Top War Board Games of 2025 Revealed

War-themed board games are a thrilling way to experience epic battles, whether you're looking for an evening's entertainment or a day-long strategic challenge. These games are perfect for gatherings with friends, where you can dive into intense combat scenarios filled with strategy and excitement. To ensure a smooth gameplay experience, especially in longer games, consider these tips: Download a PDF of the rulebook in advance, available from most publishers, and have everyone read it beforehand. Encourage players to handle administrative tasks like sorting cards or counters outside their turns, and consider setting a time limit per turn if everyone agrees. Now, let's explore some of the best war board games that offer a rich and engaging experience.

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

0See it War games that involve more than two players often juggle the action on the board with negotiations and alliances. Arcs masterfully balances these elements, as highlighted in our 10/10 review. Its innovative mechanics, inspired by traditional trick-taking card games, offer multiple strategic options while maintaining the excitement of spacecraft battles on a circular board that encourages aggression. Despite its depth, Arcs allows you to build a space empire in under two hours, making it a great choice for those looking to explore its narrative campaign expansion.

Dune: War for Arrakis

1See it at Amazon Distinct from the multiplayer negotiation game Dune, War for Arrakis is a head-to-head duel where the noble Atreides and the wicked Harkonnen fight for control of the spice. This highly asymmetric game pits the guerrilla tactics of the Atreides, along with their Fremen allies and summoned sandworms, against the larger, wealthier Harkonnen forces. The Harkonnen player must focus on harvesting and shipping spice to maintain economic superiority. Designed by the same team behind War of the Ring, War for Arrakis uses quality plastic miniatures and an action dice system that requires constant strategic reevaluation, all within a faster gameplay experience.

Sniper Elite: The Board Game

1See it at Amazon Adapted from the popular video game series, Sniper Elite: The Board Game surprises with its focus on close-quarters action. However, it retains the stealth elements crucial to the series, challenging the sniper player to move silently against the clock while evading German squads. The game adds a historical depth that the video game lacks, featuring thematic components and realistic combat scenarios. With two different boards and various loadout options for both the sniper and the German player, it offers significant replay value and tactical depth.

Twilight Imperium IV

8See it at Amazon Twilight Imperium IV is the epitome of an epic sci-fi civilization-building game, perfect for an all-day adventure. It features a diverse array of alien races researching technology and building fleets to conquer a randomly generated galactic map. Diplomacy and in-game political decrees add layers of interaction, but the game's strategic core is rock-solid. The strategy card system, where players select a focus each round, is a standout feature. This fourth edition streamlines the gameplay while retaining its expansive scope, making it more accessible to newcomers.

Blood Rage

1See it at Amazon In Blood Rage, you lead a Viking clan into the apocalyptic Ragnarök, striving to gain glory through rage, axes, and horns to secure a place in Valhalla. Beneath its violent and visually appealing exterior lies a game of strategic depth. Players draft cards to plan actions, manage limited resources of warriors and monsters, and engage in quests for glory. The blind battle card system adds an exciting layer of combat, making Blood Rage a definitive classic in conflict-based gaming.

The Best Boardgame Deals

Dune

7See it at Amazon Dune, based on Frank Herbert's novel and first released in 1979, is a futuristic game that stands out for its minimal randomness and focus on hidden information and asymmetrical strategies. Players assume roles of factions from the book, each with unique powers. For instance, the Atreides can peek at auctioned cards, while the Harkonnen know all secret traitors. This new edition offers cleaner rules and enhanced artwork, capturing the novel's narrative and political themes brilliantly.

Kemet: Blood and Sand

0See it at Amazon Kemet: Blood and Sand transports players to ancient Egypt, where gods and mythical creatures clash in a brutal struggle. The game's tech pyramids allow for customizable strategies across attack and defense, integrating seamlessly into board play. All players start with identical battle cards, leading to intense mind games as you try to outguess opponents. The fast-paced violence, facilitated by the board's layout, ensures there's no hiding, making every move critical.

Star Wars: Rebellion

14See it at Amazon Star Wars: Rebellion reimagines the iconic franchise with an asymmetric struggle between the underdog Rebellion, trying to win hearts and planets, and the powerful Empire, aiming to crush dissent. The game features well-known characters and events, but the narrative unfolds uniquely each time. Tight strategic mechanics ensure each turn is filled with challenge and variety, making for an engaging experience.

Conflict of Heroes: Awakening the Bear

0See it at Amazon Tactical wargames like Conflict of Heroes: Awakening the Bear strike a balance between detail and playability. This game uses a straightforward system of action points, dice, and varying defense values to deliver excitement, realism, and tactical challenge. Starting simple, it expands to include artillery, vehicles, and tanks for a comprehensive World War II experience. The command point system, allowing extra actions during your opponent's turn, adds a thrilling layer of strategy.

Undaunted: Normandy

5See it at Amazon

Undaunted: North Africa

3See it at Amazon

Undaunted Stalingrad

1See it at Amazon The Undaunted series uses deck-building mechanics to simulate infantry combat with remarkable simplicity. Officer cards allow you to add new units to your deck, mimicking the issuing of orders and supplies. Unit cards enable troop movement and combat on modular maps, with casualties thinning your deck and affecting morale. This series offers an accessible yet engaging way to experience World War II battles.

Root: A Game of Woodland Might and Right

18$59.99 save 25%$44.99 at Amazon Root is a shorter game that emphasizes asymmetry with four factions vying for control of a woodland realm, each with unique rules. From the Marquise de Cat's conquest to the Vagabond's trickery, the game combines cute themes with deep strategic gameplay, posing questions about real-world politics and governance.

Twilight Struggle: Red Sea

0See it at Amazon Twilight Struggle: Red Sea condenses the acclaimed original game into a shorter, one-hour format while retaining its compelling card-play mechanics. Players face tough decisions about triggering events that may benefit their opponents, with a new scoring mechanic adding excitement. This version also delves into the Cold War in East Africa, providing historical context through the game's mechanics and designer notes.

A Game of Thrones: The Board Game

2$64.95 save 21%$50.99 at Amazon A Game of Thrones: The Board Game captures the essence of the books and TV show with its focus on politics and betrayal. Inspired by Diplomacy, it forces players to form alliances and engage in treachery, all governed by a secret order system. The game is enriched with elements from the Westeros universe, making it a must-play for fans.

War of the Ring

2$89.99 save 22%$70.36 at Amazon War of the Ring brilliantly adapts Tolkien's epic into two intertwined games: the clash of armies across Middle-earth and the Fellowship's quest to destroy the One Ring. The seamless integration of these elements creates a challenging tactical experience, making it the best board game adaptation of the Lord of the Rings.

Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy

3$207.00 at Amazon Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy focuses more on strategic planning than Twilight Imperium, with systems for initiative and technology upgrades that require forward-thinking. While exploring and building ships remain central, success hinges more on having the right technology and units, rather than luck.

If you like these, be sure to check out our picks for the overall best board games and the best board game deals.

What Counts as a Wargame?

In gaming communities, the term "wargame" often refers to games that simulate historical conflicts, a niche interest that requires extensive research. Games like Awakening the Bear and Twilight Struggle: Red Sea exemplify this genre. However, the term can also include games that simulate hypothetical or fictional conflicts, like those in the Undaunted series or fantasy settings. We've adopted a broad definition, encompassing games that explore conflict from various perspectives, from historical simulations to fantasy diplomacy. If you're interested in a specific type of wargame, there are enthusiast sites dedicated to each subgenre that can help you explore further.