Games Like Rule of Iron: Dark Age

Turn-based campaign

Lead an established realm or a small rising nation. Cities and Castles are not railroaded. Grow their population over the ages or recruit it all into your army. Disbanding units makes the soldier settle in the region. Specialize your cities with unlimited building slots. Over time trade carts and ships reflect your growing wealth.

The AI teams up if anyone gets too strong, leading to an interesting lategame. It strikes with concentrated force, which results in fewer but more climactic battles. Diplomacy is transparent: the AI will often tell you why it acts the way it does.

Your Generals gain traits organically. For example if they risk their lives in battles they will be admired by their soldiers. Armies don't require a general though. Even a captain can rise to prominence if he proves himself on the battlefield. 

Once it's time for battle, the terrain will reflect exactly what you see on the campaign map so you can plan everything perfectly. Zoom in beforehand to examine it.

Real-time battles

Battles are not decided by raw unit stats but by how your troops move: formation tightness and depth, discipline and cohesion, weight, strength and momentum. Every soldier is simulated in real time, so tens of thousands of fighters collide, push, and break ranks. Encirclements build pressure until bones crack. 1,500-pound warhorses hit like hammers. Soldiers do their best to keep formation during this. Battles are won by positioning and movement, not spreadsheets.

Tactics beat raw numbers. An army full of knights fails against well-set pikes. The high ground gives real advantages like increased range for your archers. Trees block arrows. Morale is the most important currency. Watch out that your general doesn't die! Survival depends on skill, fatigue, morale and more, but not HP bars.

Mod support

Modding is easy. This includes the campaign map.