Pax Historia

The first AI-powered grand strategy platform

Winter 2026

Artificial Intelligence

Marketplace

Consumer

Gaming

About

Pax Historia is an alternate-history sandbox game where players choose a country, a moment in time, and rewrite the course of history. What if Rome never fell? What if the Soviet Union survived? What if Genghis Khan ruled for another generation? We go beyond history, too. What if aliens invaded Earth? What if you were a college dropout creating a tech startup? The ability to create, edit, and copy custom maps, actors, historical context, and more means that users can play nearly any scenario they can imagine. In the last four months we've organically built a passionate fanbase of tens of thousands of daily active players and we're excited to expand on this early start. Consider joining us to help build vastly better tools for creators and experiences for players.

Founders

Eli Bullock-Papa

Founder

Co-founder of Pax Historia

Ryan Zhang

Founder

I like history

AI Research Report

Problem & Solution

Problem / Solution Report

Problem – Traditional grand‑strategy games are deep but rigid: they lock players into predefined mechanics, have steep learning curves, limited scenario variety, and rely on external tools for multiplayer negotiation. This restricts creative “what‑if” exploration and hampers onboarding new players.

Solution – Pax Historia positions itself as the first AI‑powered grand‑strategy platform. Players choose any country and historical moment (or alternate timeline) and rewrite history, with AI dynamically adjudicating actions and enabling natural‑language negotiation. Features include:

In‑game chat‑based diplomacy.
Unlimited action space where AI handles outcomes.
User‑generated maps, actors, and scenarios with copy‑edit tools.
Instant browser‑based play to reduce friction.

Early Traction – Job postings and YC materials cite hundreds of thousands of players, nearly 20 million rounds played, and rapid organic growth via community and YouTube reviews. Backing from Y Combinator, Pace Capital, and Z Fellows validates the approach.

Value Proposition – By removing technical barriers and adding AI‑driven flexibility, Pax Historia lowers entry friction, expands creative possibilities, and creates a platform for user‑generated content, differentiating it from static, DLC‑heavy incumbents.

Market & Competitors

Market and Competitors Report

Market Context – Strategy and management titles remain durable, with strong monetization through DLC. PC gaming growth (~4 % YoY in 2024) and the rise of AI‑driven emergent gameplay broaden the addressable audience. Browser‑based access further reduces friction and supports network effects.

Key Competitors

Paradox Interactive – Leader in grand‑strategy (Crusader Kings, Europa Universalis, etc.), ~6 M MAU, SEK 2.2 B revenue in 2024.
Bytro / Twin Harbour – Browser‑based strategy franchises (Supremacy 1914, Call of War) with >10 M registered users and >50 M total users across titles.
Creative Assembly (Total War) & Firaxis (Civilization) – Established PC‑centric deep strategy franchises.
AI Dungeon (Latitude) – AI‑native sandbox demonstrating demand for open‑ended play (1.5 M MAU).
NationStates and similar community‑driven simulations – Compete for attention among diplomacy‑focused players.

Competitive Advantages – Pax Historia offers AI‑native, open‑ended action space, browser‑based instant access, and UGC‑first scenario tools, addressing limitations of incumbents. Early organic traction and strong backing provide a credible foothold.

Risks – Incumbents’ deep content pipelines, large communities, and established DLC monetization; challenges of scaling AI performance, moderation, and infrastructure with a small team.

Total Addressable Market

Quantitative TAM Report

Global video‑games market estimated at USD 298.98 B in 2024 and projected to reach USD 600.74 B by 2030 (Grandview Research).
PC segment accounts for ~23 % of revenue; strategy games represent a mid‑teen‑ to low‑twenty‑billion‑dollar slice. Verified Market Research values the strategy games market at USD 15.23 B in 2023 with a 7.5 % CAGR to 2031. Mordor Intelligence estimates online strategy games at USD 21.44 B in 2025, reaching USD 33.77 B by 2030.
Grand‑strategy sub‑segment: Paradox Interactive reported 2024 revenue of SEK 2,200.9 M (~USD 201 M) and 6 M MAU, indicating a durable niche. Assuming grand‑strategy captures 10‑20 % of the overall strategy market yields an estimated TAM of roughly USD 1.5‑4.2 B.
AI‑enabled sandbox adjacency adds additional upside, as AI Dungeon demonstrated 1.5 M MAU in 2021, suggesting broader interest in AI‑driven open‑ended gameplay.
Combining these layers, a reasonable TAM for an AI‑native grand‑strategy platform lies in the low‑single‑digit‑billion‑dollar range, with potential growth as AI and sandbox features expand.

Founder Analysis

Founders and Background Report

Eli Bullock‑Papa – Co‑founder. Studied at Virginia Tech College of Engineering. Experience includes a TIP internship at Capital One (2025), an analyst role with the Consulting Group at Virginia Tech (2022‑2025), and an IT internship at Williamson Health (2023). He has participated in multiple hackathons and maintains active GitHub and Devpost portfolios showcasing applied‑ML and product builds. Listed as a 2025 Z Fellows participant.

Ryan Zhang – Co‑founder. Computer Science major at Virginia Tech with a Biomedical Engineering minor. His Devpost profile highlights a strong hackathon record, collaborating with Eli on award‑winning projects such as MosaicHealth AI, RentRightly, and Carbin. Y Combinator lists Ryan as an active founder of Pax Historia.

The company is backed by Y Combinator (Winter 2026 batch), Pace Capital, and Z Fellows. Public listings show a very small team (2‑10 employees) founded in 2024, based in San Francisco.

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