#15
I started a campaign as Holland, which felt right for a Dutch player, and within an hour I was reading about trade markets, population groups and estates instead of fighting anyone. Europa Universalis V is the deepest statecraft sandbox here, a game about centuries of administration. It asks for far more patience than Crusader Kings III. It is also new enough that its reputation is still settling, and the main ten wanted proven names. Expect to spend your first evening just reading tooltips.