Best Wargame Board Games of 2025

Onus! Traianus by CrowD Games provides a unique wargaming experience without the need for physical miniatures. Instead of traditional figures, you utilize cards that represent various troop formations, making setup and gameplay more accessible. The game is designed to be historically accurate, allowing you to engage in maneuvers that reflect real strategies from ancient times. With eight different armies, each featuring a mix of troops and war machines, you can create countless combinations for varied gameplay. The included 96-page Campaign Book offers pre-made lists to recreate historical battles, enhancing your gaming experience.

Defcon Game by Giochi offers an exciting strategy experience set in a dystopian future. Players engage in a battle for supremacy, using military power and managing their international reputation. Each decision affects your standing in the game, making it essential to balance strength and public perception. With multiple paths to victory, you can control territories while considering your opponents’ moves. This streamlined game is perfect for newcomers, providing a modern twist on classic area control mechanics and ensuring engaging gameplay for both kids and adults.

Antietam 1862 Game offers a deep dive into Civil War strategy with its engaging old school wargame mechanics. You can refight the famous Battle of Antietam in just 3 to 5 hours, making it perfect for an afternoon of historical gaming. The game features brigade-level detail, where each piece represents a brigade, providing a realistic experience of troop management. The hard-mounted game board, with a scale of 250 yards per hex, brings history to life. Additionally, the four counter sheets showcase the armies of the North and South, ensuring an authentic and educational experience that will keep you coming back for more.

This War by Ares Games immerses you in the First English Civil War, where you'll strategize between Royalist and Parliamentarian forces. The card-driven gameplay offers a familiar yet innovative experience, allowing you to engage with the unique challenges of 17th-century warfare. Each card deck evolves through the years, ensuring that your gameplay reflects the actual historical timeline. Your objective is to earn Victory Points by capturing cities, adding a competitive edge to your game night. With five distinct scenarios, you can enjoy varied gameplay that keeps each session fresh and exciting.

The Warlord Black Powder Game lets you step into the shoes of British commanders during the famous Battle of Waterloo. With 240 intricately designed miniatures, game cards, and tokens, you can create an engaging battlefield right on your table. The innovative order dice system adds an element of surprise and strategy, ensuring that every game is unique and thrilling. This game is perfect for players aged 14 and up, whether you're a beginner or a seasoned strategist, as it includes comprehensive rules and assembly guides to enhance your gaming experience.

Academy Games 1775 Rebellion is a historical and strategy board game that is perfect for head-to-head or up to 4-player team play. It is the second title in the Birth of America series after 1812 - The Invasion of Canada. The game is easy to learn, making it a great introduction to historical and strategy board games. The game has won multiple awards including the 2014 Origins Wargame of the Year and the 2013 Boardgamegeek Golden Geek Award for Best Wargame. The game is designed for 2-4 players and can be played in 1-2 hours. The game is recommended for ages 10 and up.

In the Matagot Yucatan Game, you take on the role of a Mayan city leader, where your choices directly impact the fate of your civilization. You'll engage in strategic battles, sending warlords to capture foes and bolster your city's power through the sacred seasons. As you sacrifice prisoners to appease the gods, you must ensure each offering is grander than the last to earn their favor. With complex gameplay, the game challenges you to enlist mythical creatures to enhance your strategy and maintain your dominance against rival players.

Osprey Undaunted Game is an engaging deck-building war game set in Normandy during World War II, designed for two players. You will lead your troops and make critical strategic choices to advance into enemy territory. The game utilizes cards to help you gain the upper hand, control your forces, and influence the outcome of battles. As you face casualties, you will need to adapt your strategy since losing cards from your deck can change your approach. This dynamic gameplay keeps you on your toes and ensures that every decision counts.

Experience Britain's nighttime strategic air campaign over German-occupied Europe, 1942-45 with Legion Wargames Target for Tonight boardgame. As a player, you will command individual RAF bombers on night missings in any of 12 campaigns, with each campaign consisting of individual missions. Your goal is to survive your tour of duty. This solitaire boardgame is a sequel to the immensely popular Target for Today game (which covers the US's daylight strategic air campaign). The game comes with a mounted map, 204 counters, 5 large illustrated bomber cards, and many play aids. With this game, you can enjoy the thrill and challenge of leading a bomber crew, completing missions, and surviving enemy attacks.

Bolt Action - Combined Arms is a strategic board game that features different theaters of war, including the western and eastern fronts, North Africa, and the Pacific. Each theater has its own challenges, rewards, and unique opportunities, such as control over land, sea, or skies. Players can play as a stand-alone game, or they can link their campaign with other wargames such as Bolt Action, Blood Red Skies, Cruel Seas, or Victory at Sea. This game demands that players seize the initiative, outwit their foe, and fight for control of air, land, and sea to claim objectives and hold them against their enemy.