TheWarhammeruniverse has spawned many games. Across itsextended properties like40K, many spin-offs, and alternate settings likeAge of Sigmar,Warhammerhas seen games in almost every genre. Despite40Kbeing at the front of gamers' minds thanks toSpace Marine 2, the original fantasy universe ofWarhammeris a unique setting all of its own, and has plenty of games that are worth revisiting.
Not everyWarhammergame has managed to wow with its gameplay, but there are plenty of different franchises that have managed to find interesting ways to use theWarhammerproperty and create an engaging gameplay loop around it. These are theWarhammerFantasy games with the best gameplay.
While some players today might not be aware it ever existed,Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoninghad a five-year run as a subscription MMO before officially being shut down, and was popular withWarhammerfans when it released back in 2008. The characters roughly fulfilled fantasy MMO archetypes, with someWarhammerflavor, but the main draw was the persistent Realm vs Realm PvP system.
There weresix race-based factionsin the game. The Dwarves, the human Empire, and the High Elves were on the side of order, and the Greenskins, Chaos Warriors, and Dark Elves were on the side of destruction. Factions warred for territory in various PvP and PvE activities, with territorial control leading to an opportunity to sack the opposing side’s capital city. This engaging system underpinned the gameplay and kept players engaged throughout the MMO’s life cycle. Anyone interested in playing today will have to look up how to join a private server, though.
Mordheim: City Of The Damnedis aturn-based tacticsRPG based on the tabletop skirmish gameMordheim, derived from theWarhammer Fantasyuniverse.Mordheimspun off fromWarhammer Fantasy to provide a faster, objective-based tabletop game, and that’s translated well into game format here.
Throughout the game, players build a warband from one of four possible factions, and develop their fighters by taking them into various missions. These missions usually revolve around control of a resource called Wyrdstone, as well as taking out opponents, which lends some nuance to the strategy side of the game. The most compelling part of the gameplay is theX-Comstyle permadeath of units. If a unit falls in battle, it’s likely that they’re lost forever, making every decision count.
Blood Bowl 2is arguably the best iteration of the unusual turn-based sportstabletop franchisethat spun off fromWarhammerFantasy. The is essentially a bloodsport version of the NFL populated byWarhammerfantasy races. Players control their team out on the field turn-by-turn. The objective is still to get the ball to the endzone, but that’s a little more difficult when opponents can quite literally kill your players to stop them.
The RNG aspects of passing, tackling, and running can be brutal, but along with the quippy commentary and the campaign’s gameplay-influencing events, they lead to some fun and memorable gameplay moments. Off the field, players are responsible for team management and player recruitment. Different fantasy-race-based characters offer different strengths and weaknesses. The turn-based gameplay won’t be for everyone, butBlood Bowl 2is a unique take on theWarhammer Fantasyuniverse.
When it comes toWarhammergames that are fun to jump in and play, one of the best examples isWarhammer: Chaosbane. ThisDiablo-like ARPG provides a satisfying loot and character progression curve using some recognizableWarhammerarchetypes, like the Dwarven Slayer. The game doesn’t have the endgame content that many similar ARPGs focus on, but there’s a fun and satisfying campaign to play through.
The fun, if slightly mindless, gameplay loop is made even better by the co-op implementation, which allows two players to co-op the campaign locally or online. There were some unfortunate technical issues and bugs here and there which can bring down the overall experience, butChaosbaneis still the best ARPG forWarhammer Fantasyfans.
3Warhammer: The End Times - Vermintide
Horde Mode
Fatshark’s first attempt at bringing horde-slaying gameplay to theWarhammeruniverse,Warhammer: The End Times - Vermintide, was a breakout success. With a gameplay format that’s roughly similar toLeft 4 Dead, players face off against hordes of Skaven as they progress through different maps and scenarios. With melee, ranged, and magic characters to choose from, the team-based gameplay is fun and varied.
The game also features the first iteration of Fatshark’s “Conflict Director” concept, an automated system that responds to players' progress and performance on a map and adjusts enemy spawns and other aspects dynamically. This concept keeps multiple runs of the same maps fresh and varied, and was later revisited in bothVermintide’s sequel, and the40K-inspiredDarktide.
The grand strategy aspects ofTotal Warmay not appeal to everybody, but the epic fantasy battles ofTotal War: Warhammer 3are a spectacle that noWarhammer Fantasyfan should skip. Taking one of the manyclassicWarhammerfactionspresent in the game and leading their campaign for dominance across the grand-strategy map is an experience that represents the epic fantasy aspects ofWarhammerbetter than any other game.
For players who just want to dive into battles of plague-bearing demons against magic-spewing dragons, there are scenarios, custom battles, and online skirmishes. These allow players to experience the real-time strategy gameplay without the trappings of the grand strategy layer. While a lot of the entertainment comes from watching armies fight, the strategic gameplay is deep enough to satisfy players too.
WhileVermintidewas a fun horde-slaying game, the sequelWarhammer: Vermintide 2managed to improve on its predecessor in almost every way. Characters now have different career paths, with three paths available for each of the five classes in the base game, and an additional career for each character added as DLC. These paths function as build specializations, and provide a huge amount of variety and depth to the horde-slaying combat.
Skaven enemies are augmented by the forces of Chaos and the Beastmen inVermintide 2, and the scale of the horde-based fights is even larger. The gameplay loop has been refined to feel more consistently rewarding, meaning character progression is a constant draw that keeps players engaged in running and re-running maps in higher difficulties. Even compared with the more recentDarktide,Vermintide 2might be Fatshark’s most fun and compelling horde-slaying game.
