Best War Board Games of All Time

Board games have been around for centuries; and there have been a million different goals for board game players to accomplish. Some have players take on the role of cats hunting mice, like in Mousetrap! Others will have players as people literally just living life, like in Life.

With video games taking over entertainment, it's easy to cast aside board games. However, the truth is that there are many board games out there that are better than typical video games are — in both interaction quality and fun.

Military members already know this, though. Many people stationed in rough areas learn to appreciate board games, and the non-electronic fun they offer. We're willing to bet that the best war board games are classics you'll adore playing with your family, too.

Obviously, we can't have a list of the best war board games of all time without including the most famous one of all — Risk. In this game, players take on the role of leaders in different countries, all with the goal of taking over the world.

Known for being a seriously challenging strategy game, Risk will make you think about moves in a myriad of different ways. Just like in war, there is a certain amount of luck involved in winning; however, at the end of the day, it's the choices you make that decide whether you win or lose.

Risk is so popular, there's even a Star Wars version you can buy.

Perhaps the only other game that most people associate with war is Stratego, another classic strategy game. With this game, your main goal is to capture the flag and guard yourself against infiltrators who may end up stealing yours.

Unlike Risk, Stratego has a crazy number of incarnations out there. You can choose a set that has you in the Napoleonic Wars, a future battle in space, or even a set that has WWII gear. It's basically like Monopoly that way; and you don't get to be like Monopoly without being one of the best war board games ever made.

Along with being one of the oldest board games in history, chess is one of the best war board games of all time. People have been studying game theory using chess for ages; and there are entire groups of people who are professional chess players because of the sheer complexity of the game.

In the past, chess set ownership was a status symbol of the wealthy. Today, it's status symbol of having excellent taste in games. It's one of the most widespread games in the world, and frankly, there's no way to ignore the cultural impact chess has had on humanity.

This is one of the newest war board games out there, but it's definitely one of the best war board games of all time. This is one of the few fantasy games that allows you to pit yourself against others using strategy, diplomacy, and yes, upgrades to your army.

Heroscape goes further than most other board games, too, by allowing you to customize terrain. No two battles are alike, and plenty of different scenarios exist. If you're looking for a serious strategic challenge while waging wars, this is it.

"You sunk my Battleship!" has become a calling card of this iconic board game based off the submarine fights of World War II. This is one of the only board games out there that does not totally rely on strategy to win, which makes it a bit unusual.

Luck is really, really important in Battleship. But, that's part of the fun. It's retro and it's cool.

Not all war games worth playing are focused on Western history. Seikigahara: Unification of Japan is one of the best war board games ever made, and it's all about the battle that created the country that is now known as Japan.

Gameplay with Seikigahara is not just about strategy. It's about cultivating loyalty of your allies, and ensuring that your side wins the battle of Seikigahara. Tensions will rise, and getting people on your side will not always be easy. Are you diplomat enough for it?

Fun Fact: Diplomacy is Henry Kissinger's favorite board game, and also was one of the favorites of many of the best generals of all time. That alone says volumes about why it's one of the best war board games of all time, right?

As the name suggests, Diplomacy is all about getting people on your side — not by guns, but by your own mouth. It takes a special kind of person to appreciate this game, though. If you're impatient or bad at being tactful, you may end up unleashing a primal scream and storming away after a session.

Perhaps the only board game on this list that could come close to the age of chess is checkers — and yes, checkers is a war board game, too. When you take your opponent's checker pieces, it's a euphemism for "jailing" the piece there.

Just like chess, it's a game that's all about strategy. Unlike chess, checker pieces all basically have the same moves. So if you like simplicity, chess may be one of the best war board games you'll ever play.

1941: Axis and Allies is a board game that has been enchanting players for over 30 years. And yes, it's based off the battles that happened during World War II. Players get to choose to play as five different major world powers such as Russia, the US, England, Germany, and Japan.

This war game has realistic pieces featuring real military craft, and amazing maps that let you plan your maneuvers with ease. Partly due to the layout, and partly due to the overall awesomeness of the game play, it's easy to see why a lot of people call this classic one of the best war board games of all time.

Last on our list of the best war board games of all time is Twilight Struggle — a board game that's based on the Cold War between Russia and America.

This game, unlike others on this list, isn't about laying out battle strategies. Rather, it's about cultivating intrigue and putting the other country in a chokehold without nuking the turds out of each other.

Twilight Struggle is high-brow and high-tension, and really captures the eerily fearful vibe of the old Cold War era. That's why it's a must-try for people who want a seriously impressive strategy game, and why it even has a video game version on Steam.