But don’t worry, my fellow wannabe conquerors: you’re not alone. Europa Universalis IV is definitely among the best entries in the series, but not just thanks to all the new features. It’s also thanks to the tremendous amount of mods created by the community. Cosmetic stuff, gameplay overhauls, total conversions, you name it, you get it!
20. Postal Universalis
Check Out This Mod So, you think Postal has no place in the world of Europa Universalis? Well think again! This mod isn’t the gameplay overhaul that Postal fans have been waiting for, but rather just a sound mod that introduces Rick Hunter’s voice clips from Postal 2. Meaning that you’ll regret nothing when declaring war on another nation, and that you’ll have nothing to see once you’ve burned a province to the ground. Brutal.
19. Innea: A Fantasy World
Check Out This Mod The political landscape of the world has changed a lot over the ages, making it easy for historically accurate games like Europa Universalis IV to keep their fun factor long-term. Still, vanilla can never compare with the introduction of a new world! The Innea: A Fantasy World mod introduces a brand new region called Varland that includes 181 land provinces, 6 new religions, 66 nations and 16 new cultures. Holy mama that’s a lot. Learning the ins and outs of this new region will require quite an effort. So imagine how much more focused you’ll have to be once more regions are included in the future! A mod worth playing but not suited for newbies, that’s for sure.
18. The Danelaw Returns
Check Out This Mod I don’t know about you, but I have always wondered how the world would be today if the river of history flowed in a different direction. Danelaw Returns gives us a “what if” scenario that sees the Duchy of Normandy fail to conquer England, and the Danelaw continue its existence under the rule of Harald Hardrada. With a custom mission tree featuring 38 missions, new mechanics, the new Danelaw culture, and tons of custom provinces, you’ll have all the tools at your disposal to rebuild the powerful North Sea Empire. Hurrah!
17. America Only
Check Out This Mod Here’s another question: how different would history have been if Columbus never reached the American continent? America Only removes the entirety of the old world from the map, letting you play only on the American continent before Columbus discovered it. And if the limited map is… well, too limited for you, then you also have the option to create a random new world that will make each and every one of your campaigns fresh like never before. I’d argue this is a must-try mod for fans of the series.
16. Shattered Europa
Check Out This Mod Shattered Europa is what happens when you completely rewrite the rules of the game so that any country can become an amazing superpower. Among the many tweaks introduced by the Shattered Europa mod is one that makes it possible for any country with cores to become a Major power, giving more variety to your next campaign. With tons of new features included here, this is the mod you should get if you feel like you’ve mastered the game. Chances are, you never really did!
15. Infinite Mission Rewards
Check Out This Mod I know this may be disappointing, but you’re not getting infinite rewards with this mod. Just a much better chance to get them! The Infinite Mission Rewards mod is a very simple add-on that changes the expiry date of all the mission rewards. This way they’re always available no matter how many in-game years it takes for you to complete them. This mod is also compatible with another amazing modification called Missions Expanded, so all you need to do is download both and reap the rewards. All of them!
14. Heavy Europe
Check Out This Mod The end of the world as we know it may be at hand. Welcome to your new kingdoms. Welcome to Heavy Europe. This incredible mod grants us new borders for a lot of different countries across the whole virtual world. The biggest changes are, obviously, for European countries. But there are enough changes in the other continents to spice up the experience considerably. So, ready to learn the game all over again?
13. Pangea Universalis
Check Out This Mod Imagine how the history of politics would be different if all the countries of the world were located on a single continent. Wonder no more, my Europa Universalis master. Just download the Pangea Universalis mod and see what you think! It’s a gameplay overhaul that recreates the ancient Pangea continent and introduces new provinces, areas, regions, and altered climates and biomes. Lots of fun here with a ton of creativity added into this mod.
12. Dynamic Economy
Check Out This Mod EU4 has to be among most realistic grand strategy games ever. But there’s one thing that it fails to realistically represent: the economy. But thanks to the Dynamic Economy mod, we’re all good. It aims to introduce a dynamic economy that starts off slow, but grows over time. Unless there’s devastation or any other major event. This not only makes the game feel a little more realistic, but also makes some of the game’s mechanics more useful than in vanilla. A true enhancement here, folks!
11. Flavor & Events Expanded
Check Out This Mod Events are what truly make the EU4 experience so engaging. So let’s not pass up a mod that introduces a metric ton of new events! Flavour and Events Expanded takes inspiration from other Paradox games, as well as from other modding projects, to bring a lot of new events right into our little fingertips. These range from historical events to nation-specific events you’ll find as you play. There so many new additions that the developers created a wiki page to explain all their ins and outs. How many mods with their own wiki entry have you seen?
10. Theatrum Orbis Terrarum
Check Out This Mod The Theather of the World is opening up for business, and all EU4 players are invited to celebrate the occasion! This is an amazing map and UI overhaul inspired by the real Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, which is considered to be the first modern atlas created by Abraham Ortelius in 1570. As such, it completely changes how the map looks, increasing immersion so much that you’ll feel like an actual part of the world you’re changing with each decision you make. Definitely give this a try if you want the same gameplay on different turf.
9. Dynamic Cultured Music
Check Out This Mod Nothing like some good music to make your campaigns more engaging. Dynamic Cultured Music is a really catchy music mod that not only introduces over 800 songs, but also a new system that makes music evolve alongside the country. I challenge you to listen to all these new tracks and tell me this isn’t worth it. Especially if you’re really looking for some cultural signifigance.
8. Graphical Map Improvements
Check Out This Mod Like the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum map mentioned earlier, this Graphical Map Improvements mod overhauls the map and GUI to present a fresher experience. Yet unlike Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, you will not feel like you’ve been sent back to the year 1500! This map overhaul really does introduce a lot of changes, mostly all improvements, that give the map a much more modern feeling. This includes HD terrain textures, better looking seasons, improved readability for fonts, and quite a bit more. While the changes are only cosmetic, it wouldn’t surprise me if this mod will end up making you a better player in the process.
7. The Idea Variation
Check Out This Mod Idea Variation started out small. But things eventually grew so much that it could now be considered as a total conversion mod. And what a total conversion mod it is. Expanding on the frankly semi-limited idea mechanics of the vanilla game, Idea Variation adds tons of new idea groups, policies, buildings, and an overhauled government reform system. These new features expand the game considerably. So much that the developers should really consider adding some of them into the next entry in the series. They are that good!
6. Better Nation Designer And Unlimited Points
Check Out This Mod EU4 features some nice customization options by default. But some of the game’s limitations get in the way more than they should. But no longer, thanks to this awesome mod. It gives you the chance to design your own nation by granting you a huge number of points, removing distance and ideas cap, unlocking more governments, and a few more goodies. Better yet, this mod doesn’t break the game at all. So you can still have a satisfying experience while going beyond the boundaries set by the devs.
5. Missions Expanded
Check Out This Mod Not all nations in Europa Universalis IV have been created equal. Some can thrive and prosper thanks to a huge number of missions, while others are meant to disappear into the darkness of time, becoming part of larger empires. Let’s change that up a bit. Yet this introduces over 300 mission trees that have been developed with great attention to detail, featuring proper historical backgrounds and rewards that aim to make the game more balanced and enjoyable. With this mod, any nation in EU4 has the potential to become the ultimate empire that the people of the world will remember until the end of time.
4. A Song of Ice and Fire: Game of Thrones Reboot
Check Out This Mod Name one major strategy game that hasn’t received any sort of Game of Thrones inspired mod, and I’ll eat my sword right in front of you. Double for any game that has no Star Wars mods. “A Song of Ice and Fire: Game of Thrones Reboot” is a total conversion mod for EU4 that introduces the continents of Westeros and Essos, complete with their constant political turmoil, their different cultures, and those unnatural beings that come from the Lands of Always Winter. Well, they may be only the stuff of fairy tales… but I suggest being prepared for them no matter what, just in case they decide they want to become the stuff history is made of!
3. Veritas et Fortitudo
Check Out This Mod EU4 on steroids. That’s what Veritas et Fortitudo feels like. This gameplay overhaul mod gives us a lot of mechanics, far beyond the vanilla game. And it makes the whole experience way more immersive. Not only do you get an overhauled map and improved management mechanics, but also new ways to track the dynasty of your ruler. You know how it was back then: you need your queens to start popping out sons quickly, or your kingdom will never be truly safe.
2. MEIOU and Taxes
Check Out This Mod Another gameplay overhaul mod? Yes, and you’ll love this one to death. And maybe even beyond. MEIOU and Taxes provides a much better experience than in the vanilla game with the introduction of an overhauled map, dynamic province development, plus communication efficiency mechanics. These efficiency changes will force you to build better roads and ports, as you’ll really need to think about how you’re expanding. Not to mention there’s also reworked religions, new events, 40 new ideas groups, and a brand new soundtrack. For how massive this mod is, these guys should develop their own game. I’d buy that in an instant!
1. Imperium Universalis
Check Out This Mod Are you ready to go back to a time when humanity was still young? Imperium Universalis is yet another gameplay overhaul mod that brings Europa Universalis IV back to antiquity. And it’s a beast. With hundreds of playable nations that you mostly never heard about, new dynamic events, slave uprisings and even Olympic games, there’s a lot here that you never knew you wanted.
