Paradox’s Hearts of Iron 4 provides a blank canvas for its sizable modding community. Even though vanilla HOI4 offers a strong World War II simulator, the real fun often begins through its total conversion mods. These ambitious projects dismantle the base game’s setting, transforming familiar campaigns into entirely new worlds.
Hearts Of Iron 4: Best Division Templates
Which Divison Templates should you utilize in Hearts of Iron 4? Here are the best ones!
2 By Nathan DawberJun 11, 2025
Whether it’s a dieselpunk nightmare, a brony-fueled continent, or a world where the Central Powers are still alive and kicking, these mods demonstrate that HOI4 is only as predictable as its most unhinged modder.
Kaiserreich: Legacy Of The Weltkrieg
The Central Powers Triumphant
- Mod Author(s): The Kaiserdevs, et al.
- Mod Link
Kaiserreich is an institution unto itself. With a modding legacy that predates HOI4, Kaiserreich is a great place to start for alternate history enthusiasts. Its premise is simple: the Central Powers win World War I in 1919, upending the 20th century in every possible way. The result is an unpredictable network of new nations, ideologies, and personalities vying for dominance in a world teetering on the brink of another war. Players can guide syndicalist Britain, a resurgent Germany, the battered US, or any number of minor states with their own bespoke focus trees and stories.
Kaiserreich’s biggest strength is its attention to the narrative. Military appointments, all the way to the fate of exiled monarchs, are steeped in consequences. It’s easy to spend hundreds of hours exploring every branching path. Just when players think they’ve seen it all, something wholly unexpected rears its head!
The New Order: Last Days Of Europe
A Cold War Dystopia
- Mod Author(s): The New Order Developers, et al.
- Mod Link
This one is for the Wolfenstein fans out there. The New Order is set in the 1960s, where Germany’s Nazi Empire has conquered Eurasia but is now in terminal decline, plunging HOI4 into a dystopian alternate Cold War. The mod is famous for its content bloat, a term of endearment among its fans, with every major power coming equipped with pages (and pages) of unique decisions, event chains, and custom mechanics.
From the fractured Reich to the panicked scramble of Russian warlords, TNO excels in narrative-driven design. The writing is dark and unafraid to tackle a bleak subject, although it isn’t for newbies to the game. Players who appreciate a heavy dose of storytelling with their strategy can’t go wrong with The New Order.
Millennium Dawn
Dealing With Contemporary Political Challenges
- Mod Author(s): Millennium Dawn Mod, et al.
- Mod Link
Most HOI4 mods inhabit the past, but Millennium Dawn takes the action into the 21st century. Players can command any country in the modern world while facing down contemporary threats like terrorism, economic collapse, or the slow grind of democratic reform. Millennium Dawn emphasizes political maneuvering: managing globalist institutions is as important as traditional warfare. The tech tree is overhauled to reflect modern equipment and doctrine, and the economic system now requires a deft hand at macro and micro-management.
Best Age Of Empires 4 Mods You Should Try
To spice up the gameplay of Age of Empires 4, there are a couple of fantastic mods players can try.
1 By Ritwik MitraFeb 26, 2025
Millennium Dawn doesn’t shy away from modern controversies, either. Events are sometimes dry and procedural, but the ambition of modernizing HOI4’s systems makes Millennium Dawn a must-play for anyone who wants to see how far the engine can stretch.
Old World Blues
Fallout Meets Grand Strategy
- Mod Author(s): President Tandi, tran, HappyNTH, Zusk
- Mod Link
A total conversion mod set in the radioactive ruins of Fallout’s post-nuclear America? Sounds too good to be true, right? The mod rips out HOI4’s industrial backbone, replacing it with scavenged scrap, tribal feuds, and Vault-Tec malfeasance. Every faction, ranging from the NCR and Caesar’s Legion to Mr. House, gushes with character. Old World Blues captures the aesthetics and humor of Fallout, while also introducing novel mechanics that fit the franchise: population is precious, supplies are scarce, and pre-war tech can win or lose a campaign.
The focus trees are characteristically weird, and the event chains are simultaneously irreverent and satisfying. It’s a fresh breath of irradiated air, offering a unique spin on grand strategy.
Cold War Iron Curtain: A World Divided
Post-WW2 Tension
- Mod Author(s): swf541, et al.
- Mod Link
For players who want to relive the nightmare-inducing chess game of the postwar world, Cold War Iron Curtain is the definitive experience. The mod recreates the geopolitical tension of the 1949-1984 era, right down to the proliferation of nuclear weapons, covert operations, and proxy wars. Iron Curtain offers a granular political simulator, forcing players to contend with internal stability and the omnipresent risk of Mutually Assured Destruction.
Unlike vanilla HOI4, where direct warfare is the player’s bread and butter, Iron Curtain induces careful diplomacy and long-term planning. The new tech tree reflects the jet age, the space race, and alternate historical what-ifs thrown in for good measure. The mod’s writing is less bombastic than some of its peers, but its commitment to realism makes it a must-try for history buffs.
Equestria At War
Ponies At War
- Mod Author(s): Equestria At War Team, MrScroup
- Mod Link
Don’t laugh. This brony-powered mod is one of the most sophisticated total conversions in the HOI4 mod library. Equestria at War reimagines the world of My Little Pony as a continent-spanning struggle between magical empires, anarchist changelings, and undead necromancers. It sounds ridiculous, but the quality of the writing and custom assets put most “serious” mods to shame.
One minute, players are annexing crystal ponies, the next, they’re facing down a fascist uprising in Griffonia. The mod is easy to learn and offers staggering depth, with dozens of playable factions and secret events tucked away. It’s become a cult classic, and even skeptics end up admitting that the horses know what they’re doing…
The Great War
Mud & Blood
- Mod Author(s): Wolferos
- Mod Link
Sometimes, simple is best. The Great War mod drops players in the trenches of World War I, complete with mud, attrition, and a brutal sense of inevitability, one in which breakthroughs are rare and mass assaults come at a devastating cost. In addition, the research tree is appropriately balanced to reflect the lethargic pace of early 20th-century warfare.
Best Games Based On World War 1
Meeting the best depictions of World War 1 regardless of the genre.
There’s something authentically satisfying about orchestrating the Brusilov Offensive or watching the Western Front grind itself into oblivion. The Great War is perfect for those who want to ditch the fast-paced blitz of vanilla and savor the slow, grinding agony of attritional warfare.
The Lord Of The Rings
One Does Not Simply Walk Into Mordor…
- Mod Author(s): Helliaca, blastradius14, TheOneAndOnly, alcmaria
- Mod Link
Not even Sauron could have predicted that Middle-earth would make an irresistible home for HOI4’s engine. The Lord of the Rings mod features J.R.R. Tolkien’s world at the dawn of the War of the Ring, where Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, and Men vie for supremacy. Tolkien fanatics will be pleased to know that the focus trees are rooted in lore, while the units are themed without being overpowered.
LotR introduces magic as a mechanic but keeps it balanced through limited resources and powerful drawbacks. The political intrigue is a highlight as well. Negotiating alliances in Rohan or outsmarting Saruman is just as rewarding as toppling Mordor.
Red Flood
Fun & Absurdity Await
- Mod Author(s): Red Flood Mod Team, et al.
- Mod Link
Red Flood is set in a world where the Russian Revolution saw the ascension of Alexander Kolchak, the Great War ended in stalemate, and every European nation faces ideological collapse. Red Flood’s setting is intentionally absurd, wherein every country is run by lunatics or visionaries (or both), and the writing is like a fever dream. What sets Red Flood apart is its willingness to embrace the surreal. New ideologies, cults of personality, and off-the-wall storylines are the norm.
The focus trees are packed with bizarre branches, like the one where players can revive the Holy Roman Empire or launch a Balkan space program. Red Flood obviously won’t be for everyone, but if players are tired of the usual suspects, it’s a much-needed jolt of creativity.
End Of A New Beginning
For Those Who Can’t Get Enough Victoria 3
- Mod Author(s): Team EoaNB, et al.
- Mod Link
End of a New Beginning focuses on the state of the world between 1857 and 1949, a period defined by social upheaval and industrialization. Years of effort have been put into new mechanics for the economy, politics, and society. Players can guide nations through the painful process of modernization, navigating the hazards of class struggle and scientific discovery. The mod also introduces new systems for trade, diplomacy, and population management, making every campaign a complex balancing act.
The event writing is historically literate, eschewing melodrama for nuanced decision-making. It’s still a work in progress, though even in its current state, it’s a considerable achievement.