Warhammer 40K games are literally a dime a dozen these days, but good titles set in this expansive universe are few and far between. But if you’re willing to sift through the constantly growing pile of 40K refuse for long enough, you will eventually come across some real gems. And it just so happens that most of those rare gems have already been ranked neatly in the list down below. Isn’t that convenient?
This list should be particularly helpful to those looking to pass the time until the launch of Space Marine 2 and Rogue Trader. Sure, you could play a bunch of other stuff in the meantime, but why do that when you could jump into some of the best Warhammer 40K games of yesteryear instead?
Updated by Jason Moth on July 19, 2023: This list was expanded with two additional titles in the form of Warhammer 40,000: Tacticus and Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun. With new 40K games coming out all the time, even more titles will undoubtedly be added in the not-too-distant future.
15 Space Hulk: Deathwing (Enhanced Edition)
Space Hulk: Deathwing is an FPS that puts players in the massive shoes of a Terminator. As you and your battle brothers explore the claustrophobic corridors of the Space Hulk Olethros, you’ll run into Genestealers and Tyranids of all shapes and sizes. The game’s enemy variety isn’t amazing, but it’s enough to keep things interesting. Space Hulk: Deathwing leans more toward horror than other Warhammer 40K games and makes you spend plenty of time in dead silence wondering what’s behind the next corner. Naturally, there are also plenty of sections where you get to go buck wild on hordes of bugs using your arsenal of devastating weapons and psychic powers.
The original version of Space Hulk: Death is no longer available and although the Enhanced Edition is still very rough around the edges, it’s definitely an improvement. While the campaign is decent enough, assuming you don’t set your expectations too high, the main highlight here is the co-op multiplayer. Exploring the Olethros with a couple of buddies and fighting against overwhelming odds in the name of the Emperor is certainly very satisfying, if a bit repetitive after a while. Still, you get to play as a Terminator from a first-person perspective and that alone is reason enough to give Space Hulk: Deathwing a shot.
14 Warhammer 40,000: Tacticus
Warhammer 40K mobile games tend to get a bad rap, and for good reason. Ever since Games Workshop decided to hand out the license to pretty much any studio that asks nicely, we’ve had an endless wave of terrible 40K mobile games with no redeeming qualities. However, every now and then a game comes along that proves we can have nice things even on mobile. There’s more than one example of that, but Tacticus is easily the best out of the – admittedly – small handful of 40K mobile games worth playing.
The most important thing that allows Tacticus to stand out from the slew of similar games is the amount of content on offer. There are numerous campaigns you can tackle, each comprised of dozens of missions, as well as other game modes, events, and even some decent PvP. The game is also remarkably generous when it comes to gifting players with currency and other rewards. You genuinely don’t feel like you have to spend any money during the first 10–15 hours of playing Tacticus, which is more than we can say about a lot of other mobile games. Of course, eventually the game does become frustratingly unfair as it tries to persuade you to open up your wallet in order to progress. It’s still a mobile game after all, but one of the better ones out there for 40K fans.
13 Necromunda: Hired Gun
Necromunda: Hired Gun was a pretty poor attempt at replicating the fast-paced gameplay of Doom, but the game still manages to be enjoyable enough to warrant a spot on this list. Hired Gun is one of only a handful of Warhammer 40K first-person shooters available at the moment. Moreover, it’s one of only two games set in the infamous hive city of Necromunda. That alone is reason enough to check it out. Still not convinced? Well, maybe the fact that you have a robotic dog companion will sweeten the deal.
Necromunda: Hired Gun has its fair share of issues so don’t go into it expecting to be blown away. The story is pretty bland and the gunplay could have used some more work, however, the atmosphere is top-notch and the difficulty is just right if you like games that constantly keep you on your toes. If you’re only interested in the setting, you won’t be disappointed. But if you’re a gameplay-first type of person, you may want to skip this one and check out some of the other entries on this list.
12 Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef
Warhammer 40K is one of the most brutal and oppressive settings in modern fiction. This is the sort of place where not even the most die-hard 40K fan would want to live in. So it should come as no surprise that the vast majority of Warhammer 40K games tend to incorporate the grimdark atmosphere as one of their main features. However, every once in a while, you’ll stumble across a 40K game that decides to focus more on the over-the-top comedic elements that are also a staple of the series. Shootas, Blood & Teef is one such game.
Just in case the name didn’t already give it away, Shootas, Blood & Teef stars the Orks as the game’s main protagonists. This is a lighthearted 2D run & gun platformer where you dakka dakka your way across a hive city as you wage WAAAGH against humies, genestealers, and of course, other Orks. The campaign is pretty short, but once you’re done with that you can grab a few boyz and try some good old co-op or even duke it out in PvP battles for the glory of Gork and Mork. It’s certainly not the most compelling or interesting Warhammer 40K game out there, but sometimes all you need is a bit of mindless fun and that’s exactly what Shoots, Blood & Teef provides.
11 Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor – Martyr
Inquisitor – Martyr is essentially Warhammer 40K meets Diablo. There’s not a lot of actual hacking and slashing, but it’s very much a traditional ARPG complete with tons of areas to explore, quests to undertake, and Xenos to exterminate. However, unlike other games in the genre, Inquisitor – Martyr often feels more tactical thanks to the inclusion of cover mechanics. Also important to note is that skills are mostly tied to weapons, meaning your arsenal usually dictates your playstyle, not the other way around.
Unfortunately, Inquisitor – Martyr does have some major drawbacks that prevent it from ranking higher on this list. First off, it’s still surprisingly buggy for a game that’s been out for years at this point. Server problems are also a common occurrence these days. In addition, the game takes a while to get going so expect the first few hours to be a bit of a slog. Inquisitor – Martyr is certainly rough around the edges, but If you can get past the general jankiness you’ll find a lot to love here.
10 Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2
If you want to play a game that truly conveys the epic scale of the Warhammer 40K universe, look no further than Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2. While most 40K games focus on the never-ending wars being waged on various planets across the galaxy, Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2 takes the action to space. Here, battles take place not between armies but between entire fleets.
Now, while the battles themselves are indeed very satisfying, other parts of the game are less enjoyable. Namely, the campaigns, which have a tendency of becoming tedious and repetitive after a while regardless of which faction you’re playing. The repetitive nature of the campaigns coupled with some needlessly complicated mechanics can be a real turn-off at times. This is still the best Warhammer 40K game set in space, but there are a few better ones on this that feature more traditional settings.
9 Warhammer 40, 000: Gladius – Relics of War
By now you’re probably noticing a trend here. Many of the best Warhammer 40K games are heavily inspired by highly successful titles from a wide variety of genres. Gladius – Relics of War is no different. This one is 4X turn-based strategy game that draws a lot of inspiration from the Civilization series. That combination may sound a bit strange at first, but it ends up working remarkably well. And, unlike a lot of the other games on this list, Gladius – Relics of War has an impressive lineup of factions to choose from.
Having said all that, Gladius – Relics of War is far from being the prettiest-looking game on this list. The graphics look very dated and often make it hard to distinguish between environments, or even different types of units. As far as the gameplay is concerned, Gladius – Relics of War doesn’t feel as refined as a Civ title, but it does get most things right. Unfortunately, that doesn’t include the pricing, which comes in at way over $100 for the game and all its DLC packs. Probably best to get this one on sale.
8 Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters
When Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters was first announced it sounded almost too good to be true. An XCOM-style game centered around the Grey Knights AND it features voice acting by the legendary Andy Serkis? That sounds like a formula for instant success. And it almost was. The game does a lot of things right, including giving players control over a squad of customizable badass Grey Knights that grow increasingly more powerful as the game progresses. Unfortunately, after the first couple of hours the game slows down to a crawl.
The main thing that drags Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters down a couple of notches is, once again, the lack of variety. While traveling from planet to planet and purging them of Nurgle followers is exciting at first, it quickly becomes apparent that this is all you’ll be doing for the entirety of the game. There are only about a dozen or so different types of enemies and that’s not quite enough to keep things interesting past the mid-game. Hence, why the game only ranks at number eight on the list, which is still not bad all things considered.
7 Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector
Despite launching in 2021, Warhammer 40K: Battlesector feels like a turn-based tactics game from the late 90s. And I mean that in a good way. The game doesn’t have all the fluff you see in a lot of modern titles and instead focuses on the gameplay above all else. In some ways, Battlesector is one of the most faithful adaptations of Warhammer 40K tabletop you can play right now.
It’s a shame that the game didn’t have a lot of content at launch and was dismissed by a lot of people because of that. There were only two factions at launch – Blood Angels and Tyranids – and although the Necrons and Sisters of Battle also joined the fray as DLC factions in the meantime, Battlesector desperately needs more variety even now. Warhammer 40K: Battlesector could become a very good game further down the line if developer Slitherine keeps pushing out new content at regular intervals. As it stands right now, the game is just okay.
6 Warhammer 40,000: Darktide
After developing two highly successful Warhammer Fantasy games, Fatshark decided to tackle the 40K universe next. Multiple delays and a somewhat troubled development process later, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide eventually made its way to the masses towards the end of 2022 and was met with mixed reactions. One on hand, the developers managed to deliver the action-packed combat they promised and they absolutely nailed the grimdark atmosphere of the 41st millennium. On the other hand, they dropped the ball when it comes to almost everything else.
At the end of the day, Warhammer 40K: Darktide is still an enjoyable game, but it clearly launched in an unfinished state and likely won’t reach its full potential anytime soon. If Fatshark’s previous projects are anything to go by, Darktide is bound to get better in the months and years to come. Unfortunately, many players would have already moved on by the time the game gets there. That said, the game definitely deserves a place on this list because, in spite of all its flaws, there’s no other game out there that captures the atmosphere of Warhammer 40K quite like Darktide.
5 Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun
Necromunda: Hired Gun may have failed at replicating Doom, but there’s another Warhammer 40K game out there that succeeded with flying colors, and its name is Boltgun. In addition to playing very similarly to the original Doom, Warhammer 40K: Boltgun also looks just like the venerable classic FPS. In fact, the art style is easily one of its biggest selling points. While the game does feature a couple of modern game design elements here and there, for the most part, Boltgun looks and feels like it was ripped straight out of the 90s.
Boltgun’s depiction of the grimdark future can look a bit cartoonish due to its art style, but the game still does a good job at making the player feel like a badass Space Marine fighting against nearly insurmountable odds. Outside of Warhammer 40K: Space Marine, Boltgun features the best portrayal of a one-man army Adeptus Astartes. Well, at least until Space Marine 2 comes out. The game’s only major issue is the level design, with some stages feeling a bit repetitive and dragging on forever. There’s also not much use for melee past the early game, which is a real shame because tearing enemies apart with a chainsword is pretty satisfying. Then again, the game is called Boltgun, not Chainsword, so that was to be expected.
4 Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II
Developer Relic Entertainment took a big risk with Dawn of War II when they decided to make a squad-based real-time tactics game instead of another RTS. That was a very controversial decision at the time but, as it turns out, the devs made the right call. Thanks to excellent voice acting, storytelling, and music, Dawn of War II manages to deliver an even more memorable campaign than its predecessor. Equally impressive is the fact that the game only got better over time thanks to its excellent expansions.
The only downside of the campaigns is the fact that they all play pretty much the same. It’s great that Relic gave players the option to experience events from the perspective of different factions, but it would have been even better to introduce unique maps for each of them. On the bright side, the campaigns support four-player co-op and there are two additional multiplayer modes to boot. There aren’t many people playing the multiplayer these days, but you can still find some matches on occasion if you’re lucky.
3 Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus
There are way too many Warhammer 40K games centered around the Adeptus Astartes, so seeing one that focuses on the Adeptus Mechanicus instead is a breath of fresh air indeed. Warhammer 40K: Mechanicus is a turn-based tactics game with toned-down XCOM-like combat, a gripping story, fantastic atmosphere, and an incredible soundtrack. You can also expect some RPG elements here and there.
The main thing that sets Mechanicus apart from other 40K games is the narrative. The story, which was written by Black Library author Ben Counter, does a great job of conveying the cold logic that guides the Machine Cult. The amount of dialogue can feel a bit excessive at times, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing if you’re someone who enjoys Warhammer 40K lore. The repetitive combat and lack of map variety can become tedious for anyone, though, which is why Mechanicus only gets the third spot on this list.
2 Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine
You’re probably aware of the hype surrounding the upcoming Space Marine 2. If you’re not sure what all the fuss is about, it’s high time you gave the original a try. Space Marine really nails down the fantasy of being a superhuman killing machine in the 41st millennium. The combat is fast, visceral, and has a lot of weight behind it. Hitting an Ork in the face with a chainsaw feels just as satisfying as you would expect and the ranged weapons aren’t half-bad either. Plus, you get to use a jetpack during certain parts of the game and that always deserves a few brownie points.
More than a decade since its release, there are no other Warhammer 40K games out there quite like Space Marine. One could make an argument that there isn’t enough enemy variety in the game, which is true. And yet, the combat in Space Marine never gets dull in spite of that. What can get a little dull is the story but, let’s be honest here, the main reason you’ll want to play this game is so you can purge some Xenos filth. And that’s exactly what Space Marine has to offer. However, there’s one other Warhammer 40K game that offers even more.
1 Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War
It almost feels like a cop-out at this point to say that the original Dawn of War is the best Warhammer 40K game of all time, but it’s true. Almost two decades since its release, this RTS continues to be the gold standard for games set in the 40K universe. Sure, the graphics look pretty dated by today’s standards but the gameplay is just as solid as ever. The story, music, voice acting, and animations (especially the sync kills) hold up remarkably well too.
If you haven’t checked out Dawn of War yet, now is as good a time as any to jump in. The base game alone is very good but things get so much better once you start delving into the expansions. Dark Crusade, in particular, is nothing short of a masterpiece. Meanwhile, Soulstorm has some pretty incredible mods, if you’re into that sort of thing.
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