Your Journey Begins: The Best Wargames for Beginners in 2025
The world of wargaming can be very intimidating. With its complex mechanics, adherence to realism, and a very serious community, it’s easy for a curious beginner to feel like they’re trying to learn a completely new kind of video game. But what if I told you it doesn’t have to be that way? Wargames are one of the most rewarding and intellectually stimulating hobbies you can get into, and the good news is that there has never been a better time to start, with plenty of options available for all levels of experience and all kinds of interests. The industry is brimming with new titles designed specifically for accessibility, offering deep strategic gameplay without the overwhelming learning curve of older wargames. This list, curated for 2025, is your definitive guide to the 10 best wargames for beginners. I’ve hand-picked titles that prioritize a friendly user experience, clear tutorials, intuitive interfaces, ease of play, all the while giving players an engaging challenge that will have them commanding armies and outsmarting enemies in no time. Another important aspect of this list is the prices of each of the games. I picked games which are cheap, go on sale often, and usually top said sales charts. Get ready to embark on your new favorite hobby.
10 – Panzer Corps 2
For those looking for a fantastic entry point into the world of wargaming and particularly World War 2, Panzer Corps 2 is a top-tier choice in my opinion. This game takes the classic, turn-based hex-grid strategy of the beloved Panzer General series. It elevates it with modern, stunning 3D visuals, a ton of content, and continuous support from the company in charge of it. Its intuitive interface and a comprehensive, scenario-based tutorial mean you can start playing and understanding the core mechanics almost immediately, without getting bogged down by complex rules or logistics. The game is extremely easy to just pick up and play with very little knowledge of strategy games. The satisfaction of building and upgrading your own core army throughout a branching campaign, combined with the game’s focus on tactical puzzles over micromanagement, makes Panzer Corps 2 the perfect game for new players to learn the ropes and enjoy a deep, rewarding wargaming experience. There’s also a stream of new content continuously coming out with DLCs tackling every aspect of World War 2, if you’re into that.
In the case that you’re not sure Panzer Corps 2 is worth the asking price, I can wholeheartedly recommend Panzer Corps Gold, which goes for the price of a cup of coffee very often and comes with so much DLC you won’t be needing another wargame for the foreseeable future.
9 – Headquarters: World War 2
A modern, squad-level wargame that’s both beautiful and easy to learn, Headquarters: World War 2 is a fantastic choice for new players. When I reviewed Headquarters: World War 2, I instantly knew that this game was going to be a feature whenever I decided to create this list just because the game is quite possibly the easiest “boot up and start playing” game of this list, and it’s the one which mostly relates to other, more traditional and well-known strategy games like XCOM.
Unlike many games in the wargame genre, Headquarters: World War 2 ditches the operational and strategic level concerns of supply, troop allocation, and Order of Battle management and focuses on small-scale, tactical battles with a clear, user-friendly interface, well-defined objectives, and a very simple command system. Players command individual squads and vehicles on a square-grid map, with a combat system that is intuitive but offers surprising depth through terrain, flanking, armor values, suppression, and unit-specific abilities. The game’s stunning visuals and cinematic “action cameras” make every shot and explosion feel impactful (which isn’t a very common sight in older wargames), turning each tactical decision into a thrilling moment on the battlefield. It’s the ideal way to get into a detailed, rewarding WWII wargame without the steep learning curve of games like Combat Mission or Mius Front.
A similar game to Headquarters: World War 2 is a title called The Troop. Have a look at the video for a quick rundown of the game’s features.
8- The Great War: Western Front
Let’s take a break from World War 2 for a moment and go back in time a bit, to the First World War. When considering wargames for new players, The Great War: Western Front might seem like a strange choice, given the historical reputation of World War I as a brutal and difficult conflict. However, this game’s design makes it surprisingly accessible and manages to blend that beloved Total War formula every player seems to enjoy into the conflict, by offering real-time spectacular battles with a turn-based grand-strategy map on top. It simplifies the high-level strategy of the war with a turn-based campaign map and then shifts to real-time tactical battles when two armies meet, and you can then see your forces fight in real-time across massive battlefields. The intuitive controls for building trenches, placing artillery, and commanding units make the tactical layer feel more like a proper and complex military simulation, but you can handle it by pausing the game and issuing orders while on pause. This streamlined approach allows beginners to get a feel for the unique challenges of WWI trench warfare without being bogged down by the intricate logistics and grand strategy of more hardcore titles. It’s a fantastic way to learn the ropes of a unique historical setting.
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