In 1987, the UK-based miniature wargaming company, Games Workshop, created Warhammer 40,000. This was a sci-fi tabletop wargame set in a grim dark future where there is only war and humanity is on the brink of extinction, fighting all manner of alien and daemonic threats.
When Warhammer 40,000 first got into the video game scene, it primarily produced strategy and action games that tried to adhere to the rules of the tabletop game. These were fine games that thrust players into bloody, brutal battles against savage Orks, Chaos-worshipping cultists, planet-devouring Tyranids, immortal Necrons, and other horrors.
However, in recent years, Warhammer 40,000 has been branching off into different genres like racing games and even CRPGs, which gives players a deeper look into the terrifying lore and machinations of the 41st Millennium.
As a result, Warhammer 40,000 is now thriving in the video game industry with fantastic titles like Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 and Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, to name a few.
So today, we shall honor Warhammer 40,000’s video game legacy by counting down the top ten best (in no particular order, as they’re all equally awesome) Warhammer 40,000 video games of all time.
1. Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader
Let’s start this countdown with my personal favorite Warhammer 40,000 game, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader.
This game is a CRPG that has you assume the role of the Rogue Trader, a hybrid between an explorer, merchant, and conquistador tasked by the Imperium of Man to explore uncharted regions of space and conquer them in the name of the God Emperor.
On your adventures throughout the lawless regions of the Koronus Expanse, you will barter with various factions to expand your trading empire, recruit powerful warriors, both human and alien, to your retinue, uncover dark conspiracies, and battle foul xenos and heretics in turn-based combat.
You will also be confronted with numerous moral decisions that will reshape the destinies of your companions and of the Koronus Expanse itself.
Will you be a Dogmatic servant of the God Emperor and rule with an iron fist? Will you be a compassionate Iconoclast that shirks the rules of the Imperium in the name of saving people’s lives, regardless of whether they’re human or alien? Or will you succumb to the temptations of Chaos and become a Heretic hellbent on destroying the galaxy?
I could go on for hours about all things that made me fall in love with Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, but to sum up: It’s a great story filled with grim dark adventures of political intrigue, corruption, and discovery of the unknown, and it has a cast of compelling characters with engrossing backstories and personalities.
What’s also great about this game is that it’s the best introduction to the Warhammer 40,000 universe for newcomers who want to learn about the franchise’s rich lore without having to spend hours reading about it through wikis or Codex.
More so than any other Warhammer 40,000 game before it, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader goes out of its way to immerse the players in the rich history of this universe.
It explores how corrupt and tyrannical the Imperium of Man truly is, it showcases what civilian life is like in this grim dark universe, it provides players a chance to learn about the unique cultures of other alien races like the tragic Aeldari or the cruel Drukhari, and much more.
Gameplay-wise, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is packed with limitless ways to customize your characters’ skills in and out of battle, and it has an addictive turn-based combat system where strategy and party synergy are key to victory.
Not to mention that the combat system is brutally satisfying as it lets you reduce enemies into bloody chunks with Bolters, Chainswords, Meltas, and other weapons of mass destruction.
On top of that, this game has endless amounts of replay value thanks to its myriad of dialogue choices and moral decisions leading to multiple story routes and endings.
If you’re into turn-based CRPGs like Baldur’s Gate 3 and you want to explore the Warhammer 40,000 universe beyond the front lines, then Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is for you.
If you want to learn more about this game, check out our Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader review, where my colleague, Samuel Tolbert stated, “Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is a fun RPG with stellar writing that truly captures the dark future of eternal war.” — Alexander Cope
If you’re willing to put up with an extremely high number of gameplay systems and stats that have to be tracked, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader may be the best 40K game currently available.
This excellent RPG doesn’t shy away from how dark and brutal the setting is, while still giving players the freedom to make a difference and improve part of the galaxy in their own small way. Or you can screw everyone over in search of even greater profits!
Indeed, this game is so successful that at the time we’re writing this article, it’s got even more DLC expansions on the way, despite the fact that the developers at Owlcat Games are now working on a quasi-sequel titled Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy. — Samuel Tolbert
2. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is a third-person action game that puts you in the Power Armor of Titus, a Space Marine in service of the Ultramarines Chapter. You have been tasked with defending an Imperial world from being invaded by endless hordes of Tyranids while uncovering a dark conspiracy being concocted by the Forces of Chaos.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is currently the biggest and most popular videogame adaptation of Warhammer 40,000, and for good reason.
It has the best production value out of any game on this list, with superbly detailed graphics. It also has a serviceable yet action-packed plot filled with memorable moments, and homages to iconic moments and characters of WH40K lore that hardcore fans will love.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2’s main selling point, however, is the combat. It is brutally challenging as it encourages aggression at all times and punishes cowardice, and the Tyranids and Chaos forces are dangerous foes that can stun-lock and one-shot you at any given moment.
However, once you master the game’s vast arsenal of weapons and parry system, and learn the ins and outs of your enemy’s attacks, that’s when this game starts to truly shine. Countering a giant monster’s attacks and executing them to regain lost health while teetering on the edge of death is so satisfying and truly makes you feel like a Space Marine.
On top of a lengthy campaign (which can be played solo or in 3-player co-op), Warhammer 40,000: Space Marines has a healthy variety of multiplayer modes for you and your friends to purge the enemies of man. These include 3-player co-op Operations missions, 5v5 PVP skirmishes, and a Siege mode where players have to fight endless waves of Tyranids.
If you like third-person shooters but despise the idea of taking cover like in Gears of War and want to be constantly up close in the heat of battle, then you will love Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2.
I know my colleague Samuel Tolbert certainly did when he gave Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 a 4/5 star review, stating, “Overall, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is a blast. It feels like the kind of game that used to be frequent in a bygone era but with bigger enemy hordes and better image quality.”
3. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War
Before Rogue Trader, before Space Marine 2, there was one game that was considered the gold standard of Warhammer 40,000 videogames, and that was Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War.
This classic real-time strategy game had players control a lesser-known Chapter of Space Marines called the Blood Ravens. Their mission was to clear the planet of Tarturus of an Ork invasion while contending with the forces of Chaos and Aeldari (a.k.a. the Eldar back then).
Unlike other classic RTS titles like Age of Empires and StarCraft, which had players balance their decisions between resource gathering and invading enemy territories. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War basically streamlined resource gathering into non-existence so it could have players build armies as fast as possible and blast their enemies into dust immediately, and I loved it.
The original Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War was a fun, fast-paced, in-your-face RTS where you built over-the-top armies armed with the most devastating weapons that could sunder the land.
It was the first Warhammer 40,000 game that gave newcomers a welcoming, surface-level intro to the Warhammer 40,000 universe without having them look up lore online to understand the plot.
Its single-player campaign was compelling and packed with a wide variety of challenging missions to complete, and the game had multiple PVP modes for players to challenge each other using their favorite armies.
Plus, its combat system was so cathartic and violent for its time, as Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War was one of the first strategy games to feature execution animations where units killed a defeated unit in a gory, cinematic manner.
Now, modern fans can relive this 2004 classic with improved graphics and quality-of-life improvements through Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War’s Definitive Edition.
If you like real-time strategy games but don’t like wasting time farming for resources and just want to get to the massive army battles, then give Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War a whirl.
4. Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun
Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun is a first-person shooter that has you play as Malum Caedo, an Ultramarine Space Marine dispatched to the deepest corners of the galaxy to single-handedly purge heretical cultists, Daemons, and Chaos Space Marines.
This game is an over-the-top throwback to retro boomer shooters of the 1990s like classic Doom, Duke Nukem, and Wolfenstein 3D, complete with pixelated 3D graphics, sprawling maps laden with secret power-ups, extremely fast-paced combat, copious amounts of blood and gore.
I reviewed Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun in 2023 and had a literal, bloody good time with it (possibly even more so than Space Marine 2 personally) to the point I gave it 4/5 stars.
It had a charming retro presentation that remained faithful to Warhammer 40,000’s Gothic, grim aesthetic, a healthy variety of challenging foes to exterminate, and a fierce, gruelling, and deliciously satisfying combat.
If you grew up playing gore-tastic, retro shooters from the 1990s and fancy obliterating Chaos-worshipping heretics with Bolters, Chainswords, and Plasma Pistols, then you will enjoy Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun.
5. Warhammer 40,000: Darktide
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is a co-op FPS where you and your friends are prisoners sentenced by the Inquisition on a suicide mission to help retake the city of Tertium from heretics and Daemons worshipping the Chaos god Nurgle.
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is a chaotic, fast-paced, and difficult co-op horde shooter that extremely emphasizes players working together, or else they’ll succumb to the rotten Nurgle Daemons.
It was in a rocky shape at launch, but thanks to numerous post-game patches and the addition of the Arbites Class DLC and Hive Scum Class DLC, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is now in its best state, with plenty of content to indulge in.
The game has a variety of classes to play as, each of which has unique, funny personalities and various abilities, weapons, and cosmetics to customize them with. It has a large gallery of enemies to face down, from mindless hordes of zombies to gigantic, disgusting Nurgle Daemons ripped straight from your nightmares.
If you enjoy chaotic, co-op horde shooters like Left 4 Dead and want to unwind by mowing down enemies of the Imperium with your friends, then join the fight for Tertium today with Warhammer 40,000: Darktide.
6. Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector
Warhammer 40,000: BattleSector is a turn-based strategy game where you play as the Blood Angels Space Marine chapter dispatched to a distant world to cleanse it of a Tyranid infestation.
This game is a fun title that expertly adapts the rules of the original tabletop game in a video game format, blending modern sensibilities from other games in the genre like Gears Tactics and XCOM.
The single-player campaign has plenty of mission variety to keep things fresh, a huge degree of weapon and armor customization for your army, and sadistic challenges where you need to employ careful strategy, preparation, and overwhelming firepower to destroy your enemies.
When I reviewed Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector in 2021, I noted that one of the biggest issues this game had at launch was that there were only two playable factions for the multiplayer modes (Blood Angels and Tyranids), and only one of them could be played in the single-player campaign.
Thankfully, this problem has been solved over the years with 3DLC expansions adding new factions like Orks, Necrons, T’au, Sisters of Battle, Daemons of Khorne, and the Astra Militarum, and a new single-player campaign where you get to play as the Sisters of Battle.
7. Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus
Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus is a turn-based strategy game inspired by the XCOM series, where you play as the Imperium of Man’s tech-worshipping cult known as the Adeptus Mechanicus.
On their quest for lost knowledge and technology, an Adeptus Mechanicus expedition led by Magos Dominus Faustinius discovers a planet rife with secrets called Silva Tenebris. While exploring the planet, the tech-priests discover this world is a Necron Tomb and the Necrons are waking up from their eternal slumber.
Now you must lead this expedition on a dangerous race against time to procure any resources you can to bolster your forces and find a means to destroy the Necrons before they wreak havoc on the galaxy.
The gameplay structure of Adeptus Mechanicus has you choose missions with various rewards. Once a mission begins, you will need to guide a squad of Tech Priests through a dungeon with various stopping points where you can interact with the environment or engage with hostile Necrons.
Every decision you make while exploring causes the Necron Awakening meter to fill up slowly throughout the game. Once it reaches 100%, it’s game over, so you will need to be careful when traversing this Tomb World to find a means to destroy the Necrons permanently before they fully awaken.
Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus was an interesting and fun tactical game with an in-depth turn-based combat system, a vast wealth of character customization options for your army, and fear-inducing decision-making, as every choice you make when exploring and choosing could lead to powerful loot or death-traps that will wake the Necrons faster.
Character progression is also very satisfying because as your tech-priest receives new upgrades and gear, they slowly start to change from a normal-looking cyborg priest, to an unghastly mechanical abomination with robot spider legs and Dr. Octopus-style robot tentacles.
If you’re a fan of the Adeptus Mechanicus faction and turn-based tactical games, then you will love Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus.
8. Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef
From the creators of Guns, Gore, & Cannoli comes possibly the goofiest yet hilariously bloodiest Warhammer 40,000 videogame of them all, Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef.
In this game, you play as an Ork, one of the most savage races in all of Warhammer 40,000’s universe. You are on a mighty crusade (or WAAAGH as Orks like to put it) to rescue your precious hair Squig (which has been kidnapped by Warboss Ogruk Gutrekka) and prove to the galaxy you are the biggest, baddest Ork there is.
This game is a side-scrolling run & gun shooter like Cuphead, Contra, Metal Slug, or Gunstar Heroes, and it is hysterical. You will be charging across multiple battlefields, chopping and shooting anything that gets in your way with comically-sized guns and razor-sharp weapons.
The Orks’ idiotic banter is charming to listen to, the game has a wealth of character classes and gear to augment your playstyle with, the combat is bombastically crazy and gory, and the bosses are challenging foes that are very satisfying to take down.
If you’re a fan of Orks and want to turn your brain off, gunning down everything in sight with great catharsis, then Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef might be up your alley.
9. Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters
Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters is a turn-based tactical RPG where you play as the Grey Knights, a very specialized Chapter of Space Marines dedicated to hunting down Chaos Daemons.
Your goal in this game is to travel the galaxy to root out corruption and stop the forces of Chaos from spreading a vile plague called The Bloom that will destroy countless worlds should it be allowed to roam free.
You will venture throughout space to recruit new Grey Knights into your retinue, upgrade them with powerful weapons, classes, and gear that will alter their playstyle, and command them in brutal turn-based battles where positioning, overwhelming firepower, and careful use of the game’s unique Precision Targeting mechanic to cripple enemy stats is key to victory.
Along the way, you will be forced to make key decisions on which planets are worth protecting over others, and managing your HQ’s research time and resource farming so your squad will be in fighting shape when it’s time to fight the Greater Daemons of Chaos.
If Warhammer 40,000: Adeptus Mechanicus was party inspired by XCOM, then Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters proudly wears its XCOM influence on its sleeves. Not that it’s a bad thing, as this game emulates XCOM’s formula pretty well while injecting it with Warhammer 40,000’s unique brand of over-the-top heroism and grimdark violence.
The tools and classes you can customize your Grey Knights are fun to use with plenty of freedom for build theory-crafting, it has a unique comic-book-esque art style, and the turn-based combat provides plenty of tough but fair challenges, in-depth mechanics, and gratuitous brutality to indulge in.
10. Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freaks
If you’re a fan of Orks and love demolition derby racing games like Twisted Metal, then you’re going to love this next game — Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks. In this game, you are out to prove to the rest of the Orks that you have the meanest, fastest, and shootiest Trukk in all the galaxy.
The best way to do that is by blowing up the competition in explosive races, where you must kill your opponents in order to win. These races are held in a variety of PVP game modes, including 8v8 Death Rallies, Free Roam custom races, and 8v8 Killer Convoys, where you must guide your Stompa to the finish line before the enemy team’s Stompa can.
This game is a bloody good time for racing game fans who love destruction in their titles. The combat system is gloriously over-the-top and chaotic, and it offers a ton of unique Trukk classes like Tanks, Buggies, and Battle Wagons that offer multiple playstyles for maximum carnage.
These games are worthy of the God Emperor’s praise.
And there you have the top ten best Warhammer 40,000 video games. Be sure to check back every so often, as we will update this list with new upcoming titles like Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy and Adeptus Mechanicus 2, if they prove themselves worthy of Warhammer 40,000’s legacy and are fun in their own right.
Now go forth, play the finest games Warhammer 40,000 has to offer so you can burn the heretic, kill the mutant, and purge the unclean in the name of the Imperium.
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