Guide your nation from the era of absolute monarchies of the early 19th century to evolve into a fully industrialized Great Power at the dawn of the 20th century! You must make sure that you stay ahead in wealth and strength, and skillfully manage the democratization process without disintegrating. Victoria focus on six different aspects, all interconnected, to provide a deep, yet easily accessible game-play; Diplomacy, Warfare, Economy & Industrialisation, Colonisation, Technological Development and Political Simulation.

• Victoria has a full flexible diplomatic system based on the concepts from EU1/2 and HoI, with bilateral alliances, limited colonial wars, claims over provinces, and much tied in to the concept of national prestige as the strength in diplomatic actions. Victoria also introduces a complex peace resolution system where claims can be given up, as well as trade deals and resources.
• Warfare is similar to the system in HoI with divisions of various types constituting the core of the land forces. Troop types are Militia, Colonial Troops, Regular Infantry, Elite Guards, and Cavalry. Divisions will have home provinces and cultures tied to them. Some sort of tactical decisions depending on the commander of the armies will occur. Each individual ship (frigate, man-o-war, ironclad, and dreadnought) will be named. Combat values are based on the three concepts of firepower, organisation and morale.
• The large focus in Victoria is on the industrialisation of the nations. Provinces have different amount of resources, and you can build lots of different buildings in different categories, like resource-mines, refineries, goods-manufactories, government buildings and military buildings. Resources can be shipped via convoys and rail, and/or sold to other nations on a world market. The economical development properly simulates the process of industrialisation. Supply and Demand affect prices where monopolies of certain items can lead to great wealth.
• Colonisation in Victoria is all about laying claims to the vast lands not controlled by the industrialized nations. Claims can be contested, and will sometimes lead to war. Explorers can be sent to areas to map out the white spots on the map, and will discover new resources for the empire. Colonists are moving from overpopulated countries in the old world, to the most free and prosperous colonies and new nations,
• The technology system is completely revolutionary, with its core based around the old concept of technology tree, but with the added concept of historical events giving you advances over time, depending on what you research in the technology trees.
• Victoria includes an advanced system that simulates the decisions and preferences of ideologies and parties of the people in a nation. Preferred ideologies can be tweaked by the player. Democratic nations give better economical development but low political stability, while monarchies lack the economical development but are more stable.