With the grand strategy of Europa Universalis and control of The Sims, Fantasy Map Simulator is the coolest new game on Steam.

When was the last time you actually thought about a videogame map? We use them all the time in open-world, Metroidvania, and strategy games, but they almost always fly under the radar. That's what a good map does though; it goes unnoticed. Diagetic maps like those found in Metro Exodus and Far Cry 2 stand out because they exist within the character's world as well as yours, but they aren't always the best. The cream of the topographical crop marries art style, functionality, and mechanics in a way that makes a map unforgettable, and not many games can boast that staying power. In walks Fantasy Map Simulator. It's all maps all the time, and it looks absolutely gorgeous.

Fantasy Map Simulator just came to Steam, and I can't stop marveling at it. You start by generating a unique fantasy map, complete with its own nations, people, and politicking. Then you let thousands of years of history take their course: countries go to war, societies evolve, and borders shift - Think of it like Europa Universalis, just on a much bigger scale. You can let all of this unfold randomly, or you can take control of the world, its people, and all the decisions yourself. If you struggled looking after a household full of sims, managing entire nations might prove a bit much.

If you do take control, you can tell nations to expand, rebel against their governments, form alliances, or even enter into a truce. Armies march across the multicolored geography, and you can watch them like ants. Fantasy Map Simulator puts the grand in grand strategy game, that's for sure.

I know you've been won over already if you've come this far, but there's one more detail that puts this game over the line. You can turn it into your desktop wallpaper. That's right, Fantasy Map Simulator can sit in the background as you get on with work. I can't say whether or not you'll manage to get anything done, but turning a strategy sim into an idle game is brilliant.

Developer The Stranger just dropped Fantasy Map Simulator in early access, so what you play today isn't the end of the story. More in-depth simulation and new game modes are planned, while the framework that makes up the game's logic could be expanded too. So the economy, politics, culture, and religion of different nations might one day come into play.