Sangokushi II: Haō no Tairiku is a strategy game set in ancient China during the Three Kingdoms era. It is similar to Koei's Romance of the Three Kingdoms series and allows one or two players to compete for dominance in this turbulent period. Players can choose from seven historical warlords, including Liu Bei and Cao Cao.
The game is turn-based with a menu-driven interface, where the player views the map of China and issues orders for their chosen warlord. The player must manage their warlord's state by keeping citizens happy, strengthening the army, acquiring resources, and conducting diplomatic missions.
When sending an army to conquer nearby lands or being attacked by another warlord, the game switches to a top-down perspective, and tactical battles begin. The player must position troops on the battlefield, navigate them towards enemies, and engage in automatic skirmishes with opposing units until one side is defeated, surrenders, or conquers the enemy's stronghold.