Hearts of Iron IV

Plays Germany
Gets invaded and capitulated by Denmark
Hate this game
10/10

Nice strategy game, IMO a bit worse than EU4 but for many the better one.

THIS GAME IS DIGITAL DRUGS STAY AWAY FROM IT
Its not even been 1 month since I've bought it and I almost have a hundred hours

At first you'll be overwhelmed but quickly you'll realize its not too complicated at all.

A very good grand strategy game, I'd recommend using mods as they definitely add to the game

WARNING: Anyone who plays this game automatically loses their ability to take a shower

Quite possibly one of the best strategy games I've ever played, it's up there with Star Wars Empire at War, XCOM, and another Paradox game: Stellaris. It's truly one of the best games in the genre; it has a lot of great systems, which unfortunately are behind some pay walls, but as someone who has nearly all the DLC, it is very much worth the hard-earned money. This is a game I'd recommend to anyone looking to get into Paradox games and or Strategy games as it's a good baseline at its surface, and a very complex game if you very much want to get into it!

I can run through all of mainland europe easily, meanwhile the degenerate Brits can just chill in their god forsaken island.
I love and hate this game at the same time

Hours Played: 390
Hours until I understood Economy: 2
Hours until I understand all mechanics: 389
Hours until i understand Navy: Never

I'll keep this review short and straight to the point. If you enjoy staring at a map for all hours of the day, insane political ideologies, femboys, or games with crazily creative modding scenes, this game checks... all of those boxes I suppose. (albeit the femboy box is checked within it's community... somewhat... most of this game's community is a bit weird... not the femboys though, they're chill) It has engaging combat that is both easy to get a simple understanding of (except for the navy) and hard to master. (except for the navy, which is impossible to master) It allows for you to not only take historical paths for country decisions and events in-game, but also ahistorical ones for massive amounts of replayability. Genuinely fun, although that might just be me being a crazy person... but yeah, fun. :3
7.5/10... buy it on sale though lol

Hearts of Iron IV is the kind of game where you blink and suddenly it’s 1945, half your allies are fascists, and somehow Luxembourg owns the Balkans. It’s a beautiful mess of history, micromanagement, deep strategy, historical what-ifs, and complete chaos. nothing beats declaring war on the United States as Lithuania which somehow feels like a reasonable rational decision or the occasional "accidental" naval invasion of Norway. basically Risk on steroids with spreadsheets. You'll feel like a genius until your supply lines collapse and then the USSR eats your army. One minute you're liberating Europe, the next you're justifying war against Switzerland for geopolitical reasons. 10/10 would pause to redo my entire army in a front collapsed panic again. this is must-play for anyone who’s ever thought they could’ve done World War 2 better.

psychological horror hentai game that is pretty rich in story and has nudity

Hearts of Iron IV isn’t just a strategy game; it’s an intricate simulation of the Second World War where you command nations, manage resources, and navigate complex political and military dynamics. Developed by Paradox Interactive, it’s a game that rewards meticulous planning, historical knowledge, and the ability to adapt on the fly.

What sets Hearts of Iron IV apart from most grand strategy games is its focus on warfare and military management. You’re not just controlling a country — you’re overseeing an entire war machine. From designing tanks and aircraft to planning massive invasions and managing supply lines, the game forces you to think about the big picture while keeping a close eye on the small details.

The combat system itself is a blend of strategic deployment and tactical management. You’ll direct your armies, plan offensives, and control everything from naval warfare to air superiority. It’s a game that puts you in the boots of a commander who must balance resource management, diplomacy, and military action to secure victory.

The game’s real power lies in its freedom and depth of choice. While you can play as any nation during the years leading up to and during World War II, the choices are not as simple as picking a side. Do you play as Germany and try to reshape the world under the Third Reich? Perhaps you choose to defend democracy as the United Kingdom or use your industrial power as the United States to outproduce your enemies. Or maybe you opt for a smaller nation and create your own path to glory or destruction.

The game doesn’t hold your hand. You’ll be in charge of everything from researching technologies (think tanks, artillery, and nuclear weapons) to making diplomatic decisions that can change the course of history. Want to form a fascist or communist alliance? Or maybe you want to take a neutral stance and focus on internal development? The freedom is yours, and that’s what makes Hearts of Iron IV such a compelling experience.

Let’s be clear: Hearts of Iron IV is not for the casual gamer. The learning curve is steep, especially for new players unfamiliar with grand strategy games. There are a lot of systems at play — diplomacy, production, national focuses, trade routes, and more. It takes time to master, and failure is common when you’re learning the ropes.

Once you get the hang of it, however, the game opens up like a rich tapestry of strategy. Every campaign feels unique, and there are endless ways to play. The sheer number of variables — from weather conditions affecting battle plans to the production of different kinds of military equipment — ensures no two playthroughs are the same.

One of the greatest strengths of Hearts of Iron IV is its modding community. The game has a vast library of mods that can transform the experience in various ways, whether you want to simulate a Cold War scenario, explore alternate history paths, or add in new nations and technologies. The community ensures that the game remains fresh, even after dozens of hours of play.

Additionally, the game's replayability is nearly endless. With every nation offering a different playstyle, combined with the plethora of strategies to experiment with, you’ll never run out of things to try. Whether you want to play historically or completely rewrite history, there’s something for everyone.

While the gameplay is deep, the AI is somewhat of a mixed bag. On one hand, it can provide formidable challenges on higher difficulty levels, making for intense battles and long-term strategic planning. On the other hand, there are moments when the AI can make perplexing decisions — like a country abandoning a critical front in favor of an ill-advised offensive. It can detract from the realism at times, but this is often mitigated by the sheer complexity of the game’s mechanics.

Diplomacy, while improving over time, can also feel a bit one-dimensional. Countries often align themselves along historical lines, and although you can influence or manipulate factions, the interactions between nations aren’t as dynamic or unpredictable as one might hope. Still, the importance of diplomatic decisions and alliances is undeniably crucial to success.

Hearts of Iron IV is a masterpiece for fans of military strategy and history. It’s the ultimate test of your ability to manage resources, deploy troops, and navigate complex political landscapes. It’s a game that demands patience, attention to detail, and a love for historical depth. While its steep learning curve and occasional AI quirks may deter some, for those who enjoy a challenge, Hearts of Iron IV offers an unmatched strategy experience.

A captivating, deeply complex war simulator that offers hours of strategic fun, but it’s not for the faint of heart.

A Deep and Unforgiving Dive into World War II Strategy.

Rating: 9/10

The only reason why I have 1000 plus hours is because I just left my computer running on and off for weeks, but besides that, it's a fun game.

I feel like recommending this game without mentioning its flaws / bugs that, while slowly being fixed with recent patches, are still an issue and the DLCs of questionable quality (not all of them), would be ignoring a major area for improvement.

That said, despite its flaws, the game is genuinely fun. Alongside Minecraft, it's one of the few games that continues to amaze me with how many hours I can pour into it, game after game, without getting bored.

It’s a game that can seem very intimidating to learn, and it takes quite a few hours to understand the basic mechanics (maybe 50–100). I think this is when you’ll enjoy the game the least.

It might sound a bit strange to encourage someone to put effort into learning how to play a game lol, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t incredibly satisfying to finally see those green bubbles after losing to Japan for the past 30 hours.

While this game is far from perfect, I truly wish all the games I enjoy could keep me entertained for as many hours as this one has.

This game sharpened my biases, turning them into a sophisticated form of discrimination.

Played as the USA. Spent 5 years building the ultimate navy. Japan declared war and sank everything in 2 minutes.

I hate this game so much that i love playing it. navy is too stupid even after 1k+ hours.

this game looks very fun but i suck at it and my friends bully me :( and i understand 0.1% about the navy

Very fun, great gameplay; however, if you play for more than 10 hours you are forever banned from ever talking to a woman ever again. Dont make the same mistake I did, dont end up like me.

It's an overpriced DLCs hell thanks to the publisher. Mods help a lot but there are definitely better and less greedy games to spend your money on. Maybe buy it if it's on a good promo, the base game is good enough for you and you don't care to whom you're giving your money to.

One of the best games I've ever played, I've skipped dates, skipped family time, skipped even jerking my shit to play this masterpiece of a game. I love this game more than I love myself and will not ever change my mind. Screw you mom!

Okay, I will be honest, it used to be fantastic game, but currently it's much worse. The balance is screwed, you're basically paying for 1/5 content without the dlcs.
Additionally, current new dlc's are atrocious and overpriced asf.
It's really annoying how paradox is handling this game.
And don't get me wrong is still a good game, but it was SO MUCH BETTER

I'm gonna be honest here, I would like this game more if it weren't for the fact that theres a stupid subscription paywall that Paradox suddenly added just for this game in order to have any of the DLCs and it has to be payed monthly or every three months if you buy the slightly higher priced subscription. Its not a bad game by any means but the subscription paywall just makes it not worth getting.

Do not buy this game. Pirate it so you can play with the indented experience without boning yourself out of like $200+.

It is one of the best games I have ever played. Great work. Very admirable concept and mechanics.

I have over 2k hours on this game, if I don't like it, there's something wrong with me. I also almost entirely play total overhaul mods in singleplayer.

Hearts of Iron IV – A Global Strategy Game Missing One Crucial Thing: Bill Laimbeer

Paradox Interactive’s Hearts of Iron IV is a sprawling, complex World War II grand strategy game that lets you rewrite the fate of nations. Want to see a communist Canada rise to power? Done. Curious how long Poland can hold off the Reich with only infantry and sheer nerve? You can try. The game boasts deep political systems, robust military mechanics, and historical flavor out the wazoo. But for all its detail, nuance, and alternate-history what-ifs, there is one glaring omission that makes HOI4 feel fundamentally incomplete:

There’s no Bill Laimbeer.

Yes. That Bill Laimbeer. The 6’11” center for the Detroit Pistons during the 1980s and early 90s. The man who became the poster child for “basketball villainy,” the enforcer of the infamous Bad Boys era, and perhaps the most hated player in NBA history. You can play as Hirohito, but not as Laimbeer? Stalin is in, but the guy who once clotheslined Larry Bird is out?

Unacceptable.

Let me be clear: Laimbeer wasn’t just a tall dude setting screens. He was the symbol of unapologetic brutality on the court. He led with elbows, boxed out with malice, and grinned through every ejection and technical foul like he was sipping tea at a funeral. The Pistons' entire philosophy under Chuck Daly — hit first, hit harder — was personified in Laimbeer’s smug, shot-contesting scowl. He'd rack up fouls like they were war crimes and still complain to refs like he was the victim.

And yet... the man could shoot. He was one of the earliest big men to reliably sink threes, stretching defenses before “stretch five” was even a term. Opponents despised him. Fans loved him — if he wore their jersey. Everyone else wanted to fight him in the parking lot.

Now imagine this: What if Laimbeer had been born in 1910s Michigan instead of 1950s Boston? What if he had risen not through the NCAA but through the ranks of the US Army General Staff? What if, instead of delivering forearms to the face of Kevin McHale, he delivered crushing encirclements against the Wehrmacht in 1943?

Would World War II have ended earlier? Possibly. Would Patton have punched him in the face? Almost definitely.

HOI4 is about rewriting history, and yet it refuses to ask: What if Bill Laimbeer commanded the Red Army? What if Laimbeer brokered the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, then suplexed Ribbentrop through a table? What if he opened a second front — in the locker room?

Paradox, I’m begging you. Modders can only do so much. The time has come for a

Laimbeer DLC

. Let him lead a faction — maybe “The Technical Foul Axis.” Give him a focus tree: “Flagrant Diplomacy,” “No Easy Buckets,” and “Rebound and Rebuild.” Give the player the power to elbow Churchill out of a conference.

Until then, I can only rate this game a 6/10. Great mechanics. Superb depth. But no Bill Laimbeer.

And that’s a foul.

i have 90 hours on this game and i dont feel bad about it, every time i end a session i feel sticky and dirty but i love it, i revel in my stink. I will do anything to expand communism's influence.

Fun Strategy Game however quite complicated but although it is once you understand it it is actually incredibly fun. 9.5/10 one of the best games I have ever palyed.

Great game if you are a fan of military history and strategy, lots of good mods also.

Greedy Developer that takes forever to fix issues in their games, each dlc breaks the game further making it even less fun

This game used to be amazing, most of my played hours come from launch period. Now, after years of DLC's, every country has excessively long focus trees which are unplayable unless you google the optimal strategy for each individual branch. You might want to try something new and different, but if you don't do the optimal build your country just turns to useless shit which forces a restart for hours on end. At least with EU4 you got centuries to play with, here it could be 3 months and your entire campaign is lost. Some might say I just need to "get good" or just grind it until you get the right build, but I do not think anyone can enjoy this game at it's current state with In-game "assistance" alone.

Some features of the game are pretty old, like the Japanese focus tree,,, however its still one of my favourite strat games

The only game i have played that you can drop 1000 hours, And still feel like you have no idea whats going on. pretty damn complex, tons of replay-ability. Its fun but quite difficult for new players, i would recommend it if you have the time to learn it and like history/ww2 era games. it also has a fantastic modding community, So you can make the game what you want it to be, only real negative i can say is that it requires alot of DLC . so wait for a sale or get the subscription if that is something your ok with.

I'm still really, really bad at this game, but I can't deny that it's a lot of fun

The game is great. But I cannot stand by their DLC situation. It's insane!!!

first game played as Japan .
Stayed neutral all the way too 1946.
Signs non aggression pact with the Soviet Union.
Immediately starts a war with usa.
jus got clapped and by hella nukes non stop.
100/1000 love this game never put so much thought how a game like this could have made me feel so happy about invading other countries 😭

In paradox games war is often an exciting climatic or resolution in your grand strategy game however, the mechanics for war in these games are often lacking and war is better handled by other kinds of strategy games. In hearts of iron one war is the entire game and while it has mechanics to make it more engaging and work a bit better than most paradox games, it is still an obtuse slog. Its played with generals that are suppose to move along lines you command so you don't have to micromanage the units but, they clump and leave openings which are often exploited by other AI generals. The game is balanced ahistorically for gameplay reasons. The farther you get into the game the slower you have to adjust the time speed of the game and the more you'll be likely to pause leading the game to creep on your real life time without you noticing. The community is also really bad, with most multiplayer servers requiring you to join a discord server that is essentially unmoderated and filled with the worst behavior, spam, hacking and disturbing content. And the player base is often meta focused and ascribe to the idea that theres only one right way to play a country.

Pros:
-You can finish a game in one sitting if you keep the game time speed up
-It has a lot of mechanics for war
-Lots of mods

Cons:
-Its just one big war and thats it, then its over
-Bad combat AI
-Bad diplomacy AI
-Aside the great powers most of the map is barren of resources, industry (or content in general)
-Every DLC that adds a microscopic addition to the game several of which are $37 (which should be the whole value of the game, and some mods will require you to have ALL dlc's to function)
-Bad multiplayer community

It is safe to say this is a game which is full of weird and absurd stuff but it is enjoyable enough. Id give the game a solid 8/10 but let me tell you a funny story of mine as a person who managed to play the game for 200 hours.


I had a gaming group consisting of 3 people. Three of us joined the Comintern (Brazil, Yugoslavia and myself as Sweden) and Mexico joined the Allies very early in. All started off well, with myself sticking out of the winter (I had my own designs on scandanavia), we all set to work to try and make ourselves super powerful. Mexico focused on navy and eventually became the third biggest naval power in the game, I focused on a small but elite force capable of hitting hard on any force it fights, Brazil went down an air force and marine route to support his later ally in Mexico in the invasion of Europe and Yugoslavia just got annexed early as they couldn't stop Germany and Hungary (especially as the Hungarian Al pulled off a masterful stroke of luck surrounding half his army).

With my powerful army on the rise, in 1939 I decided to give it a spin, I declared war on Norway. Completely vanquishing the Norwegian armies and further bringing it into my fold. Its added industry may be small but a major asset for me with lacking industry. Meanwhile, Germany is hard at work advancing further, 1939 would see them smash through and capitulate France, Belgium, The Netherlands and Poland. The Soviets would be hard at work too, with Communist China joining the Comintern due to some form of bug.

Start of 1940 and Hungary attacks Yugoslavia, causing a war between the Comintern and Axis, a war I stick out of for now. However now Sweden gets its time to shine. A moment of glory, and also a big dick move on my Brazil ally.

Both myself and Germany fabricate claims on Denmark and BOTH invade Denmark at the same time. I'd just successfully plunged the world into a war of Allies vs Axis vs Comintern. Poor Brazil.

And it was to get worse. I jumped in the war, absolutely crushing the initial German forces, getting to Hamburg before being stopped. My troops dug hard in, and the Germans attempted desperately to break through, occasionally pushing me back only for me to counterattack to take it right back. Even German industry could not keep up with the rate I was destroying it's equipment.

Then, in 1942 the Germans fell apart completely.

D-day occurred. Within a week the Allies had liberated Paris and Brussels. A month later the Swedish lines were holding back the Allies and Axis whilst also making gains into Germany. Alas, the Swedish war machine with no support managed to absolutely crush the Germans and reach Berlin before the Soviets got to Warsaw. I kept pushing and pushing eventually reaching Munich, beating the Allies back, with my friend as Mexico obliterating peoples navies.

Or so he thought until a lucky Russian torpedo bomber sank three of his carriers and a battleship.

By the time I stopped playing, Swedish and Soviet lines had met in Western Poland, Russia had just freed Yugoslavia, Swedish troops were just outside Paris and combined with Yugoslavia now it was free, were on the borders of Rome. It wasn't even 1943 yet.

I think Sweden plunging the world into a three way war was bad enough, but taking Berlin without assistance, watching a lone Russian Torpedo bomber knock out 4 modern capital ships and having Sweden as the third biggest industrial producer in the world must have counted for something.

I bought Hearts of Iron IV because I saw tens of thousands of people playing it on Steam and thought, “Hey, if that many people are into it, it’s gotta be good, right? Probably just Risk with better graphics.”

Wrong. So very wrong.

This game isn’t Risk. This is a full-blown world domination simulator built entirely out of spreadsheets, buttons, and pain. It’s like someone weaponized Excel and gave it historical trauma.

I started a game as Japan, thinking “Cool, I’ll conquer the Pacific like in the movies.” I didn’t even make it past 1938 before I’d completely derailed history. I invaded China with full confidence... and zero supply. My tanks ran out of fuel, my troops starved in the mountains, and I accidentally built more horses than actual weapons. My navy? Still stuck in port because I forgot to give them orders. Classic rookie admiral move.

Things only got worse when I tried to join multiplayer.

The chat hit me with:

“J A P rush 40w marines, meta is CAS-heavy micro, USA does AA spam, GER go 7-2s.”

I felt like I was reading secret military code. People were throwing out terms like "air meta" and "naval micro" like we were planning a real war. Someone told me to “rush AA with 40w support recon CAS” and I honestly considered uninstalling.

I asked what “7-2” meant and someone called me “Malta-tier.” I don’t know what that means, but I took it personally.

And look, I tried to get better. I even launched a naval invasion on the UK forgot convoys. My entire army just stood at the edge of France, staring across the channel like sad kids waiting for a school bus that doesn’t exist. Meanwhile, the British invaded me with paratroopers. I didn’t even know paratroopers were in the game. My capital fell before my invasion plan even got off the ground.

But then I discovered a mod.

Old World Blues.

And suddenly, it all clicked.

Now I’m not just failing at World War II I’m thriving in the Fallout universe. I’m leading an army of radioactive ghouls through post-apocalyptic Utah. I’ve got super mutants with rocket launchers. I invaded a toaster cult and took over a robot factory. I still don’t really know how combat width works, but at least now I can wear power armor while not knowing.

It’s way more intuitive, way more fun, and somehow I understand it. Probably because the game isn’t pretending to be historically accurate it’s just chaos, lasers, and lore. I’m still losing wars, but now it’s to talking bears and brain-in-a-jar dictators instead of Belgium. Huge improvement.

I understand navy a little but only because I am literate and I was tired of the British sinking 200 of my submarines with one ship and me not getting anything when I scrolled over a naval battle and observed the fact that submarines just sink ships that are running away not actual combat.

The sims 4 of war games, hella DLC that should be in base game, barely functional without mods, and 100% not worth your time

I honestly dont know what the actuall fck they did to this game. Its literally unplayable since the new DLC. Units disappear, units teleport, whole provinces change owner without reason. Cant support this policy anmore paradox. Stop the cashgrabbing and start working on your games properl.

the dlcs are overpriced af and ass.
its just annoying
wasted potential from a greedy developer

You want to lose your life?-You want to not understand the game for the first 50 hours?-You want to get absolutely destroyed by germany for your first houndred runs?
If you said yes to thoose questions this is the right game for you
This game will keep you playing it until 4 am and will destroy any form of relationship you can have.
I can only recommend this game if you want to suffer

Have played for 12 000 hours, still do not understand how the navy works.

What the fuck is this game? Million of buttons in UI and none of it is being properly explained. You can go fuck yourself with tutorial type of "Go to wiki and read nigga, reaaaaaaaaad!!!!!!!". If there were at least tutorial similar to CK3 and no im not going to watch some fucking youtuber explaining how game works, its up to developers to do it if they make game as complex as this one.

I would appreciate more if developers spend more time on improving tutorial than creating another Paradox DLC pyramid scheme.

Turned Ireland fascist. Took over the world with a bunch of gingers. 10/10 historically accurate

Hearts of Iron IV is a grand strategy masterpiece with incredible depth and replayability. Managing a nation through WWII feels both challenging and rewarding, especially with the variety of historical and alternate paths.

However, the steep learning curve and sometimes clunky UI can be overwhelming for new players. Also, the game relies heavily on DLCs for a complete experience.

Still, if you’re into strategy and history, this game is a must-have.

Game got good after spending over it's retail price on dlc

Also spend extra $5 aud for starter when on sale

I keep coming back to this game like a dog returns to its vomit. Easily the largest skeleton in my closet and most unfuckable red flag of mine. Obligatory don't give your money to a bunch of Swedes who need generative AI to hold their hand through basic fucking tasks, here's a list of more entertaining and smarter things to do with your time.
Text your Ex
Do whippets while driving
Bum cigs from strangers and tell them you love them
Shave your head
Get a pintrest tattoo
Threaten TSA staff
Get an Associate's Degree
Buy homeless people beer
Start a secret family in TJ
Join the Peace Corps
Buy a gun to pull out at parties and tell people "how fucked up would it be if I shot myself rn"
Feed crows until they follow you around
stalk your local representative.