The best Warhammer PC game overall is Total War: Warhammer III for strategy fans and Space Marine 2 for action fans. Dawn of War remains the best classic RTS, Mechanicus is the best tactical game, and Rogue Trader is the best RPG in the Warhammer universe.
The Warhammer franchise has produced dozens of PC games across nearly every genre — from grand strategy to first-person shooters, CRPGs to turn-based tactics. The quality varies enormously. For every Dawn of War, there is a forgettable mobile port. For every Total War: Warhammer, there is a budget title that does nothing with the licence. This guide ranks every major Warhammer PC game worth playing, covering both Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer Fantasy titles, so you can find the perfect game for your preferred genre and playstyle.
The rankings below consider gameplay quality, how well the game uses the Warhammer licence, current state (including patches and DLC), and value for money. Games are ranked within tiers rather than in strict numerical order, because comparing an RTS to a CRPG to a boomer shooter is inherently subjective — what matters more is whether a game is excellent, good, or mediocre within its genre.
What Are the S-Tier Warhammer PC Games?
Total War: Warhammer III is the best Warhammer PC game for strategy fans and arguably the best use of the Warhammer licence in any medium. The Immortal Empires campaign combines all three Total War: Warhammer games into a single massive sandbox where every Warhammer Fantasy faction fights for dominance across a continent-spanning map. The strategic layer gives you empire management, diplomacy, and hero development, while battles play out in real-time with hundreds of units clashing on screen. With all DLC, the game offers more than twenty playable factions, each with completely unique rosters, mechanics, and campaign objectives. The sheer scale and variety is staggering. If you have any interest in strategy games and Warhammer Fantasy, Total War: Warhammer III is essential.
Space Marine 2 is the best Warhammer action game and one of the best third-person action games of recent years. The campaign delivers a cinematic experience that captures the power fantasy of being a Space Marine better than any previous game. Operations mode provides excellent co-op replayability with seven distinct classes and multiple difficulty tiers. The combat system — built around melee parrying, ranged gunplay, and class abilities — is deep, satisfying, and rewards mastery. Space Marine 2 is the definitive Warhammer 40k action experience and the best entry point for players new to the franchise.
Dawn of War (2004) remains one of the greatest real-time strategy games ever made, Warhammer or otherwise. Despite its age, the original Dawn of War and its expansions (Winter Assault, Dark Crusade, Soulstorm) offer a complete package of base-building RTS gameplay with nine playable factions. The Dark Crusade expansion’s meta-campaign — a turn-based strategic layer over real-time tactical battles — was revolutionary for its time and remains engaging today. The modding community has kept the game alive with mods like Ultimate Apocalypse that add modern factions and quality-of-life improvements. If you enjoy classic RTS gameplay, Dawn of War is an all-time great.
What Are the A-Tier Warhammer PC Games?
Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus is a hidden gem — a turn-based tactics game that puts you in command of the Adeptus Mechanicus exploring a Necron tomb world. The game’s unique cognition-point system rewards aggressive play, and the tech-priest customisation lets you build increasingly powerful cyborg warriors. The atmosphere is outstanding, with a soundtrack that blends industrial music with gregorian chanting. Mechanicus is relatively short (15-20 hours) but tightly designed with almost no filler. It is the best turn-based tactics Warhammer game on PC.
Boltgun is a retro-styled first-person shooter that plays like a Warhammer-skinned DOOM. You are a Space Marine with a massive arsenal of weapons, fighting through hordes of Chaos cultists, daemons, and Chaos Space Marines in fast-paced, movement-heavy combat. Boltgun nails the power fantasy of being a one-man army and delivers the best FPS gunplay in any Warhammer game. The retro pixel-art aesthetic is divisive but works brilliantly with the grimdark setting. If you enjoy boomer shooters, Boltgun is excellent.
Rogue Trader is the best Warhammer CRPG — a massive, story-driven RPG from Owlcat Games (the developers of Pathfinder: Kingmaker and Wrath of the Righteous). You play as a Rogue Trader, a powerful merchant-explorer with a warrant from the Emperor himself, leading an expedition into unexplored space. The game features deep character customisation, tactical turn-based combat, a morality system based on the Imperium’s ideology, and companion storylines that explore every facet of the 40k setting. At 80-100 hours for a single playthrough, Rogue Trader is a massive game that rewards investment. The writing is outstanding and the game captures the political intrigue and moral complexity of the 40k universe better than any other game.
Darktide is a co-op horde shooter set in the 40k universe, developed by Fatshark (the Vermintide developers). You play as expendable human operatives fighting through a hive city overrun by Chaos cultists and Nurgle’s forces. The melee combat is outstanding — weighty, visceral, and deeply satisfying. The ranged combat has also improved significantly since launch. Darktide had a rough launch but has been substantially improved through patches and the major class overhaul update. The game now offers a deep class system, excellent mission variety, and the best first-person melee combat in any Warhammer game. Its main weakness is the grinding progression system, which gates weapon acquisition behind random drops.
What Are the B-Tier Warhammer PC Games?
Dawn of War II took the series in a radically different direction, dropping base building entirely in favour of squad-based tactics with RPG elements. The campaign is essentially a tactical RPG where you manage a small force of Space Marine squads, equipping them with loot and levelling their abilities. The multiplayer strips away the RPG elements for a competitive squad-tactics game that has a small but dedicated community. Dawn of War II is a good game on its own merits but disappointed many fans of the original who wanted base-building RTS gameplay. The Chaos Rising expansion is excellent and adds meaningful narrative choices.
Gladius — Relics of War is a 4X strategy game set on a planet where multiple factions fight for control. What makes Gladius unique among 4X games is its complete removal of diplomacy — every faction is at war with every other faction at all times. This creates a constant pressure to expand, build armies, and fight that makes Gladius feel more like a war game than a traditional 4X. The faction variety is excellent, with each faction playing very differently. The game is not deep enough to compete with Civilization or similar titles as a pure 4X, but its Warhammer theming and unique all-war approach make it worth playing for fans of the setting.
Battlesector is a turn-based strategy game focused on the Blood Angels fighting Tyranids (with additional factions added through DLC). The combat system captures the tabletop experience reasonably well, with momentum mechanics that reward aggressive play — fitting for the Blood Angels. The campaign is competent but unspectacular, and the game’s main weakness is its limited scope compared to more ambitious strategy titles. Battlesector is a solid tactical game that particularly appeals to tabletop players who want a digital approximation of the 40k tabletop experience.
Vermintide 2 is the Warhammer Fantasy predecessor to Darktide and remains an excellent co-op melee game. Set in the End Times, you play as one of five heroes fighting through Skaven and Chaos hordes. The melee combat was revolutionary when it launched and still holds up, though Darktide has refined the formula. Vermintide 2 has years of content updates and DLC, making it a massive game with excellent value. If you prefer Warhammer Fantasy over 40k, Vermintide 2 is the better choice over Darktide.
What Are the C-Tier Warhammer PC Games?
Dawn of War III attempted to blend the base-building of Dawn of War I with the squad tactics of Dawn of War II and satisfied fans of neither. The MOBA-influenced design decisions — including hero units with cooldown abilities and a focus on competitive multiplayer — alienated the series’ core audience. The game was effectively abandoned by Relic Entertainment after poor sales and reception. Dawn of War III is playable and has some interesting ideas, but it is objectively the weakest entry in the Dawn of War series and not worth playing when the first two games are available.
Inquisitor — Martyr is an action-RPG in the Diablo mould, set in the 40k universe. You play as an Imperial Inquisitor investigating a massive derelict spacecraft. The 40k setting is well-realised and the game has been significantly improved since its troubled launch, but the core gameplay loop — click on enemies until they die, collect loot, repeat — lacks the depth and polish of genre leaders like Diablo or Path of Exile. Inquisitor is worth a look on sale for 40k fans who enjoy ARPGs, but it is not a must-play by any standard.
Chaos Gate — Daemonhunters is an XCOM-style turn-based tactics game where you command Grey Knights against a Nurgle plague outbreak. The tactical combat is competent and the Grey Knights power fantasy is well-delivered, but the strategic layer is repetitive and the game lacks the depth and replayability of XCOM 2. Daemonhunters is a solid single-playthrough experience that does not justify revisiting.
Which Warhammer PC Game Should You Play First?
Your first Warhammer PC game depends entirely on your preferred genre. For action fans who want to experience the power fantasy of being a Space Marine, start with Space Marine 2. For strategy fans who want the deepest Warhammer experience, start with Total War: Warhammer III. For RPG fans who want story and characters, start with Rogue Trader. For co-op fans who want to play with friends, start with Darktide. For retro FPS fans, start with Boltgun. For tactics fans, start with Mechanicus.
If you have never engaged with Warhammer in any medium and want the single best introduction to the setting, Space Marine 2’s campaign is the most accessible entry point. It explains enough of the 40k universe to get you oriented without drowning you in lore, and the gameplay is immediately engaging regardless of your familiarity with Warhammer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the Total War: Warhammer games worth buying all three?
Yes, but only if you plan to play Immortal Empires (which requires all three). Each game is a standalone experience, but Immortal Empires combines all three games’ content into a single massive campaign that is the definitive way to play. Buy Total War: Warhammer III first, and if you enjoy it, pick up the first two games during a sale to unlock Immortal Empires and all their factions.
Is Dawn of War still worth playing in 2026?
Absolutely. The original Dawn of War and its expansions remain excellent RTS games that hold up despite their age. The graphics are dated but the gameplay is timeless, and mods like Ultimate Apocalypse add modern content and quality-of-life improvements. Dark Crusade in particular is one of the best single-player RTS campaigns ever made.
Should I play Darktide or Vermintide 2?
If you prefer 40k, play Darktide. If you prefer Fantasy, play Vermintide 2. Both games are excellent co-op experiences with outstanding melee combat. Darktide is the more modern game with a deeper class system, while Vermintide 2 has more content and a more polished overall experience thanks to years of updates. You cannot go wrong with either.
What is the best Warhammer game for someone who does not know anything about Warhammer?
Space Marine 2 is the best entry point for Warhammer newcomers. Its campaign is a self-contained story that introduces the core concepts of the 40k universe without requiring prior knowledge. The gameplay is immediately accessible — you do not need to understand the lore to enjoy fighting aliens with a chainsword. Once hooked, you can explore the wider Warhammer gaming catalogue with a foundation of understanding.
Are there any good Warhammer games on Steam Deck?
Several Warhammer games work well on Steam Deck. Boltgun, Mechanicus, Battlesector, and Gladius all run smoothly on the handheld. Dawn of War and its expansions also work well with Proton compatibility. Space Marine 2 and Total War: Warhammer III are playable but benefit from a full desktop setup due to their higher system requirements and control complexity.
What are the best Warhammer Fantasy games on PC?
Total War: Warhammer III (with Immortal Empires) is the best Warhammer Fantasy game on PC, followed by the co-op melee game Vermintide 2. For something different, Mordheim: City of the Damned is a tough turn-based warband game, and Blood Bowl’s digital versions adapt the fantasy football board game. All four are set in the classic Warhammer Fantasy world rather than Age of Sigmar.
Are there any Age of Sigmar video games?
Yes, but fewer than for 40k or Warhammer Fantasy. The best known is Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin (2023), a real-time strategy game from Frontier that got a mixed reception. Most of the strongest fantasy games, including Total War: Warhammer and Vermintide, are set in the older Warhammer Fantasy world instead.
How many Total War: Warhammer games are there?
There are three: Total War: Warhammer (2016), Total War: Warhammer II and Total War: Warhammer III. If you own all three, Warhammer III’s Immortal Empires mode combines their maps and factions into one campaign. You can start with Warhammer III on its own and add the older games later.