Warhammer 40,000is having a moment right now, with more and more fans falling in love with this grimdark universe. Whether or not you play the tabletop game (replete with detailed minis), you can experience the hype through a series of video games spanning a drop pod worth of genres.
There’s just one problem: some40kgames are worthy of the undying Emperor’s love, and some of them aren’t fit to feed a Tyranid. How can you know which titles to dive into and which to skip? Don’t worry: I purged the unclean–that is, the worst ones–to bring you the bestWarhammer 40,000games actually worth playing!
10Space Marine
If you love third-person action games likeGears of War,Space Marineis the perfect introduction to40k. That’s because it plays a bit like a reskinnedGears, allowing you to control one of these titular marines as he fights his way through legions of orks and other enemy scum. Plenty of ranged weapons are available, but when fearsome Orks or demented Chaos heretics get too close, you may bust out your trusty chainsaw and slice everyone to bits.
The result is a game full of hacking, slashing, and shooting that’s sure to get your heart pumping. For veteran fans of40k, the game’s story and many Easter eggs provide some serious entertainment and immersion. For everyone else, this is a fast-paced action game that is likely to make you fall in love with the fictional universe created by Games Workshop.
9Space Marine II
Space Marine IIplays much like the original, once again giving us a third-person game where you must alternate between ranged and melee attacks. And once again, you are playing as Titus, the heroic Ultramarine from the first game. So, aside from having the predictably better graphics and more ambitious story, what setsSpace Marine IIapart from the original?
Gameplay-wise, the major difference is that you now replenish health through special executions that function much like the glory kills inDoom(2016). You also have two allies who can be controlled either by the game’s AI or your buddies via online multiplayer. There are also various online cooperative and competitive modes to keep you playing this title long after you’ve destroyed the alien threat and rolled credits on an unforgettable action adventure.
8Dawn of War
The best way to describeDawn of Waris that it’s like a simpler version ofStarCraft. In this real-time strategy game’s campaign, you control the Blood Raven Space Marines as they capture strategic points and crank out bigger and better soldiers and vehicles. However, your foes (which include Orks, Chaos Space Marines, and Eldar) are doing the same, making each new mission a race for resources and survival.
The core gameplay ofDawn of Waris fun, and amassing a major force before going Exterminatus on your enemies is always great fun. You can also play multiplayer with your friends, giving you arguably the best replication of the tabletop game’s engrossing battles. If you love this game, be sure to check out the three major expansions for the game, which offer additional campaigns and factions. It’s the next best thing to buying a box of minis!
7Dawn of War 2
Dawn of War 2could have settled for being a beefier version of its predecessor. Instead, this RTS changes the formula by giving you control of only four heroic units at a time. Instead of building bases to build more units, you lead these units through planetary skirmishes, taking cover and hunting for better gear in your quest to defeat various iconic alien threats.
That might sound a bit limited compared to the originalDawn of War. But the result is a surprisingly visceral game in which even the most minor skirmish can have major ramifications for your mission. Plus, you have to make some tough calls on the battlefield, forcing you to make brutal command decisions in the heat of battle. There’s also multiplayer skirmish modes and even a Last Stand mode to help you beat the machine spirit right out of waves of AI enemies.
6Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef
To put it mildly, mostWarhammer 40,000games are not family-friendly. One surprising exception isShootas, Blood & Teef, a run-and-gun 2D game in which you control Orks in their relentless quest to conquer and destroy. With infinite ammo and a growing supply of new weapons (paid for with Teef, of course), this game is as relentlessly fast-paced as it is endlessly amusing. Even if you somehow hate the gameplay (don’t make me tell Gork and Mork!), you’ll have fun seeing iconic40kdesigns rendered in these cutesy graphics.
On console, the twin-stick controls help to keep the frantic sidescrolling action going. Think of it asMetal Slugwith greenskins, and you’ve got the right idea. But it improves upon the classicMetal Slugformula by allowing up to four players to blast through the grim darkness of the far future together. Talk about having fun with your Boyz!
5Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun
WhileSpace Marine 2took some of its gameplay cues from the 2016DOOM,Boltguntook its entire aesthetic from the originalDOOMgame. Styled as an old-schoolboomer shooter, this first-person title has you blasting through wave after wave of pixelated opponents. And while the 2.5D graphics feel appropriately retro, the enemy AI is smarter and deadlier (at least, in small doses) than anything the Doom Guy was ripping and tearing through back in the ‘90s.
For better or for worse, there’s not much of a story here. That’s fine, though, as the threadbare plot is mostly an excuse to unleash your Space Marine’s fury throughout the galaxy. And what the game lacks in ambitious narrative or varied level design, it makes up for in pure action.
4Warhammer 40,000: Darktide
InDarktide, you play as a former prisoner turned agent of the Inquisition. You and three other online buddies must engage in various missions in a Hive City that is being taken over by the forces of Chaos. While that’s the story,Darktidecan best be described as “Left 4 Deadin space” because it all comes down to you and your allies hunting for gear and watching each other’s backs as you complete missions and fight off hordes of AI enemies.
There’s plenty to keep you coming back, including chances to upgrade your character and equip them with bigger and better gear. Plus, the different classes of characters allow you to play through the missions (which can admittedly get repetitive) in different and exciting ways. Plus, one of those classes is an Ogryn, and playing as this big brute put a smile on my face bigger than a Titan.
3Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor: Martyr
Inquisitor: Martyris the latest40kgame that I have become obsessed with. It’s basically a scaled-downDiablo-style game where you control a member of the Inquisition. Armed with a growing arsenal of weapons and the blessing of the Emperor, you must solve the mystery of a Chaos warship that appears after 5,000 years, threatening to unleash millennia-old evil upon the galaxy.
Just to be clear, this game isn’t nearly as polished or ambitious as, say,Diablo 4. But it scratches my itch to hunt down better gear and xeno scum and the forces of Chaos, either alone or with an online buddy. As an added bonus, this game doesn’t shrink from how scary weapons in40kcan be: even a single las pistol blast can completely liquefy a low-level enemy. But each level has a small army, forcing you to cleverly switch between weapons before you are completely overwhelmed.
2Space Hulk (2013)
The original tabletopSpace Hulkgame was basically a40kversion ofAliens. One player controls Terminators, fearsome Space Marines who are both armored and armed to the teeth. The other player plays Genestealers, Tyranid forces capable of easily killing Terminators if they get close enough. Theboard gamehas had many video game adaptations, but this 2013Space Hulkgame is arguably the best.
The single-player mode allows you to experience the tabletop fun even if you don’t have a buddy to play with. The multiplayer mode (crossplay, no less), though, allows you to perfectly simulate the real thing. As such, this title is perfect for those who love to throw virtual dice, and the level editor lets you create custom fun long after you finish the campaign.
1Dakka Squadron
And now for something completely different! InDakka Squadron, you play the Orks like never before: in planes! The greenskins want to conquer the galaxy, but they won’t be able to do so unless you go allTop Gunon their enemies. That means customizing your jet and engaging in a series of style aerial combat missions on planets that need a little encouragement to bend the knee to your particular Ork Klan.
This is pretty much the opposite of a flight sim, trading cockpit immersion for third-person, arcade-style combat. Fortunately, that combat is very fun, and alternating between shooting at and even ramming your foes makes these dogfights feel appropriately orky. The game also features plenty of Ork flavor via dialogue and designs, which is perfect for anyone who ever screamed “WAAGGH” at their40ktabletop opponent.
There are plenty ofWarhammer 40,000games out there, but many deserve to be purified by flames. Fortunately, these titles deliver major fun by dropping you right into Games Workshop’s legendary fictional universe. For the Emperor!
