Total War is a series of strategy games created by the British company Creative Assembly for personal computers. These games mix turn-based strategy and resource management with real-time battle control. Unlike many other real-time strategy games, flanking moves and group arrangements are very important in the game. The first game in the series, Shogun: Total War, was released in June 2000. The most recent major game, Total War: Pharaoh, was released on October 11, 2023. By April 2021, the series had sold more than 36 million copies.
Main games
Shogun: Total War was released in June 2000. It is the first game in the series and is set in feudal Japan. The single-player version includes videos that show possible choices players can make, such as converting to Christianity. The original Shogun was not widely popular but gained a loyal group of fans. An expansion pack called The Mongol Invasion was included with the original game in the Warlord Edition.
Medieval: Total War was released in August 2002. It uses the same game engine as Shogun and takes players to medieval Europe. The expansion pack is called Viking Invasion, and the combined version is called the Battle Collection. This game was one of the best-selling titles in the Total War series.
Rome: Total War was released in 2004 and is set in the Roman Republic. It introduced free map movement, allowing players to move freely instead of being limited to specific regions as in earlier games. This was the first game in the series to use a 3D map. The first expansion pack, Barbarian Invasion, was released on September 27, 2005. A Gold Edition of the game, which combined the original and its first expansion on one DVD, was released on February 14, 2006. A Mac version of the Gold Edition was released on February 12, 2010. A second expansion, Rome: Total War: Alexander, came out on June 19, 2006. A compilation of the original game and both expansions, called Rome: Total War Anthology, was released on March 16, 2007. The series also includes popular fan-made modifications, such as Europa Barbarorum and Rome: Total Realism, which aim to improve historical accuracy. A mobile version of the game, offering a simplified version, was also released. Rome: Total War won many awards for its realistic campaign and battlefield features. A remastered version, Total War: Rome Remastered, was released on April 29, 2021.
Medieval II: Total War, a sequel to Medieval: Total War, was released on November 10, 2006, in Europe and November 14, 2006, in North America. The game includes more detailed characters and covers the Age of Discovery, including the colonization of the Americas, as well as the Mongol and Timurid invasions. An expansion pack called Kingdoms was released on August 28, 2007. The Gold Edition, which includes the original game and the expansion, was released on February 1, 2008. The Kingdoms expansion includes four campaigns: the Britannia Campaign in the British Isles in 1258, the Crusades Campaign in the Middle East in 1174, the Teutonic Campaign in Eastern Europe in 1250, and the Americas Campaign in the New World in 1521 during the decline of the Aztec and Maya civilizations.
Empire: Total War was announced on August 22, 2007, and had been secretly developed since the release of Barbarian Invasion. Players choose an 18th-century faction and work to dominate the world through military, diplomacy, espionage, and economics. This game introduced real-time 3D naval battles for the first time in the series. It also allowed provinces to function independently, adding realism to how production and technology develop outside of capitals. Empire: Total War was released on March 3, 2009, in North America and March 4, 2009, in Europe. An expansion pack called Warpath was released in October 2009. Warpath is set in the Americas and allows players to control five Native American nations. While the game received praise for its innovation, it also faced criticism for technical issues, which Sega claims were later resolved. Empire: Total War was the first game in the series to use Steamworks DRM and achievements. A mobile version was released on November 21, 2024, for iOS and Android.
Napoleon: Total War was released on February 23, 2010, in North America and February 26, 2010, in Europe. The game focuses on the politics and major military campaigns of the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. It was released in multiple editions, including the Standard, Imperial, and Emperor’s Editions. Players take the role of Napoleon Bonaparte or his rivals on a turn-based map and fight battles in real time. Like Empire: Total War, Napoleon includes three campaigns: the Italian, Egyptian, and European campaigns, as well as the Battle of Waterloo. A separate campaign called Campaigns of the Coalition lets players control Great Britain, Austria, Prussia, or Russia across Europe. Another campaign, the Peninsular Campaign, is available as downloadable content and focuses on the Iberian Peninsula. A Gold Edition for Mac was released on June 3, 2013.
On June 2, 2010, Creative Assembly released a preview of Total War: Shogun 2, set in 16th-century Japan during the Sengoku Jidai (the Warring States period). The game’s battle engine supports up to 56,000 soldiers in a single battle, more than in Napoleon. Shogun 2 is the first game in the series to use the franchise’s name as the primary title. It was released on March 15, 2011.
Total War: Shogun 2: Fall of the Samurai is a standalone expansion released in March 2012. It explores the conflict between the Imperial throne and the last Shogun during the Boshin War in 19th-century Japan, 300 years after the original game. Six new playable clans are added, along with four downloadable clans. Players can also interact with Britain, the United States, and France through trade and military support. New features include land and sea unit interactions, such as offshore artillery, coastal gun emplacements, and campaign map bombardments. Other additions include railway networks, ironclad warships, improved siege mechanics, new agent types, the ability to control two armies on the battlefield, and a third-person shooter for torpedo gunboats and coastal batteries. A multiplayer system was also updated.
On July 2, 2012, Creative Assembly announced Total War: Empire.
Spin-off games
Spartan: Total Warrior was created by Creative Assembly and released in 2005 for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube. It is an action game where players fight enemies in battles inspired by Greek and Roman mythology rather than real history. Players control a Spartan warrior guided by the god Ares, who must defeat the Roman Empire. The game includes two modes: a campaign with 14 levels and an arena battle where players survive increasingly difficult enemy attacks. A later game called Viking: Battle for Asgard was released in 2008, but it no longer uses the "Total Warrior" name.
Total War: Arena was a free-to-play game that stopped being available in February 2019.
Total War: Elysium is a planned free-to-play strategy game where players use digital collectible cards to control generals from history in battles against other players.
Total War Battles: Shogun was released on April 20, 2012, for iOS devices. It was also released for Android and Windows. Set in medieval Japan, the game uses real-time strategy, combining troop management, combat, and building. Players can use samurai, archers, ninjas, and cavalry. The battle system uses hexagon tiles for movement, and units must follow the "Bushido" code, meaning they cannot move backward once they advance. The game supports 1 vs. 1 local multiplayer.
Total War Battles: Kingdom entered open beta on PC on March 9, 2015, after a limited closed beta. Set in medieval England, the game combines realm building and real-time battles. It was released for PC, Android, and iOS but is no longer available as support ended on April 28, 2022.
Total War Battles: Warhammer is the next game in the Total War: Battles series. Developed by NetEase, it is officially licensed by Creative Assembly and Games Workshop. The game will bring strategic gameplay from the Warhammer Fantasy Battles world to mobile devices worldwide. It will support Android and iOS platforms.