The best board games come in a variety of themes, but war games stand out as some of the most thrilling and engaging. These games immerse you in epic battles, whether they last an evening or an entire day, and they never skimp on strategic depth. Gather your friends, prepare some snacks and drinks, and get ready for an intense gaming experience.
To ensure longer games run smoothly, consider these tips: Download a PDF of the rulebook, which most publishers offer for free, and have everyone read it beforehand. Encourage players to handle administrative tasks like sorting their hands or counters outside their turn. You might also want to set a time limit per turn, if all players agree. Now, let's dive into the games!
TL;DR: These Are the Best War Board Games
Arcs
Dune: War for Arrakis
Sniper Elite: The Board Game
Twilight Imperium IV
Blood Rage
Dune
Kemet: Blood and Sand
Star Wars: Rebellion
Conflict of Heroes: Awakening the Bear
Undaunted: Normandy / Undaunted: North Africa
Root
Twilight Struggle: Red Sea
A Game of Thrones: The Board Game
War of the Ring
Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy
Arcs
### Arcs
0See it
War games that involve more than two players often need to balance the action on the board with the negotiations and alliances between players. Arcs masterfully blends these elements, as highlighted in our 10/10 review. Its innovative mechanics, inspired by traditional trick-taking card games, offer multiple strategic options, while still delivering intense spacecraft battles on a circular board that rewards aggression. Despite its rich features, you can build a full-fledged space empire in under two hours, making it perfect for exploring the narrative campaign expansion.
Dune: War for Arrakis
### Dune: War for Arrakis
1See it at Amazon
Don't confuse this with the multi-player negotiation game Dune further down the list. War for Arrakis is a head-to-head battle for two players, where the noble Atreides and the wicked Harkonnen fight for control of the precious spice. This highly asymmetric game pits the guerrilla warfare of the Atreides, their Fremen allies, and summoned sandworms against the larger, wealthier forces of the Harkonnen. The Harkonnen player must focus on harvesting and shipping spice to maintain their economic edge. Designed by the same team behind War of the Ring, this game uses quality plastic miniatures and an excellent action dice system that forces constant strategy reassessment, yet it's much quicker to play.
Sniper Elite: The Board Game
### Sniper Elite: The Board Game
1See it at Amazon
Fans of the video game series might be surprised by the close-quarters action in this tabletop adaptation, but its charm is undeniable. The stealth elements are well-preserved, with the sniper player moving slowly and silently against a ticking clock, while the German player controls roving squads trying to detect them. The game adds a historical veneer missing from the video game, with thematic components and more realistic combat. It includes two different boards and various sniper loadout options and squad specialists for the German player, ensuring high replay value and tactical depth.
Twilight Imperium IV
### Twilight Imperium 4th Edition
8See it at Amazon
Few games are as epic as this all-day sci-fi civilization-building experience. It offers everything you could want from the genre: bizarre aliens researching technology, building fleets, and fighting over a random galactic hex map. There's diplomacy and in-game political decrees to vote on, but the game's strategic core is rock-solid. The strategy card system, where each player picks a special focus each round, is a mechanical highlight. This fourth edition retains its sweeping scope while trimming excess, making it more accessible.
Blood Rage
### Blood Rage
1See it at Amazon
In Blood Rage, you lead a Viking clan into the end times of Ragnarök, seeking glory for your warriors and a place in Valhalla. Despite its violent theme and impressive components, the game offers significant strategic depth. You'll draft cards to support your actions each round, carefully managing your warriors and monsters to pillage regions and fulfill quests for glory. With everyone vying for the same goals, you'll often engage in exciting blind battle card confrontations. This game is a perfect blend of tactical challenge, theme, and outright brutality, making it a classic in conflict-based gaming.
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Dune
### Dune
7See it at Amazon
Dune offers a unique futuristic experience, distinct from Dune: Imperium. Based on Frank Herbert's novel and first released in 1979, it was ahead of its time. The game features minimal randomness, focusing instead on a balance of hidden information and asymmetrical strategy. Each player represents a faction from the book, with unique special powers. The Atreides can peek at auctioned cards, while the Harkonnen know all secret traitors. This new edition boasts cleaner rules and stunning artwork, capturing the narrative and political themes of the novel.
Kemet: Blood and Sand
### Kemet Blood and Sand
0See it at Amazon
Imagine ancient Egyptian gods and mythical creatures battling in the desert sands. That's Kemet. The game's tech pyramids allow you to tailor your strategy with special powers for attack and defense, integrating them into your board play. Everyone starts with the same battle cards, leading to intense mind games as you try to outguess your opponent's moves. The game's fast pace and unique board layout mean there's no hiding, and everyone is just a move away from fierce combat.
Star Wars: Rebellion
### Star Wars: Rebellion
14See it at Amazon
Star Wars: Rebellion brings the beloved franchise to your table with a focus on asymmetric gameplay. The Rebellion player, as the underdog, must survive militarily while winning planets to their cause, while the Empire uses its vast armies to crush dissent. The game features well-known characters and events from the movies, but the narrative unfolds based on your decisions. It's a strategic challenge with each turn offering variety and excitement.
Conflict of Heroes: Awakening the Bear
### Conflict of Heroes: Awakening The Bear
0See it at Amazon
Tactical wargames, focusing on squad or individual soldier actions, can be complex, but Conflict of Heroes strikes the perfect balance. Using a simple system of action points, dice, and differing front and rear defense values, it offers excitement, realism, and tactical challenge. Starting simple, it expands to include artillery, vehicles, and tanks for a full World War 2 experience. The command point system, allowing extra actions during your opponent's turn, adds a layer of strategic depth.
Undaunted: Normandy & Undaunted: North Africa
### Undaunted: Normandy
5See it at Amazon
### Undaunted: North Africa
3See it at Amazon
### Undaunted Stalingrad
1See it at Amazon
These games use deck-building mechanics to simulate infantry combat with just a few rules. Officer cards allow you to add new unit cards to your deck, representing the issuing of orders and supplies. Unit cards move matching troop counters on the modular scenario map, engaging in combat and seizing objectives. As casualties thin your deck, units become less effective, reflecting morale erosion. These games offer an accessible and engaging way to refight the Second World War.
Root
### Root: A Game of Woodland Might and Right
18$59.99 save 25%$44.99 at Amazon
Root is one of the shorter games on the list, yet it's a bold design that emphasizes asymmetry. Four factions vie for control of a woodland realm, each with unique rules and feel. The Marquise de Cat and the Eyrie play standard conquest games, while the Woodland Folk engage in guerrilla warfare, and the Vagabond acts as a lone trickster-hero. Despite its cute theme and quirky art, Root is a game of brutal strategy, raising questions about politics and governance.
Twilight Struggle: Red Sea
### Twilight Struggle: Red Sea
0See it at Amazon
The original Twilight Struggle is often considered one of the best board games, but it's complex and time-consuming. This version retains the compelling card-play mechanics, where players face dilemmas about triggering key events for their opponent, but reduces playtime to about an hour. A new scoring mechanic adds excitement, and history buffs can explore the Cold War in East Africa, with real historical events simulated through the game's mechanics and a book of designer's notes.
A Game of Thrones: The Board Game
### A Game of Thrones: The Board Game
2$64.95 save 21%$50.99 at Amazon
This game captures the conniving and backstabbing of the books and TV show, borrowing from classic Diplomacy. Only one player can win, but no one has the resources to do so alone, making alliances and treachery inevitable. The secret order system adds tension, as you can't know your opponent's intentions until it's too late. The game includes strategic elements from the world of Westeros, making it a must-play for fans of the franchise.
War of the Ring
### War of the Ring 2nd Edition
2$89.99 save 22%$70.36 at Amazon
This game is the best adaptation of Tolkien's work to the board. It features two intertwined games: the epic clash of armies across Middle-earth and the Fellowship's quest to destroy the One Ring. The genius lies in how these two halves interweave, creating a challenging tactical balancing act for players.
Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy
### Eclipse: 2nd Dawn for The Galaxy
3$207.00 at Amazon
While the Twilight Imperium series focuses on warfare and diplomacy, Eclipse emphasizes long-term strategy in sci-fi civilization-building. Its systems for initiative and technology upgrades require forward-thinking as you expand into the galaxy. The tactical depth enhances the feeling of exploration, ship design, and combat, relying more on strategy than luck.
If you enjoy these, be sure to explore our picks for the overall best board games and the best board game deals.
What Counts as a Wargame?
In gaming circles, the term "wargame" is often used to describe games that simulate historical conflicts. These games, like Awakening the Bear and Twilight Struggle: Red Sea, require detailed historical research and often come with high prices due to their complexity. However, the term can also include games that simulate potential or fictional conflicts, such as the Cold War escalating into World War 3, or games like Undaunted that use historical settings without aiming for simulation. Even games set in entirely fantastic or sci-fi scenarios can be considered wargames by some. We've adopted a broad definition, encompassing games that explore conflict from various perspectives, from historical simulation to fantasy diplomacy. If you're interested in a specific type of conflict game, enthusiast sites can provide further exploration.
