Learning Europa Universalis: The Price of Power
Many reviewers claim that it's a massive game to learn, but here’s my perspective on the learning process.
Europa Universalis is a well-regarded PC game that allows players to take control of a nation and guide it through political, economic, military, and diplomatic challenges in pursuit of building a dominant empire. Set between 1444 and 1821, the game spans from the late Middle Ages to the early modern era, giving players a rich historical context in which to navigate their strategic decisions.
Never playing the PC version, as it did look a bit too overwhelming which required hours of play time. I did watch some various Youtube videos on the game to see what’s it all about but never got the urge to actually wanting to own it and play it.
Since I joined the board gaming hobby around 2023, Europa Universalis has been on my radar, especially as a Kickstarter project. I was thrilled to hear about this video game being adapted for the tabletop. The fantastic box art and the beautifully detailed map of Europe on the board caught my attention, quickly landing it a spot on my wishlist. I knew I wanted a deep, strategic game I could leave set up and return to, allowing time to fully consider and develop my strategies.
In this blog, I want to discuss how Europa Universalis may not be as complex as some reviewers tend to suggest or critique.
The Reviews
Watched quite a few video reviews and the main concern that most of these reviewers mentioned was it’s way too long and a complex game.
One particular reviewer that was so frustrated with game and seemed to have a bad experience. I have to admit, there are a lot of rules to overcome but I did not come upon all the frustrations that he mentions in the video.
I have a lot of respect for his channel—he’s made some excellent videos. However, this particular one felt a bit over the top.
Keep in mind that these reviewers need to produce content, so trying to cram all the rules into your head at once isn't the best approach. It’s more effective to take your time and learn the game gradually rather than rushing through it.
Learning Process
To be honest, I’m not the best at complex games like this. I usually watch playthrough videos to pick up the basics. I first need to go through the setup, organize the components, and get a feel for the rules before diving into any gameplay videos.
The political and historical elements—like diplomacy, administration, alliances, marriages and the nuances of the Holy Roman Empire—were a lot to take in. I just wanted a straightforward war game where I could focus on conquering territories! But that’s not really how this game works. It requires patience to build up resources and plan strategies carefully before declaring war or pursuing other objectives. It’s like Risk, but with a lot more depth. Someone who has played the video game or enjoys these thematic elements will probably feel right at home.
For me, it wasn’t just about learning the actions; I also had to think beyond the game mechanics and get a grasp of the historical elements as well. That added another layer to the learning process.
The game is divided into five phases, and I approached learning each phase one step at a time. For example, declaring war is an action that occurs during Phase 2, which is a significant and complex task on its own. While most actions are relatively quick to execute, it’s crucial to understand when and why they should be used. Take alliances or adding influence to neighboring areas, which are also part of Phase 2 (the action phase), for instance. These actions may be simple but require strategic consideration of their timing and purpose.
Phase 3, Peace & Rebels, is another major aspect to learn. In this phase, peace treaties are negotiated and resolved, and rebellions may arise. These rebellions need to be addressed, as they can worsen conditions in your towns if left unchecked. Managing both peace agreements and rebellions is essential to maintaining control and stability in your territories.
How I Progressed
After about two and a half weeks, I managed to pick up and understand a lot of the rules and details, averaging around an hour of learning per day. Like I mentioned before, there’s no way to fully learn and understand this game in a few hours. Here are some steps I did:
Setting up the game and learned the components. Picking the first scenario which is the introduction.
Read the rules, lots of questions ran through my head as flipping between the rulebook and looking at the board. I was in the confusion phase which I think it’s fine.
Jumped onto YouTube and found some great videos covering the rules and gameplay. As I watched, many of my questions were answered, and seeing the mechanics in action really helped aspects of the game start to click for me.
Finally decided to try out a few actions in the game. No specific reason why—I just wanted to go through the steps and see how everything unfolded firsthand.
Now I’m able to smoothly play through a full round with the bots. Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve also learned how to effectively manage the AI. Each turn flows well and moves quickly, though once in a while, I still flip through the rulebook for a quick reference. But honestly, that happens to me with almost every game I play!
Overall I did not spend 80 hours and getting frustrated with the rule book as the video demonstrated above. Also the community is being very knowledgeable as they did answered my questions clearly and I understood right away what I needed to do.
Am I Liking It?
So far, I’m really enjoying the game as I see all the different mechanics coming together. I love that each faction has its own strengths and weaknesses that you need to manage carefully.
The actions move quickly, except for the Declaration of War, which takes a bit more time. As I get more experienced, I expect that to go faster too—I’ve already got about 70% of the process down. The game also provides a solid reference sheet listing all the actions, making it easy to find and choose what to do next.
The event cards are particularly interesting since they can either hurt your enemies or benefit you by providing victory points or resources. They bring an unpredictable element to the game, reflecting real historical twists and challenges.
The pace of the game is slow, meaning you can’t just declare war and start attacking everywhere. You have to carefully plan and ensure you’ve built up the necessary resources first. Sometimes, rather than going to war, it might be better to focus on exploration or building alliances. There’s so much to do, which really adds depth and replayability to the game.
Verdict
The main purpose of this blog is to show that Europa Universalis isn’t as hard to learn as it’s sometimes made out to be. Yes, it requires patience and time, but once you understand the mechanics, it truly shines as one of the best complex strategy games out there. Even the setup process, which some reviewers claim takes up to an hour, is manageable once you’ve done it once. Don’t let these exaggerated claims scare you off! The game is much more accessible than it first seems.
Learning board games can be a lengthy process for me in general. For instance, I spent about an average a week learning some games like Anachrony, Robinson Crusoe, and Terraforming Mars. EU required an extra week, but overall, it’s really not that bad.
If this game has caught your attention but you’re hesitant due to its length and complexity, set those doubts aside and give it a try. It offers immense value, especially if you can find a group to play with. Personally, I believe this is one of the best board games available for enthusiasts of this genre.
Let me know he comments below what experiences you had in learning the game or if it’s not your type of game.
Europa Univeralis Resources