The grim, dark universe of Warhammer 40k is enormous and impressively detailed. The tabletop game began all the way back in 1987, and since then, there have been many video game adaptations.
Being so vast, the 40k universe translates to games really well, and in particular, strategy and tactics-style games are a great fit for the setting. But, there are a bunch of mediocre titles out there as well, and sometimes it can be hard to sort the wheat from the chaff.
Let’s take a look at some of the best Warhammer 40k games available today, presented in no particular order, drawing from titles released over the last three decades.
Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate
Best Games Set in the Warhammer 40k Universe
Released back in 1998, the original Chaos Gate had players commanding squads of Ultramarines as they fought against the forces of Chaos, and was very well received for the time. A sequel, Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters, was released recently, some 24 years after its predecessor, and remains true to the original’s vision (although the graphics have come a long way in that time!).
Final Liberation: Warhammer Epic 40,000
Best Games Set in the Warhammer 40k Universe
Preceding Chaos Gate by a single year, Final Liberation was released in 1997 and had players commanding the forces of the Imperium against the Orks. Featuring a wide variety of units, including tanks, armored personnel carriers, artillery, super-heavy tanks and even lumbering Titans, Final Liberation depicted 40k combat on a scale previously unseen.
Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector
Best Games Set in the Warhammer 40k Universe
Speaking of scale, Battlesector (released in 2021) is just about the largest scale 40k game on the market. Featuring an epic single-player campaign in which you command the Blood Angels as they attempt to purge a Tyranid infestation, and a fully-featured skirmish mode (in which you can play as the Tyranids and even the Necrons via DLC), Battlesector has plenty of content to keep players engaged.
Space Hulk
Best Games Set in the Warhammer 40k Universe
The oldest title on this list, the venerable Space Hulk (released in 1993) is a stone-cold classic. It plays like a first-person dungeon crawler, in which you lead a unit of Terminator-armoured Space Marines in claustrophobic encounters against Tyranid Genestealers. Reviewers at the time found the game to be incredibly difficult, but rewarding. It was reimagined in glorious fashion in the form of 2018’s Space Hulk: Death Wing.
Warhammer 40,000: Rites of War
Best Games Set in the Warhammer 40k Universe
Rites of War is yet another turn-based 40k game in which the Tyranids are the primary antagonist, but the first on this list in which you don’t play as the Imperium of Man. While the campaign is played from the perspective of the Eldar of the Iyanden Craftworld, Rites of War also features the Imperial Guard and the Sisters of Battle who are playable but only in skirmish mode.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine
Best Games Set in the Warhammer 40k Universe
Space Marine was a refreshing change for 40k fans, as instead of being a strategy game, it features straight-up 3rd person action, with players able to engage hordes of Orks with both melee and ranged weapons. Releasing on both PS3 and Xbox 360 (as well as PC) in 2011, Space Marine was popular with both fans and critics, and a sequel has been announced and is currently in development.
Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor: Martyr
Best Games Set in the Warhammer 40k Universe
Inquisitor-Martyr is a Diablo-like action RPG in which you will be slaying hordes of enemies and stockpiling an arsenal of weaponry and war gear. Featuring an in-depth leveling system, a compelling narrative, and the ability to play with up to four players cooperatively, Inquisitor-Martyr is a game that will keep you coming back for dozens of hours.
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War I & II
Best Games Set in the Warhammer 40k Universe
The Dawn of War series is the premier 40k real-time strategy experience, and while there is a third entry in the franchise, the first two installments are the best of the bunch. Dawn of War is big, loud, and bloody, all the while attempting to remain faithful to the tabletop game that inspired it.
Developed by Relic Entertainment, the Dawn of War series benefitted from the experience Relic garnered creating both Company of Heroes and Homeworld, two beloved strategy franchises in their own right.
Battlefleet Gothic: Armada I & II
Best Games Set in the Warhammer 40k Universe
The Battlefleet Gothic series is concerned with a lesser-explored (in the realm of video games), but no less epic part of the 40k universe, that of large-scale naval encounters. Navigating titanic warships around hazards in order to position oneself for a massive broadside salvo is an incredibly different and satisfying experience, and one every true 40k fan should try for themselves.
Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate: Daemonhunters
Best Games Set in the Warhammer 40k Universe
The most recent (and in my opinion, best) 40k game on this list, Daemonhunters is a triumphant mix of excellent turn-based tactical combat, and a genuinely gripping meta-narrative featuring the fetid forces of the Lord of Plagues, Nurgle, as primary antagonists. Everything, from the weight of combat, to the sounds of Stormbolters, and the stirring score that backs it all up, serve to make Daemonhunters the best way to experience the Warhammer 40k universe outside of building a tabletop army.
That’s it, everything you need to know about the best Warhammer 40k games out there. How many have you played, were there any we missed? Sound off in the comments below.
Featured Image Source: Pierre Loyvet
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