The best War board games are some of the most fun and most competitive games on the market. When I was first introduced to Risk I couldn’t believe how much fun a simple board game could be, or how important Australia is if you can hold it for 2 turns.
When I got older, more sophisticated games entered the arena. My friends and I regularly play long sessions of Axis and Allies on weekends to finish the full war out. It could take up to 8 hours sometimes!
In this list we look at the best war games on the market today.
Risk is arguably the most traditional war board game ever created. This classic board war game, which is frequently named among the best of all time, has been entertainingly pitted friends and loved ones against one another since 1957.
The objective of this game is to seize the power of every territory on the game board, which is a global map subdivided into 42 regions spanning six continents. At least thirty different versions of Risk have been released throughout the years, but this original has maintained its position as a cherished classic that critics have praised for being exciting, difficult, and tactical.
The Axis & Allies Pacific 1940 game, created and developed by Larry Harris, applies the revised A&A Anniversary Edition game rules. Tactical Aircraft and Mechanized Troops are two brand-new combat units that debuted in this game. As the ANZAC forces, Australia, together with New Zealand, constitute a new deployable ally.
China has more military power than ever, but to face up to Imperial Japan’s power, they will need support from their friends, the U.S and England. As one of the best war board games, you are presented with a large board to operate on. This game is a true improvement with more than 450 pieces, deluxe gaming components, and local storage bins. This enormous game gains even more nuance and historical authenticity with the addition of brand-new rules for neutral countries, navy and air facilities, kamikaze strikes, and convoy disruptions.
Are you looking for the best war board game that won’t overwhelm you with rules? Memoir ’44 might just be the game you want. The game mechanics and rules are straightforward and simple to learn.
Sometime setting up the battle scenarios can take a little longer than you’d want, but the gameplay is well worth the set up time. Memoir ’44 is set up to play on hex tiles and tokens which makes unit control and movement super easy as well. This has become one of our favourite games to pull out when we want to scratch the war board game itch.
Conclusion
The best war board games are a rare breed. Once you get the mechanics of the game down they are very fun, very competitive games. A lot of times they lead into a new category of gaming called minitures. This style of game uses tiny models that are usually painted by the owner of the army.
Personally I prefer games like Risk or Axis and Allies because of the fun and simplicity of those games. Plus you don’t need to bring your own army, those games have all the pices included.
What are your favourite war games? Did I miss any?