For lots of casual players, the first encounter with a wargame was likely the first time they played this:
More often than not, they stop right there and declare they’ll never play a “wargame” again. That’s a crying shame! A huge group of games are considered wargames, because while many board games address war as a central theme, there are a ton of different playing styles and choices that go into creating a wargame. Yup, we’ll get into that.
First off, you ask: what is a wargame? This seems like a simple question.
There’s no straightforward answer, beyond the fact that a wargame simulates, represents or alludes to warfare and conflict. What folks consider a wargame is a matter of personal taste and will be different depending on who you talk to. For many, a war game is more than the usual army board games.
One person may consider a sci-fi battle a wargame, while another may only define historically accurate area control (where you duke it out for control of some territory) games as a wargame. Some folks think if you plop down a map, some meeples (tokens representing a player or a group of characters controlled by a player) and some dice, you’ve got a wargame. Others are looking for war strategy board games, no matter where the conflict takes place.
TL;DR: wargames are what you want them to be.
For our list of the best wargames, we focused on providing diversity in terms of historical strength, mechanics, theme, battle setting, number of players, difficulty level, game footprint and length of play. Whether you choose to battle in Middle-Earth, navigate the Cold War, fight as woodland animals, or gain control of Medieval Japan, there is something for everyone on our list.
Our Top Picks – 10 Best War Board Games
Best War Board Game Overall: Twilight Struggle
Players: 2 // Game time: 2-3 hours // Age: 14+ // Difficulty: Advanced
Navigate your way through the four plus decades of the Cold War. Experience the persistent sense of urgency, tension and paranoia as you strategize your way to uncertain victory.
Best Thematic War Board Game: Star Wars: Rebellion
Players: 2-4 // Game time: 3-4 hours // Age: 12+ // Difficulty: Advanced
This is a highly thematic and immersive game that captures the stress and nuances of the infamous struggle between the Empire and the Imperial Rebels.
Best War Board Game to Play With Kids: Memoir ‘44
Players: 2-8 // Game time: 30-60 minutes // Age: 8+ // Difficulty: Easy
Face off as Germans vs. Allies, in over 15 different battle scenarios of some of the infamous historic battles of World War II. Simple rules, quick set-up and fast gameplay make this a great pick to play with kids.
Most Underrated War Board Game: Shogun
Players: 3-5 // Game time: 90-120 minutes // Age: 12+ // Difficulty: Advanced
You are a powerful feudal lord in medieval Japan. This game presents a unique aspect of war – your primary focus is in managing resources through actions such as making sure you have enough to feed your troops and the peasants are happy.
Best Classic War Board Game: Paths of Glory
Players: 2 // Game time: 8 hours // Age: 14+ // Difficulty: Advanced
Play as the Central Powers or the Allies in WWI. This is a middle-weight game that is straightforward to learn, particularly for people used to more complex games or wargames.
Table of Contents
Best War Board Games
Ancient Wargame
Players: 1-4 // Game time: 3-6 hours // Age: 14+ // Difficulty: Advanced
Publisher: GMT Games
Falling Sky: The Gallic Revolt Against Caesar takes place in 54 BC when Julius Caesar, arguably the most famous Roman Emperor, has finally occupied Gaul for the glory of Rome. However, the conquest is not complete until the Gallic peoples fall to their knees.
That’s where you come in. Can you successfully conquer Gaul?
In the base game, you may play during years 54-51. Each scenario represents a year of battle and strategizing as Rome struggles to control the 16 regions of early Brittania while maintaining divisiveness among the Gauls.
You represent one of four factions, playing as Rome or a Gallic faction – the Aedui, the Averni or Belgic tribes. Each faction has different goals and strategies. The Aedui are skilled negotiators, and are friendly towards Rome. The Arverni are the primary revolutionaries in this battle, while the Belgic tribes are the secondary insurgents. The Germanic tribes are a fifth faction in the game, and are not player controlled (at least not directly).
Each faction has unique abilities, and their roads to victory are completely different. The combination of results and events may result in collaboration through tentative alliances, or further exacerbate tension between opposing forces. Will you betray or be betrayed?
Each phase starts with an event card, which brings the game to life. You’ll deal with both smaller events that break down Gallic culture and large-scale military and political events.
Falling Sky: The Gallic Revolt Against Caesar features GMT Games’ innovative COIN game system, which features guerrilla warfare, asymmetric warfare and COunter INsurgencies.
Why This is Fun
Falling Sky: The Gallic Revolt Against Caesar highlights a rich historical period of instability and change at the far borders of the Roman Empire. The fun factor is ramped up by completely different strategies for each faction. The sheer number of strategic and tactical options you have available at each turn of the game will absolutely tickle your fancy.
Who This Game is For
We believe that COIN series fans, board gamers who love ancient history, war gamers who like medium-complex games and Euro gamers who are comfortable with heavier and immersive board games will all enjoy Falling Sky thoroughly.
Buy Falling Sky: The Gallic Revolt Against Caesar on Amazon
Pros
- Smaller board compared to most war games
- Great for solo play
- Good intro to GMT Games’ COIN system
- High replayability
Cons
- COIN rules can be complex
- Takes effort to learn the rules
- Long playing times
The game The Ariovistus Falling Sky Expansion occurs a few years earlier between 58-55 BC and includes additional scenarios. GMT Games has a large portfolio of COIN games, which are generally easy to learn once you’ve mastered your first COIN game. Some good picks are: Cuba Libre: Castro’s Insurgency, 1957-1958, Pendragon: The Fall of Roman Britain and Fire in the Lake: Insurgency in Vietnam.
American Revolutionary Wargame
Players: 1-4 // Game time: 3-6 hours // Age: 14+ // Difficulty: Easy
Publisher: Academy Games
You are in the American colonies in 1775. Cries of independence reverberate throughout the air.
Choose one side as part of your quest to win the Revolutionary War: the Americans (Continental Army and Colonist Militia) vs. the British (the British Army and Loyalists). You can play this one-on-one, with each of you controlling two factions. If playing with four players, each player will control an individual faction. The American factions work together as a team against the British factions.
Your goal? Control the most armies after the infamous truce is signed.
In 1775: Rebellion, each faction has a unique deck of movement cards and different customized dice. You’ll roll your dice each turn to achieve one of the following: kill, flee or make a Command Decision. Though simple, the gameplay allows you to strategize your battles by creating alliances with Native Americans, the French, or Hessians, seizing territory, limiting your opponents’ reinforcements and setting up blocking positions. Each faction has a Truce card which, if played after the third round, will trigger the last round of the game. This keeps each player on their toes and makes the game interesting.
Why This is Fun
This light wargame is fun for non-wargamers and experienced wargamers alike. While easy to learn with a light ruleset, 1775: Rebellion gives you plenty of interesting decisions and options each turn.
Who This Game is For
Non-wargamers and wargamers alike will enjoy 1775: Rebellion. This game is perfect for anyone who doesn’t like the complexity and length of wargames, but really likes the idea of wargames.
Buy 1775: Rebellion on Amazon
Pros
- High-quality components
- Easy to learn and teach
- Plenty of strategy
- Custom dice makes battles exciting
Cons
- Cubes are standard - nothing exciting
- Luck plays an important role
1775: Rebellion is a sequel to 1812: The Invasion of Canada. Another great game by publishers Academy Games is Freedom: The Underground Railroad, which is a non combat game.
Ancient Wargame
Players: 2 // Game time: 60 minutes // Age: 12+ // Difficulty: Medium
Publisher: GMT Games
Love the idea of playing era-specific military strategies from the beginning of military history (3000 BC) to the start of the Middle Ages (400 AD)? Commands and Colors: Ancients is the game for you! You’ll play 15 battles in one of the most epic strategy war board games, spanning centuries.
You’ll control an army of the ancient world, such as the Romans, the Carthagians and the Greeks. Each historic battle you encounter is different. Scale-wise, one infantry unit can represent a legion of trained fighters in one battle, and a handful of brave soldiers in another battle. You’ll experience the advantages and limitations of historically accurate battle units.
Navigate these pivotal battles through strategic card play, dice rolling, battle planning and tactics ripped from the pages of history itself. Victory is yours for the taking!
The gameplay revolves around Command Cards that you use to activate your army. Unlike other well-known war games, Commands and Colors: Ancients features a few simple rules. The strategic and tactical challenges are still a lot of fun for experienced board gamers. The game has the added bonus of being easy to learn and teach, making it a good game to play with beginner wargamers or casual gamers.
Why This is Fun
The theme is immersive, and you’ll enjoy learning about the historical battles- Wikipedia will thank you as you research the actual outcomes of each battle! The rules are easier to digest and light enough for non-wargamers to enjoy, with enough depth and challenges for an experienced wargamer.
Who This Game is For
Board gamers / history buffs excited about geeking out and learning about fighting styles and tactics of multiple periods in a single game. War gamers will enjoy the intricate tactical challenges of managing a variety of armies during a span of thousands of years.
Buy Commands and Colors: Ancients on Amazon
Pros
- Quick set-up
- Elephant units are fun
- Simple rules
- Fun tactical challenges
Cons
- You’ll sticker tons of blocks (units)
- Pacing can be slow
A number of expansions have been published for Commands and Colors: Ancients. However, many of them are out of print and are hard to find. The Commands & Colors: Ancients Expansion Pack #1 – Greeks and Eastern Kingdoms was available on Amazon when we published this article.
Japanese Sengoku Period Wargame
Players: 3-5 // Game time: 90-120 minutes // Age: 12+ // Difficulty: Advanced
Publisher: Queen Games
You are a powerful feudal lord (Daimyo) in medieval Japan seeking the coveted title of Shogun! You’ll navigate the Sengoku Period (aka the Warring States period) from 1467 through 1573, ending with the commencement of the Tokugawa shogunate (feudal government).
Shogun is based on the Wallenstein game system, and is an area control game with Euro aspects. It is not a typical wargame in terms of focusing solely on battle and tactics, but a game about warfare management with plenty of decisions and strategic positioning. You aim to control the map via conquest and build while improving the territories you hold. As an added layer, during each of two winters, you’ll need to ensure you can gather enough food to prevent the peasants from uprising and upending your plans.
You’ll build structures, reinforce troops, collect resources, move and attack during your turns. You’ll recruit and move around the map via colored cubes. You’ll collect gold via taxes and rice, but if you do this too many times the peasants will revolt!
In Shogun, you forego the dice and cards when you battle. Instead, The Tower decides your fate. You’ll pour the cubes you are attacking with and the cubes that your opponent will use to defend your attack into the almighty Tower. Some cubes will remain hidden in The Tower, and others will appear victorious. Whomever has the most cubes wins the battle.
Why This is Fun
This unique spin on war is authentic – you’ll focus on resource management (troops are fed, peasants are happy), tactics and strategy as you navigate the game.
Who This Game is For
If warfare management in medieval Japan seems fun to you, Shogun is right up your alley! Just don’t expect a typical wargame with battle after battle. Shogun is an area management game with some battles, but successful resource management is ultimately the path to victory.
Pros
- The tower combat is fun
- Unique combat system
- Strategically challenging
- Rich theme
Cons
- Length of play can go long
- Can be fiddly
- A lot of rules to remember
- Takes a lot of table space
World War I Wargame
Players: 2 // Game time: 8 hours // Age: 14+ // Difficulty: Advanced
Publisher: GMT Games
Welcome to 1914! Paths of Glory is a WWI wargame where you play as one of two entities: a) the Central Powers, utilizing the fighting skill of the Imperial German Army with home court advantage; or b) The Entente Powers (Allies) focused on ending the war to end all wars. Your battles will span many locations, from the icy plains of Poland, the deserts of Arabia, the trenches of the Western front and the mountains of the Balkans.
At its heart, Paths of Glory is a card-driven game. Each player works from their own decks of cards. You get a Mobilization, Limited War, and Total War deck. You start with a hand of seven cards from your own deck, along with six actions. It’s totally up to you how you use certain cards and in what order you deploy them.
You can use a card in one of the following ways, as specified by the values on a given card:
- Operations – Activate all units in one space, for movement or combat
- Event – Follow the event text, which will affect your gameplay in a plethora of ways (e.g. modify the rules, give victory points, give you reinforcements, etc.)
- Strategic Relocation – Move your troops large distances in the game and deploy corps to the battle field to strengthen weak units
- Replacements – Strengthen reduced strength units and bring back a certain amount of units from the eliminated box at the end of your turn
For combat, you’ll roll a single six-sided die. Campaigns can take 10-15 hours of play.
Because you have a limited number of choices each game, many historically-accurate events of WWI may never come into play during a campaign. For instance, it’s rare for the Americans to enter the war during a campaign!
Why This is Fun
Paths of Glory is a middle-weight game that is straightforward to learn, particularly for people used to more complex games or wargames. Though special rules can make the game a little fiddly, the strategic depth and tough decisions at every turn make this a fun wargame.
Who This Game is For
Primarily wargamers or board gamers who don’t mind long two player games that can be fiddly. The deep level of strategy with relatively simple gameplay makes for great tension and rewarding challenges.
Buy Paths of Glory on Amazon
Pros
- Quick set-up
- Many interesting decisions to make
- Great strategic depth
Cons
- Doesn’t model the war’s actual events
- Game is long
- Somewhat steep learning curve
As-is, Paths of Glory can be a let-down for historical buffs, as most games won’t be historically accurate. The game is so beloved that there are a number of fan-created historical variants such as the Paths of Glory Player’s Guide downloadable variant cards and the Mostinckx-Loth variant to improve the game’s historical accuracy.
5Root
Welcome to the great wilderness, where woodland animals battle for their claim to the land! Each faction has unique skills and strengths. In the base game of Root, you can play as:
- The Marquise – They’re ruled by the Marquise de Cat
- The Eyrie Dynasty – A brutal warring empire that ruled the forest long ago
- The Woodland Alliance – A group of rebels small on resources and big on heart, ready to revolt against their rulers
- The Vagabond – A rogue with no alliances, who has a secret motive
You’ll roll two twelve-sided dice to determine how many hits each side of the conflict sustains. Luck also comes into play with card drawing, which allows you to develop items and abilities. Since everyone is affected by luck and there are enough card draws in the game to offset luck, luck doesn’t overshadow your skill and tactics in the game.
Why This is Fun
The asymmetric design means that every faction has different strengths and goals, making for an entertaining and highly replayable game.
Who This Game is For
Root brings a lot to the table that can appeal to a wide group of people, from anyone who wants to play with their children, serious gaming groups, RPGers, wargamers, and more! Just be aware that even though it’s rooted in a cutesy woodland fantasy world, Root is a combat-driven game at its core.
Pros
- Striking artwork
- Rich theme
- Good component quality
- Fun asymmetrical play
Cons
- Learning curve for light gamers
- Limited two-player matchups
- Players need to be on the same page
There are a ton of fun expansions for Root! While Root is a game for two to four players, the Riverfolk Expansion gives you two new core factions and adds the ability to play solo or cooperatively with up to six players. Solo play is more balanced with the Clockwork expansion, where you get four new automated factions to use in solo, competitive or coop play. The Vagabond Pack provides seven custom Vagabond meeples. The Underworld Expansion gives you access to two new factions and a new double-sided board. Whoa.
Free People Nations vs. the Shadow Armies
Players: 2-4 // Game time: 2 1/2 - 3 hours // Age: 14+ // Difficulty: Easy, Medium, Advanced
Publisher: Ares Games
The fate of Middle-Earth is in your hands. You’ll either control Sauron’s Shadow Armies with the goal of military victory, or the Free People Nations whose hope lies with Frodo the Ringbearer’s perilous quest to destroy the precious ring at Mount Doom.
The use of custom War of the Ring: Second Edition action dice balances movement with strategy in this choose-your-own-adventure story. Each die represents an action a player can take during a turn, including moving armies and characters, advancing a Political Track, recruiting troops and drawing or playing Event Cards. Event cards throw in more tension, as they can allow special actions, alter the course of a battle or expose an unexpected twist.
War of the Ring is not a pure skirmish game – the leader of the Free People Nations has political sentiments to consider as the Fellowship hangs in the balance. You’ll journey to protect the Ringbearer from harm.
As the leader of the Shadow Armies, you’ll capture cities and strongholds across Middle-Earth and have the power to corrupt the Fellowship.
Why This is Fun
If you are a Lord of the Rings fan, you’ll enjoy the immense challenges and tension you’ll feel throughout this epic game with your favorite characters!
Who This Game is For
Fans of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy will love this game! It’s easy to rope casual gamers into this epic wargame, which deserves to be here on our list of best wargames for you.
Buy War of the Ring: Second Edition on Amazon
Pros
- Rich theme
- Highly replayable
- Multiple expansions
- Over 200 minis!
Cons
- Large footprint
- May be too deep for some
- Can induce analysis paralysis
- Only one female character (with an expansion)
Journey with Frodo as he obtains the One Ring enroute from the Shire to Bree, then Rivendell, in the separate Hunt of the Ring two-chapter prologue. The best expansion is Lords of Middle-Earth, where you’ll gain prominent characters like Galadriel (finally), Sméagol, Elrond and even the Balrog of Moria. Finally, with Kings of Middle-Earth you bring Theodén, Denethor, Daìn, Brand, and Thranduil to War of the Ring.
World War II Wargame
Players: 2-8 // Game time: 30-60 minutes // Age: 8+ // Difficulty: Easy
Publisher: Days of Wonder
Face off as the Axis vs. Allies, in over 15 different battle scenarios that touch on certain historic (and legendary) battles of World War II. You’ll experience the unique challenges and advantages of terrain, troop placement and army objectives appropriate to each battle. Hand management is the name of the game here as you use your tactic cards, dice rolls and battle plan as you deploy your battle-specific troops (infantry, paratroopers and tanks oh my!) on your path to victory.
Memoir ‘44 comes with 144 detailed and historically accurate army miniatures and a double-sided board representing a grassy field and a beach area with ocean, beach and grass areas. The game features the mechanics Richard Borg developed for Command and Colors, which he designed to be simple but also allow for interesting decisions and strategic depth.
Unlike many war games, Memoir ‘44 is accessible for non-wargamers, light board gamers and young board gamers. The game also has quick set-up times and can be played in 30 minutes, making this a great game to play regularly.
Why This is Fun
This accessible wargame provides tons of strategic decisions while remaining decidedly “un-fiddly.” It’s easy to learn and quick to hit the table.
Who This Game is For
Anyone looking for an accessible, quick-playing wargame to play with their favorite people! Busy wargamers who want to play with their family and other nongamers. Heavy wargamers and WWII history buffs may not be as impressed due to the lighter level of difficulty.
Buy Memoir ’44 on Amazon
Pros
- Great for light board gamers
- Quick set-up and play times
- Great strategic depth
- Up to 8 players with multiple boards
Cons
- WWII buffs won’t be impressed
- May seem light to heavy wargamers
- Can be clunky with tons of expansions
The base game of Memoir ‘44 includes an option for recreating Operation Overlord with team play. Basically, all you need to do is obtain multiple copies of the game to play with up to 8 people. The Operation Overlord expansion provides a lower-cost method to expand your base game for play with two teams of up to 4 people.
The Memoir ‘44 Terrain Pack adds new elements such as additional terrain, Victory Medals and new rules for playing battles in new locations. Recreate a series of battles along the Soviet-Japanese border in the Battles of Khalkhin-Gol expansion, from freezing Lake Lagoda to burning Stalingrad in the Eastern Front Expansion, and North Africa in the Mediterranean Theater expansion. These are just a few of the available expansions available for Memoir ‘44.
Rebel Alliance vs. The Empire
Players: 2-4 // Game time: 3-4 hours // Age: 12+ // Difficulty: Advanced
Publisher: Fantasy Flight Games
We are in the midst of the Galactic Civil War. Star Wars: Rebellion pits the Empire against the Rebel Alliance. As head honcho of the Imperial army, you will command massive resources, including Stormtroopers, TIEs and Star Destroyers.
Your objective as the Empire? Find and destroy the fledgling Rebel Alliance’s base to end the movement once and for all!
As commander of the Rebel army, you have limited resources. The troopers, T-47 airspeeders, Corellian corvettes and fighter squadrons are not enough to win against the Empire. Your win condition as the Rebel Alliance? Rally the galaxy’s citizens to your cause and reach a full-scale revolt and you’ll win the epic civil war!
Develop a different strategy and playing style for each side. Although this is a large-scale battle, heroes are as important as ever. It’s the individual efforts of leaders on both sides that will inspire the movement!
Star Wars: Rebellion comes with over 150 plastic miniatures and two game boards that encompass thirty-two systems within the infamous Star Wars galaxy. You’ll start the game armed with your faction sheet, leaders, miniatures, loyalty markers, mission cards and action cards. There are three phases to each turn:
- Assignment – You’ll be able to assign your leaders to secret missions
- Command – You’ll be able to send your leaders on their secret missions or have them initiate battles by bringing forces into other systems
- Refresh – You’ll reset your leaders and your hand of cards
Battle takes place through the use of tactics cards and dice rolling. You’ll manage a hand of mission cards to meet objectives and move forward throughout this epic battle.
Why This is Fun
The rich theme and optimized gameplay really capture the stress and nuances of the Galactic Civil War and make for an immersive gaming experience.
Who This Game is For
Star Wars: Rebellion is a complex game with a lot of layers. Board gaming fans of Star Wars who like medium or heavy weight games will love this game. This may be a bit much for the casual/ beginner gamer unless you have a good teacher or are used to synthesizing complicated information. Pro tip – the Imperials are easier to play in the beginning.
Buy Star Wars: Rebellion on Amazon
Pros
- Immersive theme
- Lots of depth
- 150+ miniatures
- Highly replayable with expansion
Cons
- Large footprint
- Luck plays a large role
- Complicated combat
- Not for casual gamers
A number of expansions have been published for Commands and Colors: Ancients. However, many of them are out of print and are hard to find. The Commands & Colors: Ancients Expansion Pack #1 – Greeks and Eastern Kingdoms was available on Amazon when we published this article.
Political Wargame
Players: 2 // Game time: 2-3 hours // Age: 14+ // Difficulty: Advanced
Publisher: GMT Games
Twilight Struggle shines a light on an oft-neglected but highly tense period of conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union, spanning over four decades. This unique conflict was waged in… well, unique ways. You’ll navigate the Cold War’s “battles” with players like spies, politicians and scientists. Will you emerge from this period of struggle victorious?
Designed for two players, Twilight Struggle is a card-driven game. Though the ruleset can seem like a lot to digest, the rules are fairly simple and intuitive for medium or heavy board gamers to pick up quickly. It will, however, take a few games to truly master the game, as there is a lot of strategic depth.
As in the Cold War, you never quite know what is going to happen. Twilight Struggle emulates the period’s turmoil and suspense through card draws and lots of dice rolls. You always retain a sense of hope that circumstances could suddenly change in your favor by drawing the right cards or getting a favorable dice roll.
This thematic game is a fun and entertaining history lesson for a conflict that is often overlooked in American (and global) history. The event cards present historically relevant events, and the rulebook provides background information for each event in the game.
While some heavy wargamers will say that Twilight Struggle is not a true wargame, ponder this – wars are so much more than direct military conflict. It comes down to whether you consider the Cold War a war. That, perhaps, is beyond the scope of this discussion.
Why This is Fun
You’re navigating the Cold War. In this tense period of our history, every action has a purpose. Even a small detail could derail your game plan. Persistent throughout the game is a sense of urgency, tension and paranoia as you strategize your way to uncertain victory.
Who This Game is For
Medium to heavy weight board gamers who enjoy learning history while engaging in entertaining gameplay will enjoy Twilight Struggle. If you’re not someone who enjoys a lot of luck in your gameplay, give this game a try (or two!) before you make any conclusions. You may find that the dice rolls and card draws grow on you, as this game provides a lot of interesting decisions and strategic depth. Heavy wargamers expecting head-to-head military battles may not enjoy this game.
Buy Twilight Struggle on Amazon
Pros
- Immersive theme and artwork
- Great strategic depth
- Simple and intuitive gameplay
Cons
- Rules can seem intimidating
- Luck plays a large role
- Takes multiple plays to learn strategy
While there are several expansions for Twilight Struggle, they are out of print and hard to find.
GMT Games recently came out with Imperial Struggle, a standalone game that takes place between 1697 and 1789. Imperial Struggle highlights the intense rivalry between France and Britain during this era. At a larger level, the game addresses the Imperial struggles of western Europe as a whole. This game features a different approach to gameplay than its predecessor and is very well-regarded, so check that out!
That’s a Wrap!
Our top ten picks of the best war board games include games for casual players, heavy wargamers and history buffs. Whether you want to dive into an oft-overlooked conflict (Twilight Struggle), play a quick and accessible WWII game with your family (Memoir ‘44), battle as woodland creatures (Root) or experience the fighting styles and tactics in a game that spans centuries (Commands and Colors: Ancients).
There are a lot of great board games out there, and it was tough to pick just 10 of the best wargames. We would be remiss if we did not mention these great war board games that almost made it on this list:
Inis – This is a gorgeous Celtic game about factions learning how to live together in ancient Ireland. It’s out of print and hard to find. Otherwise, this game would have made it onto our list.
Air, Land & Sea – This WWII-inspired card game features bite-sized 15-30 minute games where you carefully deploy your focus across the air, land and sea. Accessible and great for kids and casual gamers and for portable play.
Axis & Allies Europe 1942: Second Edition – Experience WWII on a grand, global scale with tons of minis. This didn’t make it on our list because the game is ginormous.
Risk: Legacy – Rip cards, slap stickers on the game board and make other permanent changes as you fight for your faction’s dominance in this futuristic war game. Each game in the campaign is fairly quick at about an hour.
878 Vikings: Invasions of England – The Vikings are coming! Are the divided English kingdoms ready?
Conflict of Heroes: Guadalcanal – The Pacific 1942 – Experience a unique facet of WWII in the Pacific Theater. Isolated U.S. troops fight to hold a critically strategic airfield against the strength of the mighty Japanese Empire. Games play out in about an hour.
Gandhi: the Decolonization of British India 1917-1947 – Experience the effects of Gandhi’s nonviolent approach firsthand in this game as you determine the future of India.
Rising Sun – Experience feudal Japan in the masterful game for 3-5 players. Make alliances, bluff and negotiate your way to victory.
Twilight Imperium: 4th Edition – An epic game of galactic conquest for 3 – 6 players. You’ll have your hands full building civilizations and ensuring your faction’s economic success while navigating the political hemisphere in this science fiction wargame based in space.
B17 Flying Fortress Leader – In this well-regarded solo WWII board game, you’re in command of the Eighth Air Force in England. You’ll juggle priorities as you work to advance multiple fronts while trying to destroy the Luftwaffe.
As we hope you’ve learned here, there is no wrong definition of a wargame. Everyone has a different preferred type of wargame, whether it involves chits or counters and massive maps for direct conflicts, an accessible quick-to-hit-the-table war board game or a board game that addresses logistics in addition to other important strategic or political elements of war. Wargames provide you with immense diversity in gameplay, strategy and enjoyment. You can find exactly what you’re looking for if you look hard enough. Rally the troops!
Header Photo Credit: Thanks, Wetwebwork! cc