The best Crusader Kings 3 mods

Want to add a little spice with some Crusader Kings 3 mods? The base game may be great, but a good deal of the series' longevity is based around mods and how they reimagine what's already there, or even fill in details. Community Flavor Pack, for example, one of the most popular CK3 mods around, isn't a complete overhaul, but instead fills out gaps in cultural and historical representation with portrait ornaments.

There are all sorts of CK3 mods out there, from the smallest quality-of-life changes to save you time and effort in the main game, to complete overhauls, turning CK3 into Lord of the Rings, the Sengoku Jidai period in Japan, or shattering the map into numerous isolated kingdoms. 

CK3's modding potential is still vast, so we've gathered some of the best around to try out in your own game. We'll continue to add more as time goes on, so expect the list to change. For now, here are some of the best CK3 mods.

Total conversion mods

Lord of the Rings: Realms in Exile

When it comes to strategy games, Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones are two staple mods that you'll consistently see, and Crusader Kings 3 is no different. Lord of the Rings: Realms in Exile is a total conversion mod that reimagines CK3 in Middle Earth, along with its very own map, and iconic characters from the setting.  If you're an LoTR or fantasy fan, this mod might well be for you.

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Shogunate

Ever wanted to embroil yourself in the machinations of 16th century Japan? Shogunate is a total conversion mod that moves Crusader Kings 3 to Japan's Sengoku jidai, and includes famous families and figures from the era. CK3's  scheming and push for power and political supremacy translate extremely well to this historical period.

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Princes of Darkness

Crusader Kings lends itself to any intrigue-laden setting, which is why the CK2 Game of Thrones mod was such a perfect fit. But if you're looking for intrigue, you'll find just as much in the World of Darkness. Princes of Darkness lets you play as a vampire in the universe of Vampire: The Masquerade, immortal and thirsty. You can feed on mortals, sire new vampires, develop mental and magical powers, and even craft your own undead culture. Based on a CK2 mod, it's already fairly developed, and it really takes advantage of CK3's religious system, which is how you'll set the rules and rituals of your vampire society.

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The Bronze Age: Maryannu

A Total War Saga: Troy has given me a real itch for Bronze Age strategy, and The Bronze Age: Maryannu is here to help me scratch it. It's a historical total conversion that whisks us back another couple of thousand years to a custom map focusing on the Aegean and Near East. That means new cultures and religions, with unique mechanics and innovations to match them. You can rule Egypt as a pharaoh, consult the oracles, send chariots into combat, and the team's also started designing new outfits for your characters. 

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Character mods

Community Flavor Pack

For those Crusader Kings' fans who want a further level of realism and historical authenticity, the Community Flavor Pack by El Tyrannos is perfect for sprucing up your court of characters. This mod adds countless historical portrait accessories to better express the full range of playable cultures available in the game, while also retaining the same visual style—honestly, it's difficult to tell this is even a mod. Community Flavor Pack was also named 'Favorite Mod' at the PDX Community Awards in 2021.

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Nameplates

When it comes to quality of life, even small changes can make a big difference. As Crusader Kings 3 mods go, Nameplates is a pretty simple one, making it easier to identify characters in events by listing their name, title, and relations. It's a tiny change, but it means you don't have to remember a million faces and who everyone is when making decisions. Do be aware that this mod disables achievements and character tooltips, though.

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Barbershop for Everyone + Fullscreen Barbershop

CK3's barbershop lets you dress up your ruler and give them a haircut, and thanks to Fullscreen Barbershop you can now show off your character in all their glory. You can tweak their appearance from a dropdown menu, as well as selecting their pose and background. Add your spouse and heir, move them around, and pose them too. It's fun! The mod also comes with Barbershop for Everyone, which lets you change the appearance of anyone, not just your ruler. 

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Immortality

You've already forged an empire, so what's next? How about discovering the secret of immortality, and the power to bestow it on others? The Immortality mod gives you a bunch of decisions, including granting and taking away immortality from yourself and others, setting your visual age and curing diseases and wounds. From there, you might as well start your own religion. 

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Map mods

Shattered World

Shattered World was an official CK2 mode and, before that, a CK2 mod that broke up the map into independent counties. No more kingdoms. Just countless tiny realms vying for supremacy. CK3's Shattered World mod does the same, and once again you can choose how shattered it actually is, so you can split everything up into duchies instead of counties. It levels the playing field a bit and makes everything a lot more unpredictable.

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City of Wonders 2

Cities of Wonders 2 introduces another type of holding to your counties: the metropolis. It's a hybrid that's part castle, part city, so you can finally have a holding that makes you gold and has nice thick walls. A metropolis also nets you more unique buildings, and depending on who you're playing, you might start with one already on the map. 

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Gameplay mods

Very Immersive Events and Tales

This sequel mod to VIET Events Reborn for Crusader Kings' 2 adds heap of new events to CK3 with the focus of enriching your everyday life in the game. These experiences and questlines are all about what happens in-between the big stuff like wars and political machinations, and range from “eating local cuisine to epic tales about love, philosophy, and the human condition”. Perfect if you feel like a little extra roleplay and want to flesh out a character.

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Tony Hawk's Pro Crusaders 1+2

Did CK3 need skating? Nope. Does it benefit from skating? A lot, it turns out. This mod adds the Skater lifestyle trait along with stress-reducing choices to go shred at the skate park and other skating events. Apparently Genghis Khan spawns as a Skate Legend who will never attack a fellow skater, so that's handy. This mod has now also added “Skatrilineal Succession” by which the crown passes to the best skater in the land as chosen by the Council of Skate Electors. 

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Cheat mods

Daddy Pika's Cheat Menu

If you can't be arsed staring at lists of Crusader Kings 3 console commands and laboriously typing them out—who has the time?—then this cheat menu should come in handy. If you want to edit a character, for instance, you just right click on them and open up the cheat menu you're interested in, letting you change their stats or edit their appearance without any hassle. You can also use it to get rich, spawn troops, kill characters and cure all your awful diseases. 

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