So, you want to know about the best Warhammer games in 2023? Unfortunately, games Workshop has a complicated history with licensing its tabletop worlds. There were some great Warhammer Fantasy strategy games in the ’90s, but the pickings have since been slim.
Thankfully, Warhammer games are getting better, and while there are more Warhammer 40K games, Warhammer Fantasy titles from the Old World and Age of Sigmar settings are improving in quality. From action-packed, turn-based RPGs to the grandest of grand strategy games, there’s a modest selection worth checking out. So join us as we round up the best Warhammer fantasy games on PC.
Here are the best Warhammer games in 2023:
- Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground
- Blood Bowl 2
- Warhammer: Vermintide 2
- Total War: Warhammer II
- Total War: Warhammer III
Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground
Despite our muted feelings in our Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground review, this game is still worth highlighting, mainly because it’s the first decent Age of Sigmar strategy game to release since its older Warhammer Fantasy Battles sibling all those years ago. Before this point, Games Workshop had been slow to licence Age of Sigmar out, with some casual mobile games representing the majority of digital outings to the Mortal Realms.
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Storm Ground offers decent turn-based action, with three of the setting’s iconic factions – including the Stormguard Eternals – brought to life with unique playstyles and units. It’s rough around the edges, but it’s an excellent digital introduction to the Age of Sigmar and a worthy representation for existing fans.
Blood Bowl 2
If you want to get technical, Blood Bowl isn’t technically a Warhammer Fantasy game, but rather a football game set in an alternate version of the Warhammer Fantasy where disputes are settled with hyper-aggressive games of the rugby and American Football analogue ‘Blood Bowl’ instead of a mighty clash of armies.
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Still, it’s honest turn-based tactical fun, and you get to kit out and manage a fantasy football team from several popular races from the tabletop game. Honestly, who needs Football Manager when you’ve got this? As kickoff begins on Blood Bowl 3, time will tell whether it overthrows the sheer amount of quality available here in time, though its opening play is somewhat lacking compared to Blood Bowl 2.
Warhammer: Vermintide 2
Following up on 2015’s The End Times: Vermintide, Fatshark created an excellent murder-fest co-op game for the sequel. With distinct character classes, everyone has a role to play and a unique way of fighting, and Vermintide 2’s melee combat is the best you’ll find outside of the truly dedicated sword games like Chivalry or Mordhau.
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Fatshark has also done a good job supporting the game after its release. New DLC packs in the form of extra career options for the core characters mean you can wade back into the fray with a new set of skills to master. If you’re looking for a Warhammer-themed Left 4 Dead-like experience, then Vermintide 2 is the scourge for you.
Total War: Warhammer II
Really, the entire Warhammer Fantasy line of Total War games can be celebrated, but we single out Warhammer II because, one, it’s better than Warhammer I, and two, even though Warhammer III is out now, the second game stands strong thanks to all of the Warhammer 2 DLC support it’s received since launch. While Creative Assembly’s historical Total War line has been successful, the studio was propelled further into mainstream success when it brought Warhammer Fantasy to life with the Total Warhammer games.
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Freed from the shackles of history, these strategy games elevate the series to a new level, with some of Total War’s best features coming out of Warhammer I and II. While opinions vary on the tactical battles in the Total Warhammer games, there’s no denying that they’ve been good for Total War games overall. They also stand out as some of the best Warhammer games available and are especially good if you miss the cancelled Fantasy Battles tabletop line, and better still, there are plenty of ace Total War: Warhammer 2 mods you can also try out.
Total War: Warhammer III
Total War: Warhammer III gets a dedicated mention because it is a very strong Warhammer game in its own right. While it currently lacks the maturity and breadth of content of its predecessor – as you can read in our Total War: Warhammer III review – it represents the culmination of nearly a decade’s worth of iteration in the strategy space.
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With the return of meaningful siege battles, the inclusion of minor settlement skirmishes, and the improvements to tactical battles overall, even die-hard historical Total War fans find it difficult to deny its impressive. There’s still plenty of room for the game to grow via future updates and DLC, and we’re eagerly awaiting the release of the Immortal Empires mega-campaign. It’s certainly one of the best PC games out there right now. If you’re starting, we suggest checking out our Total War Warhammer 3 Immortal Empires map guide, which is massive.
There you have it, some excellent Warhammer games to tempt you into the realm of Chaos. In addition, we have some superb fantasy games you should check out if you want to keep with the fantasy theme.
