The Best War Board Games 2025

War is a popular theme in board games, and for good reason: they offer thrilling, strategic battles. The games below deliver epic combat experiences, ranging from quick evenings to all-day affairs, all emphasizing strategic depth. Gather your friends, prepare snacks and drinks, and prepare for intense gameplay.

To ensure smoother gameplay for longer games, consider these tips: Obtain a PDF rulebook (often freely available from publishers) and have players read it beforehand. Encourage players to perform administrative tasks like sorting components outside their turns. If agreed upon, implement a time limit per turn.

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

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Multiplayer wargames often balance board action with player negotiation and alliances. Arcs masterfully blends these elements. Its innovative trick-taking mechanics offer diverse strategic options, alongside intense spacecraft battles on a circular board that rewards aggression. Despite its depth, a full game takes less than two hours, making it ideal for even the brilliant narrative campaign expansion.

Dune: War for Arrakis

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Unlike the multiplayer Dune game, *War for Arrakis* is a head-to-head battle between the Atreides and Harkonnens for control of spice. Highly asymmetric, it features the Atreides' guerrilla warfare against the Harkonnens' superior forces. The Harkonnens must balance spice harvesting with military actions. Sharing the same high-quality miniatures and action dice system as *War of the Ring*, it offers constant strategic re-evaluation but plays much faster.

Sniper Elite: The Board Game

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This tabletop adaptation features close-quarters action, unlike the video game. The sniper player must remain stealthy against a time limit, while the German player's squads attempt to locate them. It adds a historical veneer with thematic components and realistic combat. Multiple boards and loadout options provide high replayability and tactical depth.

Twilight Imperium 4th Edition

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An epic, all-day sci-fi civilization-building game. Players control alien races, research technology, build fleets, and engage in galactic conquest. Diplomacy and in-game political decrees add layers of complexity. The strategic card system, where players choose a focus each round, is a standout feature. The fourth edition streamlines the original, enhancing accessibility without sacrificing scope.

Blood Rage

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In *Blood Rage*, players control Viking clans vying for glory in Ragnarök. Beneath its violent exterior lies strategic depth. Card drafting, resource management, and blind battle card combat create a thrilling blend of tactical challenge and brutal theme.

Dune

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*Dune* (not to be confused with *Dune: Imperium*) is a unique futuristic game based on Frank Herbert's novel. It features minimal randomness, focusing on hidden information and asymmetric strategies. Each faction possesses unique powers, leading to intricate political maneuvering and strategic depth.

Kemet: Blood and Sand

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Imagine the gods of ancient Egypt battling for supremacy. *Kemet* delivers fast-paced, brutal combat. Players utilize pyramids to tailor their strategies, and a shared pool of battle cards creates intense mind games. The board layout encourages constant engagement and aggressive play.

Star Wars: Rebellion

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*Star Wars: Rebellion* recreates the iconic conflict. The Rebellion fights for survival and planetary control, while the Empire uses overwhelming force. The asymmetric struggle features familiar characters and events, with the narrative unfolding through strategic choices.

Conflict of Heroes: Awakening the Bear

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This tactical wargame balances detail and accessibility. A simple system of action points, dice, and defense values delivers excitement and tactical depth. The game expands to include artillery, vehicles, and tanks, culminating in a full World War II experience.

Undaunted: Normandy & Undaunted: North Africa & Undaunted: Stalingrad

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These games ingeniously use deck-building to simulate infantry combat. Officer cards add units, reflecting command and supply, while unit cards control troop movement and combat. Casualties reduce deck size, representing morale loss. The result is tense firefights and pivotal moments.

Root: A Game of Woodland Might and Right

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A shorter game featuring asymmetric factions vying for woodland control. The Marquise de Cat and Eyrie engage in conquest, the Woodland Folk employ guerrilla tactics, and the Vagabond acts as a trickster. Despite its whimsical art, *Root* offers intense strategic gameplay with political and governance themes.

Twilight Struggle: Red Sea

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A streamlined version of *Twilight Struggle*, offering a shorter playtime while retaining the core card-play and strategic dilemmas. The new scoring mechanic enhances excitement, and the historical setting of the Cold War in East Africa adds a unique element.

A Game of Thrones: The Board Game

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This game captures the political intrigue of *A Song of Ice and Fire*. Only one player can win, requiring alliances and betrayals. The secret order system keeps players guessing, adding to the tension and strategic depth.

War of the Ring 2nd Edition

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A top-tier adaptation of Tolkien's work. It features two interwoven games: the epic battle for Middle-earth and the Fellowship's quest to destroy the One Ring. The interplay between these elements creates a challenging strategic balance.

Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy

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*Eclipse* emphasizes long-term strategic planning in a sci-fi setting. Smart systems for initiative and technology upgrades require foresight. Exploration, ship design, and combat are all integral parts of the gameplay, demanding strategic planning rather than relying on luck.

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 nuanced. Some define it strictly as simulations of historical conflicts, often featuring detailed maps and counters. *Conflict of Heroes: Awakening the Bear* and *Twilight Struggle: Red Sea* represent the more accessible end of this spectrum. However, the definition is fluid, encompassing games simulating hypothetical conflicts, those using historical settings but not aiming for strict simulation, and even those set in fantasy or science fiction contexts. Ultimately, the definition depends on individual interpretation. This list adopts a broad definition, including games exploring conflict from diverse perspectives.