Top War Board Games of 2025 Revealed

War-themed board games are a thrilling way to engage in epic battles and strategic gameplay, offering a diverse range of experiences that can last from a few hours to an entire day. Whether you're interested in historical conflicts, futuristic warfare, or fantasy battles, these games provide a rich tapestry of combat and strategy. To ensure a smooth experience with longer games, consider these tips: Download a PDF of the rulebook, often available for free from publishers, and have everyone read it beforehand. Encourage players to handle administrative tasks like sorting cards or counters outside of their turn, and consider setting a time limit per turn if all players agree. Now, let's dive into some of the best war board games available.

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 masterfully balances the excitement of on-board action with the strategic depth of player negotiations and alliances. Its innovative mechanics, inspired by trick-taking card games, offer multiple strategic options, while still delivering intense spacecraft battles on a dynamic circular board. This game allows you to build a comprehensive space empire in under two hours, making it an excellent choice for those looking to explore the narrative campaign expansion.

Dune: War for Arrakis

Dune: War for Arrakis is a fast-paced, head-to-head battle for two players, pitting the noble Atreides against the wicked Harkonnen in a fight for control over the precious spice. This game is highly asymmetric, featuring guerrilla warfare from the Atreides and their Fremen allies, who summon sandworms, against the larger, wealthier forces of the Harkonnen. The game's economic strategy and action dice system demand constant reevaluation of tactics, making it both challenging and engaging.

Sniper Elite: The Board Game

Sniper Elite: The Board Game captures the essence of its video game counterpart with a focus on stealth and tension. As the sniper, you must move slowly and silently against the clock, while the German player controls squads trying to track you down. The game's historical theme and realistic combat mechanics, along with multiple boards and sniper loadout options, provide high replay value and strategic depth.

Twilight Imperium IV

Twilight Imperium IV is the epitome of an epic sci-fi civilization-building game. Players control bizarre alien races as they research technology, build fleets, and engage in diplomacy and political decrees over a random galactic hex map. The strategy card system, allowing players to choose a special focus each round, adds a layer of strategic depth to this expansive game, which is now more accessible in its fourth edition.

Blood Rage

In Blood Rage, you lead a Viking clan into the end times of Ragnarök, aiming to gain glory through rage, axes, and horns. Despite its violent theme, the game offers strategic subtlety through card drafting and resource management. Players vie for control of map regions and complete quests, engaging in blind battle card confrontations. It's a perfect blend of tactical challenge and thematic immersion.

Dune

Dune, based on Frank Herbert's novel, is a futuristic game that focuses on hidden information and asymmetric strategies. Players take on roles of factions from the book, each with unique powers, like the Atreides' ability to peek at auctioned cards or the Harkonnen's knowledge of secret traitors. The new edition offers cleaner rules and stunning art, bringing the political and narrative themes of the novel to life.

Kemet: Blood and Sand

Kemet: Blood and Sand plunges you into ancient Egypt, where gods and mythical creatures clash in brutal combat. The game's tech pyramids allow for strategic customization, while the shared battle cards lead to intense mind games. With a fast-paced, violent gameplay on a board where no one can hide, Kemet offers an exhilarating experience.

Star Wars: Rebellion

Star Wars: Rebellion recreates the iconic franchise's asymmetric struggle between the underdog Rebellion and the powerful Empire. Players control well-known characters and events, weaving a narrative with strategic depth. The game's tight mechanics ensure each turn is filled with challenge and variety, making it a compelling choice for fans.

Conflict of Heroes: Awakening the Bear

Conflict of Heroes: Awakening the Bear excels in tactical wargaming by balancing detail with simplicity. Its action point system, combined with dice and varying defense values, offers excitement, realism, and tactical challenge. As the game progresses, players can utilize artillery, vehicles, and tanks, enhancing the World War II experience. The command point system adds an extra layer of strategic depth.

Undaunted: Normandy & Undaunted: North Africa

Undaunted: Normandy and Undaunted: North Africa leverage deck-building mechanics to simulate infantry combat. Officer cards allow players to add new units to their deck, mimicking real-world orders and supplies. As casualties mount, the deck thins, reflecting morale loss. These games offer an accessible yet engaging way to refight World War II battles.

Root

Root is a shorter game that emphasizes asymmetry, with four factions vying for control of a woodland realm. Each faction has unique rules and gameplay, from conquest to guerrilla warfare to trickster-hero tactics. Despite its whimsical theme, Root is a game of brutal strategy, offering deep political and governance insights.

Twilight Struggle: Red Sea

Twilight Struggle: Red Sea distills the essence of the original Twilight Struggle into a shorter playtime while retaining its compelling card-play mechanics. Players navigate historical events in East Africa during the Cold War, facing tough decisions with each card play. The new scoring mechanic adds excitement, making it an excellent choice for history enthusiasts.

A Game of Thrones: The Board Game

A Game of Thrones: The Board Game captures the political intrigue and backstabbing of the beloved series. Utilizing a secret order system, players must form alliances and betray them to win, reflecting the series' tension. The game adds strategic elements from the world of Westeros, making it a must-play for fans.

War of the Ring

War of the Ring is the definitive board game adaptation of Tolkien's Middle-earth, featuring a dual gameplay of epic army clashes and the Fellowship's quest to destroy the One Ring. The game brilliantly interweaves these elements, creating a challenging tactical experience for players.

Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy

Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy focuses on long-term strategy in sci-fi civilization-building. Its systems for initiative and technology upgrades demand foresight as players expand into the galaxy. The game balances exploration and combat with a need for strategic planning, making it a standout in its genre.

What Counts as a Wargame?

In gaming circles, the term "wargame" often refers to games simulating historical conflicts, a niche that requires extensive research. Examples from our list include Conflict of Heroes: Awakening the Bear and Twilight Struggle: Red Sea. However, the definition can extend to games simulating potential or fictional conflicts, like Undaunted's historical yet non-simulative approach, or even entirely fantastical scenarios. We've adopted a broad definition, encompassing games that explore conflict from various perspectives, from historical simulations to fantasy diplomacy. For enthusiasts interested in specific subgenres, dedicated communities and resources are available online.