Wakracia: Steel and Coal is a free-to-use mod developed by user OsoPocky for the classic strategy game Victoria 2: Heart of Darkness. In this casual add-on, you get to experience a fictional world that exists on top of the medieval times recorded in history. One of the nations is the Most Serene Nation of Wakracia, one of the custom factions you can use.

The Wakracia: Steel and Coal is a part of an expansive custom game series that features mods from other strategy games like Crusader Kings II and Europa Universalis IV.

Experience a separate universe

Unlike most mods, Wakracia: Steel and Coal feature coherent lore that provides an explanation for the world story and the nature of the factions. The additional information makes the game even more immersive. It also explains the rise of the factions and how and why they occupy places parallel to the real-world map. For example, the titular Wakracia is found in what used to be Constantinople, now Istanbul, Turkey.

For its custom content, you can expect an improvement of the real-world map inhabited by different factions and nations. The custom factions also have their historical homelands where they generally start campaigns, as well as original designs and aesthetics. There are also new decisions for the player to make and new events to unlock. These new events tie in with the rest of the materials, keeping the mod consistent.

Although it has a lot of content, it actually comes in particularly small file size. Downloading the complete package only takes 90.87Mb. It can also be installed over your original Heart of Darkness game. The only issue is that there’s a certain version requirement, older versions of the base game no longer work well. This results in the mod not loading, or in certain visual glitches in-game.

A fun, refreshing experience

Overall, Wakracia: Steel and Coal is a good mod not only for Victoria 2: Heart of Darkness but also for those who played its sister mods for other strategy games. Its in-game lore is something that resonates with every aspect of the game, from its use of existing maps to the development of custom factions you can play and fight against. Recommended.