The 10 best war board games

Paths of Glory is a card-driven wargame where you rewrite history as the Central Powers or Entente in World War I. Perfect for strategy fans who love tough decisions and tense, fast-paced play.

They called it the Great War, and in Paths of Glory, you get to command the armies that tore Europe apart. Designed by award-winner Ted Raicer, this game puts you in the boots of monarchs and marshals from 1914 to 1918. As the Central Powers, you'll rely on interior lines and the Imperial German Army's fighting skill to claim your 'place in the sun.' As the Entente, you must bring your greater numbers to bear and end German militarism, making this the war to end all wars.

Command legendary armies from 3000 BC to 400 AD in fast, tactical battles. Perfect for strategy fans who want history with a dash of dice and clever card plays.

Step onto the ancient battlefield and lead warriors from the dawn of warfare to the fall of empires. Commands & Colors: Ancients lets you clash in stylized battles that blend history with strategy, from the treacherous marshes of Cannae to the volcanic slopes of Zama. Each scenario balances scale and detail—infantry units might represent legions or just a hardened few, but terrain, deployment, and tactics stay true to history.

A tense 2-player block game of feudal Japanese warfare where loyalty is your most fragile weapon—command armies that might refuse to fight, and win by turning your enemy's allies against them. Perfect for history buffs and strategists who crave bluff, hidden information, and zero dice.

In 1600, a single crossroads battle unified Japan for 250 years. Sekigahara: The Unification of Japan lets you rewrite that war as either Ishida Mitsunari, defending a child heir, or Tokugawa Ieyasu, the nation's most powerful daimyo. The campaign lasted only seven weeks, and both sides had to improvise armies and strategies with whatever forces their allies could provide—and those allies were anything but reliable.

Step onto the beaches of Normandy or into the forests of the Ardennes in this fast-paced, strategic WWII board game for 2 players (or up to 8 with Overlord mode). Perfect for history buffs and tactical gamers who want deep decisions in 30-60 minutes.

Memoir '44 drops you into the heart of World War II, letting you command stylized reenactments of iconic battles like Omaha Beach, Pegasus Bridge, and the Ardennes. This isn't a dry simulation — it's a brisk, tactical showdown where you deploy infantry, paratroopers, tanks, artillery, and even resistance fighters using Command and Tactic cards to outmaneuver your opponent.

A sprawling, two-player epic of strategy and storytelling, War of the Ring pits the Free Peoples against the Shadow Armies in a race to either conquer Middle-earth or destroy the One Ring. Perfect for Tolkien fans and heavy strategy gamers who love asymmetric conflict and high-stakes decisions.

In War of the Ring, one player commands the Free Peoples while the other leads the Shadow Armies, recreating the grand conflict of Tolkien's world. The Free Peoples don't start fully united — each nation is initially reluctant to fight, represented by the Political Track. You'll need to provoke them into action by having Sauron attack, or by sending Gandalf and other Companions to persuade them.

Pilot your favorite Star Wars ships in fast-paced tactical dogfights, perfect for fans of strategy and miniatures who want to outmaneuver their rivals in epic space combat.

Take command of Rebel X-wings or Imperial TIE fighters in Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game, a tactical ship-to-ship combat game that puts you right in the middle of the galaxy's fiercest firefights. With stunning, pre-painted miniatures and a quick-to-learn ruleset, you'll select your crew, plan your maneuvers, and complete your mission in fast-paced space combat.

Lead American or German troops through D-Day’s chaos in this tense deck-building duel where every casualty weakens your hand. Perfect for history buffs and strategy gamers who love high-stakes, tactical decision-making.

June, 1944: The Allies have clawed their way onto the beaches of Normandy, but the fight is far from over. In Undaunted: Normandy, you and an opponent take command of American or German forces, pushing through a series of missions that shaped World War II.

Root is a beautifully asymmetric board game of woodland war and shifting alliances, perfect for players who love deep strategy, unique factions, and a story that changes every game.

Root is a game of adventure and war where 2 to 4 players (or up to 6 with expansions like Riverfolk, Underworld, or Marauder) battle for control of a vast wilderness. Each player commands a completely different faction with unique abilities and their own victory condition — no two players ever play the same way.

Step into the Cold War as the US or USSR in this tense two-player card-driven game of spies, crises, and global influence. Perfect for history buffs and strategy gamers who love high-stakes decision-making without the rulebook headache.

Twilight Struggle throws you and a friend into the forty-five-year shadow war between the United States and the Soviet Union. Forget tanks and trenches — here the real weapons are spies, politicians, scientists, and artists, all vying for control across a world map from the ruins of 1945 to the fall of 1989.

One player leads the Free Peoples, the other commands Sauron's Shadow Armies in an epic struggle for Middle-earth. Perfect for Tolkien fans and strategy gamers who love asymmetric, high-stakes conflict with a hidden quest for the Ring.

In War of the Ring: Second Edition, one player takes command of the Free Peoples, while the other controls the Shadow Armies of Sauron. The Free Peoples nations start reluctant to fight, so they must be provoked by Sauron's attacks or persuaded by Gandalf and other Companions before they join the war in earnest — this is tracked on the Political Track, showing each nation's readiness for battle.