Top War Board Games of 2025 Revealed

War-themed board games offer a thrilling blend of strategy, competition, and epic battles that can captivate players for hours on end. Whether you're in for a quick skirmish or a day-long campaign, these games are designed to immerse you in strategic warfare. Grab your friends, stock up on snacks and drinks, and prepare for an engaging adventure in battle strategy.

To ensure a smooth experience with longer games, consider these tips: Download a PDF of the rulebook, available from most publishers, and have everyone read it beforehand. Encourage players to handle administrative tasks like sorting cards or counters outside their turn. You might also agree on a time limit per turn to keep the game moving. Now, let's dive into the best war board games!

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 Arcs masterfully balances the action on the board with the strategic negotiations between players. Our 10/10 review praised its innovative mechanics, inspired by trick-taking card games, which offer multiple strategic options. Despite the strategic depth, Arcs delivers intense spacecraft battles on its circular board, rewarding aggressive play. Remarkably, you can build a full space empire in under two hours, making it perfect for those who want to explore the narrative campaign expansion.

Dune: War for Arrakis

1See it at Amazon Don't mix this up with the classic Dune game; War for Arrakis is a two-player, head-to-head battle where the noble Atreides and the wicked Harkonnen fight over the precious spice. The game is highly asymmetric, with Atreides using guerrilla tactics and Fremen allies, while the Harkonnen focus on economic advantages through spice harvesting and shipping. Designed by the same team as War of the Ring, it features quality plastic miniatures and a dynamic action dice system that keeps you constantly reevaluating your strategy, yet it's much quicker to play.

Sniper Elite: The Board Game

1See it at Amazon Fans of the video game series will find this tabletop adaptation surprisingly focused on close-quarters action, yet it retains the stealth elements that define the franchise. The sniper player must remain undetected while racing against time, while the German player controls roving squads to track them down. The game adds a historical touch missing from the video games, with thematic components and realistic combat. With two different boards and various sniper loadout options, it offers ample replay value and tactical depth.

Twilight Imperium IV

8See it at Amazon This epic game of sci-fi civilization building offers everything you could want from the genre. Players control bizarre alien races, researching technology and building fleets across a random galactic hex map. Diplomacy and political decrees play a significant role, but the game's strategic core is rock-solid. The strategy card system, where players choose a special focus each round, is a highlight. This fourth edition maintains its sweeping scope while trimming excess, making it more accessible.

Blood Rage

1See it at Amazon In Blood Rage, you lead a Viking clan through Ragnarök, seeking glory for a place in Valhalla. Despite its violent theme and stunning components, the game offers strategic depth through card drafting and careful management of warriors and monsters. You'll compete to pillage regions and fulfill quests, often clashing with others in a thrilling blind battle card system. It's a perfect blend of tactical challenge, theme, and sheer brutality.

The Best Boardgame Deals

Dune

7See it at Amazon Distinct from Dune: Imperium, this game, based on Frank Herbert's novel, was ahead of its time when first released in 1979. It's a game of hidden information and asymmetrical strategy, where each player controls a faction with unique powers. The Atreides can peek at auctioned cards, while the Harkonnen know the secret traitors. The new edition offers cleaner rules and updated art, faithfully capturing the novel's political and narrative themes.

Kemet: Blood and Sand

0See it at Amazon Kemet plunges you into ancient Egypt, where gods and mythical creatures clash in brutal combat. The game's tech pyramids allow you to customize your strategy with special powers, while everyone starts with the same battle cards, leading to intense mind games. With its fast-paced, violent gameplay and unique board layout, there's no hiding from the action—everyone is just a move away from attacking.

Star Wars: Rebellion

14See it at Amazon Star Wars: Rebellion recreates the iconic franchise on your table, with the Rebellion player as the underdog fighting to win planets over while surviving the Empire's overwhelming military might. The game captures the essence of the movies through well-known characters and events, but the narrative unfolds through your strategic decisions, offering a challenging and varied gameplay experience.

Conflict of Heroes: Awakening the Bear

0See it at Amazon Tactical wargames can be overwhelming with their complexity, but Conflict of Heroes strikes the perfect balance. Its system of action points, dice, and differing defense values provides excitement, realism, and tactical challenge. Starting simple, it expands to include artillery, vehicles, and tanks for a full World War II experience. The command point system adds a layer of strategic depth, making every decision crucial.

Undaunted: Normandy

5See it at Amazon

Undaunted: North Africa

3See it at Amazon

Undaunted Stalingrad

1See it at Amazon Undaunted games use deck building to simulate infantry combat with remarkable simplicity. Officer cards add new units to your deck, representing orders and supplies, while unit cards move troops on the scenario map, engaging in battles and seizing objectives. As casualties mount, your deck thins, reflecting morale erosion. These games offer an engaging and accessible way to refight World War II.

Root: A Game of Woodland Might and Right

18$59.99 save 25%$44.99 at Amazon Root is a shorter game that boldly embraces asymmetry. Four factions vie for control of the woodland realm, each with unique rules and a distinct feel. From the conquest-driven Marquise de Cat and Eyrie to the guerrilla Woodland Folk and the trickster Vagabond, Root is a game of brutal strategy wrapped in a charming theme, sparking discussions on real-world politics and governance.

Twilight Struggle: Red Sea

0See it at Amazon The original Twilight Struggle is revered, but its complexity and length can be daunting. Red Sea retains the compelling card-play mechanic, where players navigate endless dilemmas over triggering events, but shortens the playtime to about an hour. A new scoring mechanic ramps up the excitement, and history buffs will appreciate the exploration of the Cold War in East Africa, supported by real historical events and detailed designer notes.

A Game of Thrones: The Board Game

2$64.95 save 21%$50.99 at Amazon This game captures the political intrigue and treachery of the books and TV show, borrowing from Diplomacy's mechanics where only one player can win, yet no one can win alone, forcing alliances and betrayals. The secret order system adds a thrilling unpredictability, and the game's strategic elements are enhanced by elements from the world of Westeros, making it a must-play for fans.

War of the Ring 2nd Edition

2$89.99 save 22%$70.36 at Amazon War of the Ring brilliantly intertwines two games on one board: the epic clash of armies across Middle-earth and the quest of the Fellowship to destroy the One Ring. This dual focus creates a dynamic tactical challenge, as players must balance military strategy with the progress of the Ring, offering a deeply immersive experience for Tolkien enthusiasts.

Eclipse: 2nd Dawn for The Galaxy

3$207.00 at Amazon While Twilight Imperium focuses on warfare and diplomacy, Eclipse emphasizes long-term strategy in sci-fi civilization building. Its systems for initiative and technology upgrades demand foresight as you expand into the galaxy. This tactical depth enhances the feeling of exploration and ship design, ensuring that success hinges on strategic planning rather than dice 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 circles, the term "wargame" often refers to games that simulate historical conflicts, a niche genre requiring detailed research. Examples like Awakening the Bear and Twilight Struggle: Red Sea are on the more approachable side of this spectrum. However, the definition can be broader, including games about hypothetical or fictional conflicts, like those in Undaunted or science-fiction scenarios. We use the widest possible definition—games that explore conflict from various perspectives, from historical simulation to fantasy diplomacy. If a specific type of conflict game interests you, enthusiast sites can guide you further.