Top War Board Games of 2025 Revealed

War board games are a thrilling genre, offering players the chance to dive into epic battles and strategic showdowns. Whether you're looking to spend an evening or an entire day immersed in conflict, these games won't disappoint with their depth and engagement. Gather your friends, stock up on snacks and drinks, and get ready for a marathon of strategic fun.

To ensure your longer games run smoothly, consider these tips: Download a PDF copy of the rulebook, often available for free from publishers, and have everyone read it beforehand. Encourage players to handle "admin" tasks like sorting their hands or counters outside their turns. You might also want to set a time limit per turn, if all players agree. With these strategies in place, you're set to enjoy the games listed below!

TL;DR: These Are the Best War Board Games

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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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War games that involve more than two players often juggle the action on the board with the negotiation and alliances among players. Arcs masterfully balances these elements, as highlighted in our perfect 10/10 review. Its innovative mechanics, inspired by classic trick-taking card games, offer multiple strategic options while still delivering intense spacecraft battles on its circular board. This game rewards aggression and discourages defensive play, yet allows you to build a comprehensive space empire in under two hours. The narrative campaign expansion is a brilliant addition to consider.

Dune: War for Arrakis

1See it at Amazon
Don't mix this up with the multiplayer negotiation game Dune further down the list. War for Arrakis is a head-to-head battle for two, pitting the noble Atreides against the wicked Harkonnen for control of the precious spice. It's highly asymmetric, with the guerilla warfare of the Atreides and their Fremen allies, including summoned sandworms, clashing against the larger, wealthier Harkonnen forces. The Harkonnen player must manage spice harvesting and shipping to maintain economic advantages. Designed by the same team as War of the Ring, this game uses high-quality plastic miniatures and an engaging action dice system that keeps you constantly reevaluating your strategies, all in a shorter playtime.

Sniper Elite: The Board Game

1See it at Amazon
Fans of the video game series may be surprised by the close-quarters action in this tabletop adaptation, but don't let that deter you from its appeal. The stealth elements are well-preserved, with the sniper player moving slowly and silently against a tight time limit, while the German player controls roving squads trying to detect the sniper. The escalating tension, combined with a historical veneer and realistic combat, adds depth. The game includes two different boards and various sniper loadout options and squad specialists for the German player, ensuring high replay value and rich tactical decisions.

Twilight Imperium IV

Twilight Imperium 4th Edition

8See it at Amazon
For an epic all-day sci-fi civilization-building experience, look no further. This game offers everything you could want: bizarre aliens researching technology and building fleets to fight over a random galactic hex map. There's diplomacy between players, in-game political decrees, and a solid strategic core. The strategy card system, where players select a special focus each round, is particularly noteworthy. This fourth edition maintains its sweeping scope but streamlines the experience, making it more accessible.

Blood Rage

1See it at Amazon
In Blood Rage, you lead a Viking clan into the end times of Ragnarök, striving for glory and a place in Valhalla through rage, axes, and horns. Despite its violent theme and striking components, this game offers substantial strategic depth. You'll draft cards to support your actions each round, strategically manage your warriors and monsters to pillage regions and fulfill quests for glory. The blind battle card system adds excitement to the frequent conflicts. This game expertly blends tactical challenge, theme, and brutality, making it a classic in the conflict genre.

The Best Boardgame Deals

Dune

7See it at Amazon
Distinct from Dune: Imperium, this game is based on Frank Herbert's novel and was ahead of its time when first released in 1979. With minimal randomness, it hinges on hidden information and asymmetrical strategy. Each player represents a faction from the book, with unique powers. For instance, the Atreides can peek at auctioned cards, while the Harkonnen know the secret traitors. This game brilliantly captures the narrative and political themes of the novel, with this new edition featuring refined rules and stunning artwork.

Kemet: Blood and Sand

Kemet Blood and Sand

0See it at Amazon
Imagine ancient Egyptian gods and mythical creatures engaging in fierce desert battles. That's Kemet. You can strategize using tech pyramids that grant special powers for attack and defense, and engage in mind games with identical battle cards. But it's the relentless pace and the board's layout that ensure there's no hiding, making for intense, immediate conflicts. It's all about swift, brutal combat.

Star Wars: Rebellion

14See it at Amazon
Star Wars: Rebellion brings the beloved franchise to your table with an asymmetric struggle between the underdog Rebellion and the overpowering Empire. The Rebellion player must survive militarily while winning over planets, while the Empire crushes dissent with its massive armies. Featuring familiar characters and events, the game lets you weave your own narrative, supported by tight strategic gameplay that keeps each turn challenging and varied.

Conflict of Heroes: Awakening the Bear

Conflict of Heroes: Awakening The Bear

0See it at Amazon
Tactical wargames that focus on squads or individual soldiers can be challenging to balance, but Conflict of Heroes nails it with a simple action point and dice system, plus differing front and rear defense values. It starts simple but grows to include artillery, vehicles, and tanks for a full World War 2 experience. The command point system, allowing extra actions during your opponent's turn, is a brilliant feature that adds depth and tension.

Undaunted: Normandy & Undaunted: North Africa

Undaunted: Normandy

5See it at Amazon

Undaunted: North Africa

3See it at Amazon

Undaunted Stalingrad

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

Root

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 and feel. The Marquise de Cat and the Eyrie engage in standard conquest, while the Woodland Folk fight as guerrillas, and the Vagabond operates as a lone trickster-hero. Despite its cute theme and quirky art, Root is a strategic game that delves into real-world political and governance issues.

Twilight Struggle: Red Sea

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The original Twilight Struggle is renowned, but its complexity and long playtime can be daunting. Red Sea retains the compelling card-play mechanics, where players face dilemmas about triggering events for their opponent, but shortens the game to about an hour. A new scoring mechanic adds excitement, and history buffs can explore the Cold War in East Africa, with real historical events simulated through the game's mechanics and a designer's notes book for deeper context.

A Game of Thrones: The Board Game

2$64.95 save 21%$50.99 at Amazon
This game captures the political intrigue and backstabbing of the books and TV show, borrowing from Diplomacy's concept where only one player can win, but no one can do it alone. Alliances and betrayals are inevitable, kept tense by a secret order system. The game adds strategic depth with elements from the world of Westeros, making it a must-play for fans of the franchise.

War of the Ring

War of the Ring 2nd Edition

2$89.99 save 22%$70.36 at Amazon
For fans of Tolkien, this is the best board game adaptation of his work. It features two intertwined games: the epic clash of armies across Middle-earth and the Fellowship's quest to destroy the One Ring. The genius lies in how these two halves interact, creating a challenging tactical balance for players to navigate.

Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy

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 require forward-thinking as you expand into the galaxy. The tactical depth enhances the exploration and combat experience, making it less reliant on luck and more on strategic planning.

If you enjoy these games, be sure to explore our picks for the best overall 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 but detailed genre. Titles like Awakening the Bear and Twilight Struggle: Red Sea exemplify this, offering approachable yet deep experiences. However, the definition can be broader, encompassing games that simulate potential conflicts, historical settings with less focus on simulation, or even entirely fictional scenarios. We've adopted a wide definition, including games that explore conflict from various perspectives, from historical simulations to fantasy diplomacy. If a specific type of conflict game interests you, enthusiast sites can provide further exploration.