Choosing a nation
Your very first decision is which nation to lead, and it reshapes the entire game. Every country starts with its own population, GDP, government type, military and terrain — so the same 25 years feel completely different depending on who you pick.
How it works
The roster is large — roughly 174 playable nations — and none of them are cosmetic swaps. Each carries its own starting economy, regime, army/navy/air strength and geography, and the game records a snapshot of those starting values (per-capita GDP, development, stability, military, population) the moment you begin. That snapshot is what your final reign is graded against, so where you start matters as much as where you finish.
Superpowers hand you a huge economy and military out of the gate, but they draw scrutiny: play aggressively and rival AI nations begin forming an anti-hegemony coalition against you, and other leaders can nurse grudges that surface later in your intelligence briefings. Small nations start weak but carry enormous upside — the endgame scoring measures growth relative to your own starting point, so a tiny country that multiplies its economy can out-score a giant that merely coasts.
Because there is no single 'correct' pick, think about which victory path you want before choosing. A rich, stable nation favours a technology or trade run; a large-population state has demographic weight; a militarily strong one can pursue conquest or hegemony. The nation you select simply decides which of those paths starts easiest.
Key numbers
How to play
- ▸Pick a superpower for a forgiving economy, but expect coalitions to form if you expand aggressively.
- ▸Pick a small nation for the highest 'reign score' ceiling — growth is measured against your own starting point.
- ▸Match your nation to a win path: rich/stable for tech or trade, large for population, strong army for conquest.
- ▸Note your starting stats — the final verdict compares your finish to exactly this starting snapshot.