Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia

Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia is a strategy game from Creative Assembly and the first entry in the new Total War Saga sub-series, which focuses on narrower but historically striking moments instead of the sprawling continental campaigns of the main series. The story is set in the year 878 in the British Isles, shortly after the great Viking raids, when the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, Welsh principalities, Scottish clans, and newly settled Norse settlers fight for control of a fragmented Britain, with none strong enough to rule the island alone.

Compared to the main entries in the series, the map and the number of factions are significantly smaller, which allows for a more detailed treatment of regional politics, religious tension between Christians and pagans, and unique mechanics tied to settlement, colonization, and the assimilation of conquered territories by local cultures. The game keeps the classic combination of a turn-based strategic layer and real-time battles, but thanks to its narrower thematic and map scope it feels tighter and moves faster toward decisive clashes over the island's fate than the series' sprawling main titles, whose campaigns can drag on for hundreds of turns without a clear climax. The Saga sub-series was thus conceived from the start as a shorter, more accessible, and cheaper alternative to the large, years-in-development main entries of the series. Even so, it retains its own system of faction abilities, temporary alliances, and family lines, so even on a smaller scale it offers plenty of room for distinct playstyles among the individual kingdoms.

Why play it: Thrones of Britannia is a good choice for players who want to experience Total War on a more intimate and quickly graspable scale, focused on one specific historical period and a bounded territory instead of an entire continent. It will appeal to those who prefer a shorter, tighter campaign with a clear ending over the dozens of hours of the main series' sprawling continental map, while not wanting to sacrifice the depth of internal politics.