Cozur released his Mount and Blade: Warband mod way back in 2012 and has continued to release new updates for every season. Adding naval battles, sea travel, thousands of custom items, props, and textures, plus a huge map of Westeros and loads of characters based on the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, this Clash of Kings mod is one of the most impressive out there.
Rather than playing as one of the show’s main characters, you get a unique view of what fighting is like for the common soldier. A Clash of Kings sets you out as a humble peasant caught up in the turmoil of war, which will see you pledge alliances to various houses and crush those that oppose you on the battlefield. You’ll need all the cunning of Tyrion Lannister and the treachery of Petyr Baelish if you want to survive the bloody battles and rise through the ranks. If you like the idea of fighting alongside Stannis Baratheon, conquering Harrenhal, or sending the Lannisters your regards, then this Mount and Blade mod will certainly deliver.
Skyrim – The Game of Thrones Adaptation
View the mod page at ModDB
This Game of Thrones mod aims to completely transform Skyrim into the world of Westeros, changing everything from the soldiers you encounter (Imperials/Lannisters) and the places you visit (Windhelm/Winterfell) to forge a completely lore-friendly environment.
In addition to meeting hundreds of characters from Game of Thrones, you’ll also be able to recruit unique followers to accompany you as you fight your way across the Seven Kingdoms. From the brutish Sandor Clegane to the deadly Arya Stark, you can share your adventure with your favourite characters. What’s most impressive about this overhaul is that it doesn’t just focus on adapting content from Skyrim, it also plans to add new locations which are built and populated entirely from scratch. Unfortunately, the ambitious nature of this mod means you can’t play it just yet, but it’s definitely worth bookmarking for the future!
Total War: Attila – Seven Kingdoms
Download mod from ModDB
The Total War series is known for its extensive war-themed mods and the franchise is ripe with opportunities for Game of Thrones fans to get stuck in. If you like to think of yourself as a master strategist like Tywin Lannister, then this mod will give you plenty of opportunities to put your battle tactics to the test.
With over 25 playable armies and 30 photorealistic characters, this visual overhaul strives to painstakingly recreate and depict all major land forces of the Game of Thrones universe using equipment, uniforms, and general aesthetics from the series. You can fight off hordes of terrifying wights or even take control of Jon Snow’s Northern army as you attempt to reclaim Winterfell from Ramsay Bolton. Recreating Game of Thrones’ massive historical battles has never been easier.
Crusader Kings 2 – A Game of Thrones mod
Download mod from ModDB
This conversion mod for Crusader Kings allows players to choose from any start date in the 300 years before Aegon’s Conquest to the beginning of the fourth book (A Feast for Crows). Paradox Interactive’s grand strategy game may be getting on a bit now, but it’s hard to find a mod that allows you to explore the ‘what if?’ scenarios of the series. Your game will quickly veer away from the narrative you remember and turn into an extremely volatile world where anything could happen, reflecting the series itself.
Having alternate scenarios where Rhaegar Targaryen killed Robert on the Trident or seeing Stannis take King’s Landing means that every playthrough is unique. After all, there are no guarantees as ‘when you play the game of thrones, you win or you die’. Try not to die, though.
Medieval 2: Total War Kingdoms – Westeros: Age of Petty Kings
Download mod from ModDB
There are plenty of Game of Thrones mods that take place during Robert’s Rebellion and depict the wars between both Stark and Lannister, but this mod takes you back in time before the Seven Kingdoms were even carved out. In Westeros: Age of Petty Kings you forge a house of your own as a king battling it out with The Andals long before Aegon the Conqueror rose and unified the continent. Even though the mod is set thousands of years before the events we’ve been watching and reading about, there are still plenty of familiar names around. You’ll still find the Starks in Winterfell, the Martells over in Sunspear, and Tyrion’s forefathers at Casterly Rock.
The mod offers a great history lesson for those looking to delve into Game of Thrones’ past, as creator bertio5 has carefully woven together huge amounts of lore and details depicting the lesser-known characters and houses. Will your dynasty last to stand a thousand years, or will it fade away into history?
Civilization 5 – A Mod of Ice and Fire
Subscribe at the Steam Workshop to play
If you’re after hands-on management and plenty of political intrigue, Civilization 5’s A Mod of Ice and Fire offers just that. The mod adds a huge sprawling map of Westeros and the Known World along with completely revamped Game of Thrones-themed civilizations. Every Civ has a unique trait, three special units/buildings, and city names appropriate to their individual house. There are also a host of religions with civs following the Lord of Light, the Seven, the Old Gods and a bunch of other lore friendly followings. You can wage all-out war with the great navy battalions of the Iron Islands, battle it out against Drogo’s Dothraki hordes, and even come face to face with Daenerys’ terrifying dragons.
However, if you wish to negotiate alliances and tactically kill off those who threaten your rise to power, then a Petyr Baelish approach may be preferred. The battles don’t stop there as the pesky barbarians have been replaced by White Walkers, giving you greater sense of dread as they shamble into your surrounding territories.
Age of Empires 2: HD Edition – War of the Five Kings
Subscribe at the Steam Workshop to play
Age of Empires 2 is still a hallowed RTS. It’s well worth playing and is widely regarded as one of the best strategy games to grace our monitor screens. Its popularity has brought with it a whole host of Game of Thrones mods, but the most revered is the War of the Five Kings. The mod recreates the devastating civil war that erupted in Westeros following the death of King Robert, so if you’re looking to take a trip down memory lane without watching season one for the tenth time, then this mod might be what you’re looking for. There are a total of eight houses and players can join the Tullys, Lannisters, Starks, Greyjoys, Tyrells, both Baratheon brothers, and the other major factions in the War of the Five Kings.
If you’d rather ditch the vanilla feel of the War of the Five Kings, be sure to check out the multiplayer exclusive Diplomacy Overhaul mod, which drastically changes the direction of the game, shifting away from combat and forcing you into a world of resource management and political backstabbing.
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7 best games (mods) based on the Game of Thrones
Winter has finally come to Westeros, and the creators of the series decided to postpone filming so that the frame would not be artificial, but real snow. The decision is understandable, but it also pretty upsets the fans, because the release of the seventh season will have to wait longer. Yes, and lovers of reading have to get bored: even if Martin promised The Winds of Winter either by April or August, who knows these promises.
However, smart fans have found a way to pass the time. Instead of boarding up windows in case of white walker invasions, roasting pigs on fires and dozing at family gatherings, they returned to almost even outdated video games … By making some adjustments to them, hmm. nine0003
In fact, there are a lot of such mods. Some of them change very little things, some completely reshape the world of the original game, inscribing characters and even huge locations from the PliO into it. However, units of such modifications make us run them again and again.
Whether you want to quietly upgrade your character while exploring the world of Westeros, take part in tough battles for the Iron Throne, or cunningly twist, deceive and manipulate others to achieve your goals, among these mods there is sure to be one that you will like. Perhaps even more than hanging out with a few of Littlefinger’s beauties. nine0003
7. A Clash Of Kings (Mount and Blade: Warband)
Despite the fact that Westeros and Essos are twice the size of the original Warband map, the creators of the mod managed to completely recreate them inside the game itself. In Clash of Kings you can customize your hero however you want — you can even choose a background from the PliO universe.
Simply choose your banner and start an exciting journey through the vast world, looking into the villages and cities recreated from PliO. As you earn reputation and make friends with certain people, you can still swear allegiance to one of the parties or found your own House, taking part in epic battles — but now in the setting of the Game of Thrones. nine0003
The mod is still in development, but has already gained wild popularity. And the developers continue to delight us with new missions and intrigues.
Watch out Cersei, we’re on our way to King’s Landing!
6. Game Of Thrones Adaptation (The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim)
This mod completely turns the original game on its head. It will allow you to immerse yourself in the stunningly recreated atmosphere of the PLiO — here you will find your favorite characters of the saga, see familiar names, and you can find many small interesting things. The world looks almost the same, and your main task is to destroy the dragons, but the cities and heroes are pretty reworked. And everything is done so convincingly that one can begin to doubt that Bethesda originally created all this. nine0003
Forget about the Imperials — the Lannisters are in charge, and it’s not the Stormcloaks that are fighting them, it’s the Starks. At the same time, Solitude was changed so that it can hardly be distinguished from King’s Landing — even the Red Castle towers just as majestically. And Winterhold already resembled Winterfell even in its name, but here the developers tried to give even more similarities.
The Valtheim Towers on the banks of the river have become the Twins, the home of the Freys. And this is not the limit at all: many cities and locations were added and added, including the Wall, which is completely open for research and, in addition, on which you can find the brothers of the Night’s Watch and even meet Jon Snow himself in person. nine0003
With this mod, you can not only change the shape or coats of arms on the shields to those that exist in the world of «Game of Thrones». More importantly, almost any of the more than fifty PLiO characters can become your companion: Robb Stark, Ygritte, Dog… You can even get yourself a dire wolf. Or Tyrion, whichever is closer to you.
A new version of the mod is still in development, but the Internet is a wonderful thing. With a little digging, you can easily find the old version — also very, very good. nine0003
5. Westeros: Total War Enhanced (Medieval II: Total War: Kingdoms)
This mod is a little outdated at the moment, but still guaranteed to give you pleasure.
Westeros: Total War Enhanced recreates the world, characters, houses, and even weapons from Game of Thrones. And although Total War does not change its habits and remains focused on battles and battles, politics still matters a lot.
Key characters stand up for their side with their personalized crests on their shields, and no one is forgotten — from the sadistic Boltons to the Wildlings beyond the Wall. In battles, the main thing is strategy, the brutality of the battles is absolutely consistent with the Game of Thrones, and knowledge of books and TV shows gives both victories and defeats a special taste. nine0003
4. A Game Of Thrones (Crusader Kings II)
This mod just had to appear sooner or later. Crusader Kings II basically has a lot in common with the PliO universe: a single king rules the world, arranges weddings and spectacular executions (sometimes even combined), and influences relationships between families so that decades later your House can prevail over others precisely because of this petty interference. Intrigues are layered one on top of the other, plans are built within plans — why not Game of Thrones? nine0003
This mod adds to the game the lands of Westeros and their rulers who seek power and strength. You can start three hundred years before the events of the first season and continue until the end of the fourth book. This is your opportunity to test your wits in the political intrigues around the Iron Throne… Or follow in the footsteps of the Mad King and destroy everything.
Will you be merciful or will you burn your enemies alive? The choice is yours.
3. Westeros: Age of Petty Kings (Medieval II: Total War: Kingdoms)
Unlike previous mods, this mod touches on a completely unexplored part of the PliO universe: the history of Westeros thousands of years before the start of the War of the Five Kings. And you can see Westeros fragmented into many small kingdoms that always do not get along with each other, to put it mildly.
In the Reach, where there are no Tyrells even close, five different nations are fighting among themselves, and at this time, four more compete among themselves for power in Dorne. Meanwhile, the conquerors do not sleep and attack from all sides — by sea and because of the ice — intending to subjugate the already blood-drenched Westeros. nine0003
The mod not only allows you to see and imagine what Westeros was like before the unification of the lands under the rule of the Iron Throne, but also makes it possible to understand what legends and what moments of history, albeit unobtrusively, but quite often the characters talk to each other.
2. Game Of Thrones: War Of The Five Kings V2
Mod Age Of Empires II: HD Edition is still in development, but you can already see that it very accurately reflects the map and political situation of Westeros at the time the events of the second season of the series or the second book. nine0003
Robert Baratheon is dead. While the Lannisters, led by Joffrey, seized control of King’s Landing, Renly, Stannis, Robb, and Balon have proclaimed themselves kings and are now fighting in a war for the Iron Throne. Among the Houses there are also Tullys, Tyrells, Arryns … And there is also the opportunity to send someone to the Night Watch. Admit you want it.
New cities and settlements are constantly being added, and existing ones are being detailed. The developer is getting good reviews and continues to improve the mod, but keep in mind that his work is not over yet. nine0003
1. A Mod Of Ice & Fire (Civilization V)
Complete game change. The mod completely copies the world of the Game of Thrones: cities, areas, unions and PliO Houses. The leaders do not have animations, but you will see their faces while talking to them — just like in the original Cilivization. And, of course, each opponent has their own unique tricks.
Do you want the strongest navy? Well, first you have to outsmart Balon Greyjoy and the warriors of the Iron Islands — unrivaled sailors. They will generally outsmart anyone, unless Khal Drogo and his Dothraki horde set foot on their lands. By the way, be prepared for the fact that Daenerys will send her dragons into battle, so it’s better to prevent their birth in time in principle. Otherwise, you will have to rely on the lord of the Vale, Petyr Baelish, the unsurpassed master of negotiations, alliances, and betrayals. nine0003
The barbaric raids of the White Walkers will also cause problems. Well, the greater the satisfaction will be when you destroy their nearby camps. If you succeed.
Of course, you will not be allowed to explore the world completely freely, unfortunately — there are restrictions. You can’t hope that you will just nuke the Lannisters, but the game is the most fertile ground for spreading the influence of kings and advancing the faith. Religions from Cilivization V are replaced with religions of the world PL&O: Drowned God, Seven, R?Glor… No one will leave offended. nine0003
Know of any other awesome mods we missed out on? Welcome to the comments!
Massive mod brings Game of Thrones to Crusader Kings 3
CK3AGOT has posted a half-hour video detailing various aspects of the Game of Thrones mod for Crusader Kings 3 . The map shows that the beginning here takes place before the book and TV series events, allowing you to win back the very rebellion against the Mad King.
When creating a new character and house through the editor, the player will not start the game as if in a vacuum, but will be able to link the character either to the currently existing house or to the one that has already disappeared. For example, to become a miraculously surviving heir of the Rains from Castamere. By the way, a logical function that would be nice to introduce the creators of the original game. nine0003
A large part of the video is dedicated to playing as the Night Watch on the Wall. This is a unique faction that obviously doesn’t care about dynasty — the player will jump to the next Lord Commander anyway. This faction cannot expand south at all, its focus is on the wild tribes in the north. But even there, the Night Watch practically cannot gain a foothold, and is forced to make sorties in order to eliminate dangerous characters, break up large tribal alliances and weaken the wildlings. There is a lot of land in the north, and if someone unites the wild tribes, the threat will be extremely serious. nine0003
As part of the intrigue, spies have appeared — special people who go looking for secrets throughout Westeros. It is difficult to immediately notice many differences from the activities of a standard Privy Councilor, but there are at least more of these guys.
A separate mechanic has been devised for the narrow isthmus that separates the northern lands of the Starks from the rest of the kingdom. The only safe passage through these lands lies through the royal highway. But as soon as the army turns off it and plunges into impenetrable forests and swamps, it immediately encounters a complete impossibility to replenish supplies, and then with detachments of local thugs. nine0003
The Royal Guards, White Cloaks, are also introduced. The commander, in fact, becomes the second marshal, and other knights can be entrusted with both the command of the army and the protection of a certain family member. Not only rulers, but also contenders for the throne will subsequently be able to create their own version of the royal guard — how. For example, Renly Baratheon’s Rainbow Cloaks.
Also, the so-called megawars will receive separate mechanics — large-scale conflicts affecting all territories subject to the Iron Throne.
