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If you want games like Kingdom Come: Deliverance, start with Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. It is the closest overall match: a medieval-European open world built around reactive choices, skill-based progression and authentic real-time combat. Your other best options depend on what you want to preserve. Choose Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord for an emergent medieval sandbox, Pentiment for a history-first investigation, or The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt for a much larger fantasy adventure with similarly dense quests and consequential choices.
This guide separates realistic medieval RPGs from fantasy games with medieval scenery. It compares historical fidelity, combat, progression, narrative structure, exploration and the amount of friction each game expects you to accept.
Quick comparison: which game should you play?
| Game | Historical or fantasy setting | Main structure | Combat and progression emphasis | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingdom Come: Deliverance II | Medieval Europe during a civil war | Authored open-world action RPG with reactive choices | Skill-based, authentic real-time combat and character progression | Players who want the closest continuation of Kingdom Come’s grounded role-play |
| Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord | Medieval-inspired world | Open-world sandbox with factions, armies and emergent campaigns | Large-scale battles, political maneuvering and campaign systems | Players who prefer freedom and consequences generated by systems over a fixed personal story |
| Pentiment | Sixteenth-century Bavaria | Investigation-driven narrative adventure | Dialogue, evidence gathering, social choices and long-term consequences | Players who value period detail and writing more than swordplay |
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | Dark fantasy open world | Large authored adventure with branching quests | Action combat, exploration, monster hunting and consequential choices | Players willing to trade historical accuracy for fantasy breadth |
What makes a good Kingdom Come: Deliverance alternative?
“Historical RPG” can describe very different experiences. One game may recreate a period’s social pressures and material culture while using little combat; another may borrow medieval weapons and politics but build an entirely fictional world. Before choosing, decide which parts of Kingdom Come matter most to you.
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Historical fidelity versus fantasy
Kingdom Come’s appeal comes from a recognizable medieval-European setting rather than magic, monsters or invented mythology. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II stays in that lane. Pentiment also treats its historical setting seriously, placing its investigation in sixteenth-century Bavaria and presenting the period through illustrated art inspired by illuminated manuscripts and printed woodcuts.
Bannerlord is medieval in its factions, warfare and social structure, but it is a sandbox rather than a reconstruction of a named historical place and time. The Witcher 3 is deliberately different: its world is dark fantasy, and monsters and magic are central to the experience. It can satisfy a player seeking medieval atmosphere and complex choices, but it is not a realistic medieval RPG.
Authored story versus emergent campaign
Kingdom Come follows a defined protagonist and uses quests to shape a personal story. Bannerlord instead gives you a campaign framework in which armies, faction politics and other systems create unexpected outcomes. There is no single substitute for the authored journey if you choose Bannerlord; its strength is deciding what kind of medieval power you want to build.
Pentiment sits at the opposite end from Bannerlord. It is tightly focused on investigation, conversation and the effects of decisions across generations. The Witcher 3 combines an authored central character with a broad open world full of optional stories.
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Combat is one of the fastest ways to identify the right game. Kingdom Come’s model rewards learning a skill-based, real-time system and living with the results of your character’s abilities. Bannerlord emphasizes battlefield command and campaign management in addition to individual fighting. Pentiment is not a sword-fighting simulation at all; its tension comes from interpreting evidence and choosing whom to trust. The Witcher 3 offers streamlined action combat built around a monster hunter’s tools and abilities.
Also consider how much routine you enjoy. Survival pressures, crafting, preparation and slower skill growth can make a world feel convincing, but they can also interrupt a story. If you want the atmosphere without as much friction, The Witcher 3 is the more accommodating choice. If you want systems to generate stories, Bannerlord is the better experiment.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II — the closest overall match
Why it is the first recommendation
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is an action RPG set amid a medieval civil war. Its official description combines an open medieval-European world, reactive choices, skill-based progression and authentic real-time combat—the same cluster of features that defines the original’s appeal. The central promise is systemic: “Your actions determine Henry’s fate and how the world reacts to him.”
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- Live life through the eyes and actions of Henry, a young man on a quest to avenge his murdered parents. His story – illustrated with over five hours of stunning cinematics – takes him from aspiring warrior to rebel, crossing paths with a charismatic cast of characters and an unforgettable set of adventures, as he goes up against the King of Hungary, Sigismund the Red Fox and his fearsome allies.
- Your actions shape Henry’s destiny and how the world will react to him. Customize freely his appearance, skills and equipment while taking a moral stance on the events around you. Travel round the land engaging in unique activities, such as blacksmithing and archery, to truly immerse yourself in this vibrant region of Europe that will remember your actions, forever.
- This stunningly authentic rendition of 15th Century Bohemia allows you to experience this fascinating setting like never before. Get lost in a sprawling city, engage with peasants and talk with nobles while exploring a vast and rich countryside with taverns, bath houses, castles and more.
- Feel the clash of steel and visceral combat as you engage in thrilling real-time battles. There’s a range of authentic weapons and combat styles to suit every player. On foot, horse or by stealth, you can specialise in elegant sword mastery, brutal blunt weapons or deadly ranged attacks.
That makes it the safest choice for someone asking what to play after Kingdom Come: Deliverance. You keep the grounded setting, the emphasis on learning your character’s capabilities and the sense that conversations and actions can alter your situation. It is not merely another game with castles and swords; it follows the same design priorities.
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- Choose it if historical atmosphere matters more than supernatural spectacle.
- Choose it if you want a named protagonist and authored quests rather than a purely player-generated campaign.
- Choose it if learning a demanding real-time combat system is part of the appeal.
- Choose it if reactive choices and social consequences are more important than instant power growth.
Packages and availability
The official page lists Standard, Royal and Saga packages. Which editions and platforms you can buy depends on your country and the storefront you use, so verify the live listing before purchasing. Treat package names as edition labels, not as a guarantee that every regional store carries the same contents.
Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord — the best medieval sandbox
What changes compared with Kingdom Come
Bannerlord is the strongest alternative when your priority is an open-ended medieval campaign. Comparative coverage places it in the open-world medieval sandbox category: armies, faction politics and emergent events are the point. Instead of following one carefully authored life, you decide how your character participates in a shifting political and military landscape.
This difference is substantial. Kingdom Come asks you to inhabit a particular character’s story; Bannerlord asks you to create a campaign and respond to the systems around it. A battle, alliance or political decision can redirect your plans because the world is designed to produce situations rather than deliver only prewritten set pieces.
Why sandbox players prefer it
- Army scale: You can think in terms of forces and campaigns rather than only personal encounters.
- Faction politics: Power relationships and allegiance are central to the medieval fantasy of the game.
- Emergent stories: Your memorable moments come from combinations of systems and decisions.
- Replay value: A different campaign premise can lead to a different chain of conflicts.
Who should avoid it
Bannerlord is a poor substitute if what you miss is a tightly paced protagonist story, carefully staged investigations or a historically specific social world. Its medieval setting supports the sandbox, but it does not reproduce Kingdom Come’s authored character arc. Confirm current platform editions for your region before adding it to a shopping list.
Pentiment — the best history-first narrative alternative
A different kind of historical RPG
Pentiment is set in the sixteenth-century Bavarian Alps and follows Andreas Maler through murders, scandals and intrigue. Its visual identity is built around the language of illuminated manuscripts and printed woodcuts, creating a living illustrated world rather than a conventional combat-focused RPG.
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- MEDIEVAL ACTION RPG — Explore 15th-century Bohemia in a single-player action RPG set amid the chaos of a civil war.
- HENRY’S JOURNEY — Follow Henry of Skalitz on a quest to avenge his murdered parents, in a story of revenge, betrayal, and discovery illustrated by over five hours of cinematics.
- SHAPE YOUR DESTINY — Customize Henry’s appearance, skills, and equipment, take a moral stance, and make choices that shape how the world reacts to him.
- EXPLORE BOHEMIA — Travel through a sprawling city and rich countryside, meeting peasants and nobles and discovering taverns, bathhouses, castles, and more.
- LIVE A MEDIEVAL LIFE — Take part in activities such as blacksmithing and archery as you immerse yourself in an authentic rendition of 15th-century Bohemia.
Obsidian describes the core activity plainly: “Conduct your own investigation to decide the fate of the community, but each decision will have lasting consequences.” That is the feature to focus on. You gather information, interpret people and make social choices whose effects can extend across generations.
Why it belongs on this list
Pentiment answers the “historical RPG without magic” request from the narrative side rather than the combat side. It treats period detail, institutions and community relationships as the source of drama. If your favorite Kingdom Come moments involve talking to residents, weighing conflicting accounts and seeing a decision reshape local life, Pentiment may be more satisfying than another sword-fighting game.
What it does not provide
- It is not a real-time melee combat simulation.
- It does not offer a large free-roaming medieval battlefield sandbox.
- Its progression is driven by investigation, dialogue and consequences rather than equipment mastery.
Choose Pentiment when writing, atmosphere and historical context are your non-negotiables. Do not choose it expecting a replacement for Kingdom Come’s physical combat loop.
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- Experience the events with the eyes of Heinrich, a young man who moves to avenge the murder of his parents
- The authentic rendition of the 15th-century bohemiah gives you the opportunity to experience this fascinating environment like never before
- Customize Heinrich's appearance, skills and equipment to your liking
- The Gold Edition includes the game, the "Expansion Pass" DLC, bonus quest "Lion Crests" DLC and the DLC "Equipment of the Brave Hunter"
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — the best fantasy-adjacent option
Shared strengths
The Witcher 3 shares several structural pleasures with Kingdom Come: a large explorable world, dense questing, dynamic combat and choices that can produce meaningful consequences. CD PROJEKT RED frames it as an adventure in a dark-fantasy open world, centered on Geralt and his work as a monster hunter.
Its size and variety make it a natural recommendation for players who want another substantial journey after Kingdom Come. Optional stories, exploration and character-driven quests can occupy you for a long time, while the central narrative gives the world direction.
The decisive trade-off
The Witcher 3 is not historically strict. Monsters, magic and a fictional setting are foundational, not optional decorations. Its combat is also designed around the abilities and tools of a professional monster hunter rather than the grounded skill progression of Kingdom Come.
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That makes it an adjacent recommendation. Select it when narrative breadth, exploration and fantasy systems matter more than recreating medieval life. The Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine expansions add further story content for players who want to continue in the same world.
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Authenticity is not a single technical feature. A 2023 University of Edinburgh article by Cook on the aesthetics of authenticity in Kingdom Come: Deliverance treats the feeling of historical truth as something built through presentation, material detail and player expectations, not only through a checklist of facts.
Use that distinction when comparing these games. Kingdom Come and Pentiment pursue authenticity through different routes: one emphasizes embodied role-play and social systems in a medieval-European world; the other emphasizes visual language, investigation and community history in sixteenth-century Bavaria. Bannerlord uses a medieval framework to support emergent play, while The Witcher 3 uses recognizable medieval motifs as the foundation for a fantasy setting.
The practical test is whether the game’s compromises are the ones you can accept. A historically grounded game can still simplify politics or combat for playability. A fantasy game can still deliver stronger character writing or more convincing consequences. Decide which kind of authenticity you want before treating “medieval” as a sufficient label.
A decision guide for choosing your next game
- Start with realism. If you want medieval Europe without magic and monsters, choose Kingdom Come: Deliverance II first. Consider Pentiment if investigation is more important than fighting.
- Choose your story shape. Select Bannerlord for an emergent campaign shaped by factions and armies. Select Kingdom Come: Deliverance II or The Witcher 3 for a directed protagonist-led journey.
- Choose your combat expectation. If you want skill-based real-time melee, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is the closest fit. If you want battles at army scale, Bannerlord is the better match. If you want a fantasy action system, choose The Witcher 3.
- Decide how much friction you enjoy. Look for the game that makes preparation, slower progression and systemic consequences feel rewarding rather than inconvenient.
- Check exploration needs. For a medieval-European open world, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is the direct choice. For a world generated by campaigns and political shifts, choose Bannerlord. For a fantasy world packed with quests, choose The Witcher 3.
- Verify availability. Edition names, platforms and storefront listings can vary by country. Check the current regional store page before buying, particularly for Kingdom Come: Deliverance II’s Standard, Royal and Saga packages.
Which game fits common player requests?
“I want a realistic medieval RPG without magic.”
Choose Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. It is the closest match to that exact request. Pentiment is the alternative if you are happy to replace combat with historical investigation.
“I want something after Kingdom Come: Deliverance.”
Begin with Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, then choose based on the feature you want to change. Move to Bannerlord for more sandbox freedom, Pentiment for more historical storytelling or The Witcher 3 for fantasy scale.
“I want a medieval open world where my decisions matter.”
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II offers reactive choices in an authored action RPG. Bannerlord creates consequences through campaigns, factions and armies. The Witcher 3 provides branching choices inside a dark-fantasy adventure.
“I care about history more than combat.”
Pentiment is the clearest recommendation. Its setting, art direction and investigation mechanics make period detail the central experience rather than background scenery.
Quick Recap
Common mistakes when picking a Kingdom Come alternative
- Equating medieval scenery with historical accuracy: The Witcher 3 looks medieval in places but is fundamentally dark fantasy.
- Expecting every RPG to use the same combat rhythm: Bannerlord’s battlefield focus and Pentiment’s investigation cannot replace Kingdom Come’s personal melee loop.
- Choosing a sandbox for an authored story: Bannerlord excels at emergent campaigns, not at reproducing one carefully paced hero’s journey.
- Choosing a narrative adventure for swordplay: Pentiment is about evidence, conversation and consequences, not combat mastery.
- Ignoring regional availability: Editions and platforms can differ by country, so verify the current listing before purchase.
Final recommendation
For the closest experience, play Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. It preserves the medieval-European setting, reactive decisions, skill-based progression and authentic real-time combat that define the series. Choose Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord when you want the best sandbox, Pentiment when historical investigation matters most, and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt when you are willing to trade strict realism for a broader fantasy adventure.
