War Gaming Excellence: Top Board Games of 2025

This article explores the best war board games, offering a diverse range of themes and gameplay experiences. From quick, intense duels to sprawling, multi-hour epics, there's something for every wargame enthusiast. Gather your friends, prepare your snacks, and prepare for battle!

Here are some tips for smoother gameplay, especially with longer games: Obtain a PDF rulebook (often freely available from publishers) and encourage players to read it beforehand. Insist on "admin" tasks (like sorting components) being completed outside of a player's turn. Consider implementing a time limit per turn, with the agreement of all players.

Top War Board Games:

Arcs: A superb blend of strategic card play and intense spacecraft battles. Innovative mechanics and a fast playtime (under two hours) make it highly replayable.

Dune: War for Arrakis: A head-to-head battle between the Atredies and Harkonnens for control of Arrakis. Highly asymmetric factions, quality miniatures, and an exciting dice system provide intense strategic depth.

Sniper Elite: The Board Game: A close-quarters stealth game where one player controls a sniper against roving German squads. Features a historical setting, thematic components, and high replayability.

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

Blood Rage: A Viking-themed game where players control clans vying for glory in Ragnarök. Combines strategic card drafting, brutal combat, and a unique blind battle system.

Dune: A complex, asymmetrical strategy game based on Frank Herbert's novel. Features hidden information, unique faction powers, and a focus on political maneuvering.

Kemet: Blood and Sand: A fast-paced, violent game set in ancient Egypt. Features unique pyramid powers, strategic card play, and intense combat.

Star Wars: Rebellion: An asymmetric game where the Rebellion fights for survival against the powerful Empire. Features iconic characters, events, and strategic depth.

Conflict of Heroes: Awakening the Bear: A tactical wargame simulating World War II squad-level combat. Features a simple yet engaging system, offering realism and tactical challenge.

Undaunted: Normandy / Undaunted: North Africa / Undaunted: Stalingrad: Deck-building wargames that capture the essence of infantry combat during World War II. Simple rules, tense firefights, and high replayability.

Root: A shorter game with asymmetric factions battling for control of a woodland realm. Combines cute aesthetics with brutal strategic depth.

Twilight Struggle: Red Sea: A streamlined version of the classic Twilight Struggle, offering a shorter playtime while retaining strategic depth.

A Game of Thrones: The Board Game: A game of political intrigue and backstabbing, mirroring the themes of the books and TV show. Features alliances, treachery, and a thrilling secret order system.

War of the Ring: A two-part game recreating the epic struggle between good and evil in Middle-earth. Features interwoven gameplay and strategic depth.

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

What is a Wargame?

The definition of "wargame" is debated. While some strictly define it as simulating historical conflicts, this article adopts a broader definition, encompassing games that explore conflict from various perspectives, including historical simulations, fantasy diplomacy, and science fiction scenarios.

This list provides a starting point for exploring the vast world of war board games. Further research into specific subgenres will reveal even more options tailored to individual preferences.