Total War: Three Kingdoms (2019)

Coalitions, trade agreements and the relationships between officers can change which wars are worth fighting. The campaign therefore gives you reasons to study a potential ally as carefully as an enemy army. Begin with the base game's main campaign before buying alternate-period packs. This combines turn-based government with real-time battles, adding a separate skill to learn. Its larger-than-life treatment of the historical epic is appealing if you want diplomacy tied to recognisable loyalties and rivalries.