Sangokushi II: Haou no Tairiku is a strategy game set during the Three Kingdoms era in China, very similar in style, gameplay, and interface to Koei's Romance of the Three Kingdoms series. One or two players can compete for dominance in one of the country's most turbulent epochs. Players can choose to control one of the seven available historical warlords, including Liu Bei, Cao Cao, and others. The turn-based game is menu-driven for the most part; the player views the map of China and issues orders in the name of the chosen warlord until his turn is over. The player must take care of his state's interior politics, keeping the citizens happy and the army strong, acquiring weapons and food, and engaging in diplomatic missions. When the player sends an army to conquer a neighboring land, or is himself attacked by another warlord, the interface switches to top-down, and a tactical battle begins. The player must positions his troops on the battlefield, and navigate them towards the enemies. When two units meet, an automatic skirmish ensues. The battle is over when one of the sides has eliminated the other completely, surrendered, or conquered the enemy's stronghold.
