The Best War Board Games 2025

War is a popular theme in board games, offering thrilling and engaging gameplay. The games below provide epic battle experiences, ranging from shorter evenings to all-day affairs, but all emphasizing strategic combat. Gather your friends, prepare snacks and drinks, and prepare for a thrilling ride!

For longer games, consider these tips for smoother gameplay: Obtain a PDF rulebook (many publishers offer free downloads) and have players read it beforehand. Encourage players to perform administrative tasks like sorting cards or counters outside their turns. A time limit per turn, with player agreement, can also help maintain momentum.

TL;DR: 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

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Multi-player war games often balance board action with player negotiation. Arcs masterfully blends these elements. Its innovative trick-taking mechanics offer strategic depth alongside intense spacecraft battles on a circular board, rewarding aggression. Despite its features, it offers a complete space empire experience in under two hours, making its brilliant narrative campaign expansion easily accessible.

Dune: War for Arrakis

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Distinct from the multi-player *Dune* game, *War for Arrakis* is a head-to-head battle between Atreides and Harkonnen for spice control. Highly asymmetric, it features Atreides guerrilla warfare against Harkonnen's superior forces. Harkonnen players must balance spice harvesting and shipping with military strategy. Sharing the same design team as *War of the Ring*, it uses high-quality miniatures and an action dice system, ensuring constant strategic re-evaluation, but with faster gameplay.

Sniper Elite: The Board Game

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This tabletop adaptation features close-quarters action, surprising fans of the video game. Stealth is crucial for the sniper player against a time limit and German squads. It offers a historical context absent in the video game, with thematic components and realistic combat. Multiple boards and customizable sniper loadouts ensure high replayability and tactical depth.

Twilight Imperium 4th Edition

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An all-day epic of sci-fi civilization building. Players control bizarre aliens, research technology, build fleets, and fight across a galactic hex map. Diplomacy and in-game political decrees add layers of complexity. The strategic card system, allowing players to choose a focus each round, is a standout feature. This edition maintains the scope while improving accessibility.

Blood Rage

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Control a Viking clan during Ragnarök, striving for glory and a place in Valhalla. Behind its violent theme and stunning components lies strategic depth. Players draft cards, manage warriors and monsters, pillage regions, and complete quests for glory. The blind battle card system adds excitement to player conflicts. It blends tactical challenge, theme, and brutal combat.

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Dune

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Based on Frank Herbert's novel, *Dune* features minimal randomness, focusing on hidden information and asymmetric strategies. Players control factions with unique abilities, creating a compelling balance of hidden information and strategic choices. This edition boasts improved rules and artwork.

Kemet: Blood and Sand

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Imagine ancient Egyptian gods battling in the desert. *Kemet* offers strategic depth through customizable pyramids, influencing attack and defense. The shared battle cards create mind games as players guess opponents' actions. The fast-paced combat, with its open board layout, ensures constant conflict.

Star Wars: Rebellion

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*Star Wars: Rebellion* recreates the franchise with an asymmetric struggle between the Rebellion and the Empire. The Rebellion fights for survival and planetary support, while the Empire uses superior forces to crush dissent. The narrative unfolds through player choices, woven with strategic elements.

Conflict of Heroes: Awakening the Bear

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This tactical wargame balances detail with engaging gameplay. A simple system of action points, dice, and defense values provides excitement and tactical challenge. The game expands to include artillery, vehicles, and tanks, offering a full World War II experience. The command point system, allowing actions during the opponent's turn, adds strategic depth.

Undaunted: Normandy & Undaunted: North Africa & Undaunted Stalingrad

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These games cleverly use deck-building to simulate infantry combat. Officer cards add units, reflecting real-world orders and supplies. Unit cards control troop movements, fighting and seizing objectives. Casualties reduce deck effectiveness, simulating morale loss. The tense firefights and pivotal moments offer an engaging World War II experience.

Root: A Game of Woodland Might and Right

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*Root* is a shorter game featuring asymmetric factions fighting for woodland control. Each faction has unique rules and gameplay. Despite its cute theme, it's a strategically challenging game.

Twilight Struggle: Red Sea

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A faster version of *Twilight Struggle*, retaining the core card-play but reducing playtime. Players face difficult decisions and navigate key events. A new scoring mechanic adds excitement. It explores the Cold War in East Africa, incorporating historical events and designer notes.

A Game of Thrones: The Board Game

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This game recreates the political intrigue of *A Game of Thrones*. Only one player can win, requiring alliances and eventual betrayals. The secret order system adds suspense. The game features thematic elements from Westeros.

War of the Ring 2nd Edition

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This is considered the best board game adaptation of Tolkien's work. It features two intertwined games: the epic battle across Middle-earth and the Fellowship's quest. The interaction between these games creates a challenging strategic balance.

Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy

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*Eclipse* emphasizes long-term planning in sci-fi civilization-building. Systems for initiative and technology upgrades require strategic foresight. The tactical depth complements exploration, ship design, and combat.

For more options, explore our selections for the best board games and best board game deals.

What Counts as a Wargame?

The term "wargame" is debated among hobbyists. Some restrict it to simulations of historical conflicts, often featuring detailed map sheets and counters. *Awakening the Bear* and *Twilight Struggle: Red Sea* are approachable examples. However, the definition is fluid, encompassing games simulating potential conflicts, those using historical settings without strict simulation, and those with fantastical or sci-fi scenarios. Ultimately, the definition depends on individual interpretation. We use a broad definition encompassing games exploring conflict from various perspectives.