The 14 Best Warhammer 40K Games in a Horrifying Dark Future

The best Warhammer 40,000 games to play in 2025 are those that embrace Games Workshops' dark, far-future setting of the 41st century in all its over-the-top glory. Thankfully, in our current third millennium (now also known as the 21st century), there's no shortage of games to choose from. Warhammer 40,000 is more popular than ever, with new games released in a variety of genres every year.

A quick start guide for newbies: Warhammer 40,000 imagines a distant future in which humanity's intergalactic empire is held together by duct tape and sheer force of will, ruled by a Corpse Emperor and surrounded by terrifying aliens and ancient gods intent on destroying the universe. As the tabletop sourcebook for Warhammer 40,000 puts it, to be human in this universe is to “live in the cruelest, bloodiest regime imaginable.”

With this in mind, Warhammer 40,000 games are often filled with blood and pain, although the setting is also known for its dark humor and absurdist tendencies. The top Warhammer 40,000 games fall somewhere in between, enjoying both the bloodshed and tragedy, but also, let’s be honest, the silliness.

Whether you're ravaging the Tyranids as a super-soldier in games like Starfighter 2, commanding giant spaceships that look like cathedrals in Fleet Gothic 2, or controlling armies in Dawn of War, Warhammer 40,000 has a great game for every type of player, for those willing to dive into one of the richest and most fascinating sci-fi universes ever created. If playing some of these games piques your interest in settings, check out our Warhammer 40K Beginner's Guide learn more.