They are to my mind less intimidating than Republic of Rome, a power politics game by Avolon Hill.
Squares contain roads, cities and castles.
The edges of the board also contain the games trading routes. Money can be invested in these, but as in life it can be lost if the dice roll low. The game is won by controlling more than half the cities on the board. You play a Baron who controls four Nobles, represented by pawns. A play turn is divided into three rounds.