Age of Enlightenment for Windows

The Enlightenment period for Victoria 2

Age of Enlightenment is a free custom mod developed by MaTi5893 for the strategy game Victoria II: Heart of Darkness. Here, players get to enjoy a range of content that focuses on a period known as The Enlightenment. This game covers the years of 1700-1821. It features a lot of new gameplay elements capturing technologies and ideologies of the time.

With its unique approach to a different timeline, Age of Enlightenment joins the best Heart of Darkness mods. Other alternatives include Victoria II: Heart of Darkness - Historical Project Mod and Victoria II: Heart of Darkness - Roma Delenda Est Mod.

Explore the great Age of Reason

The Enlightenment was a widespread philosophical and intellectual movement across Europe–and the Age of Enlightenment mod captures this. It offers an extended, prequel-like layer since the base Victoria II game focuses on the year 1836 onwards. However, aside from the visual consistency in both items, there’s no content that connects the two time periods such as a mission that would’ve transitioned the story premise.

In terms of content, history aficionados will definitely enjoy what this custom add-on has to offer. It has a customized tech tree that, when compared to those in the vanilla version, is definitely more complicated. This alone is something that warrants multiple gameplay if only to experience how different branches lead to effective gameplay. There are also new units, events, and game mechanics that emphasize logic and reason above all.

Usually, major mods feature a campaign that highlights all of its elements together. Sadly, this is not available in this mod. Consistent with the central idea, there could’ve been interesting trials covering significant events in the American and French revolutions that occurred around the time. However, this is a minor missed opportunity considering the scale already offered by the mod.

An intellectually appealing extension

Its unique approach of catering to the intellectually-driven period makes the Age of Enlightenment mod a must-have addition for new and existing players of Heart of Darkness. Although it takes the usual route of new units and buildings, the star of this mod is the expansive technology tree and the period-relevant events that strategy fans will definitely savor over and over again. Highly recommended.