The Best War Board Games 2025

This article explores the best war board games, offering a diverse selection catering to various preferences and playstyles. From intense head-to-head battles to sprawling, multi-player conflicts, there's something for every wargame enthusiast. The games are categorized for easier selection based on play time and complexity.

Here are some tips for smoother gameplay, especially with longer games: Obtain a PDF rulebook (often freely available from publishers) and have players review it beforehand. Encourage players to perform administrative tasks outside their turns. Consider implementing a time limit per turn with mutual agreement.

Top War Board Games:

Arcs: A superb blend of action and negotiation, utilizing innovative trick-taking mechanics for strategic depth. The circular board encourages aggression, and the game is surprisingly quick, allowing time for its excellent narrative campaign expansion.

Dune: War for Arrakis: A two-player, highly asymmetric battle between the Atredies and Harkonnens for control of spice. Features high-quality miniatures and an exciting action dice system.

Sniper Elite: The Board Game: A close-quarters stealth game with a historical veneer, offering tense gameplay and high replayability through varied sniper loadouts and German squad specialists.

Twilight Imperium IV: An epic, all-day sci-fi civilization-building game featuring diverse alien races, technology research, fleet building, diplomacy, and political decrees.

Blood Rage: A Viking-themed game where players vie for glory in the Ragnarök. Combines strategic card drafting with exciting blind battle mechanics.

Dune: A classic game based on Frank Herbert's novel, emphasizing asymmetric strategies and hidden information. The new edition boasts improved rules and artwork.

Kemet: Blood and Sand: A fast-paced game set in ancient Egypt, focused on brutal combat between mythical creatures and gods. Features strategic pyramid tech and intense mind games.

Star Wars: Rebellion: An asymmetric struggle between the Rebellion and the Empire, allowing for emergent narrative within a tight strategic framework.

Conflict of Heroes: Awakening the Bear: A tactical wargame focusing on squad-level combat during World War II, balancing detail with accessible gameplay.

Undaunted: Normandy / Undaunted: North Africa / Undaunted: Stalingrad: Deck-building games that cleverly simulate infantry combat during World War II, offering tense firefights and strategic depth.

Root: A shorter game with asymmetric factions vying for control of a woodland realm, blending cute aesthetics with brutal strategic gameplay.

Twilight Struggle: Red Sea: A streamlined version of the classic Twilight Struggle, focusing on the Cold War in East Africa. Maintains strategic depth while reducing playtime.

A Game of Thrones: The Board Game: A game of political intrigue and backstabbing, requiring alliances and eventual betrayals for victory.

War of the Ring: A masterful adaptation of Tolkien's work, featuring two interwoven games: the epic battle for Middle-earth and the Fellowship's quest.

Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy: A sci-fi civilization-building game emphasizing long-term strategic planning, technology upgrades, and exploration.

What Constitutes a Wargame?

The term "wargame" is debated within the hobby. While some strictly define it as simulating historical conflicts, this article adopts a broader definition, encompassing games exploring conflict from various perspectives, including historical simulations, fantasy, and science fiction settings. Further exploration of specific subgenres is readily available through dedicated enthusiast websites.