The best games set in the Civil War ⚔️ 2024

Looking for a really good game that takes place during the Civil War? Then we have just the thing: our list of the best games that play during the Civil War 2024.

What are games that take place during the Civil War?

Civil War games usually have storylines that involve a violent struggle for government control between two other groups from the same country. Most civil war games are also categorized as wargames.

Note

This category includes all civil wars including the American Civil War (1861-65).

For more information, see the Wikipedia entry on Civil Wars.

Other historical games

Most games set during a Civil War are also considered a wargame - but need not necessarily be the case.

In addition to Civil War games, we have created a general list of games based on historical events - and further divided them below into several, more detailed historical categories.

List of the best games set during the Civil War 2024 ⚔️

This list was last updated on February 25, 2024. We compared 1102 board games for this list and selected the top 10. There's also a print version for this list.
  1. Sekigahara: The Unification of Japan

    All details for the board game Sekigahara: The Unification of Japan and similar games

    Sekigahara: The Unification of Japan is a strategic war game for two players, allowing them to relive the pivotal battle of Sekigahara in 1600, which unified Japan under the Tokugawa shogunate for over 250 years. Players take on the roles of either Ishida Mitsunari, defending the rightful heir, or Tokugawa Ieyasu, the most powerful daimyo, as they gather armies from their allies, all the while questioning their loyalty. With no use of dice, the game emphasizes strategy and loyalty through card mechanics, where cards are essential for motivating armies to fight. Loyalty is a fluctuating resource, represented by hand size, and battles involve deploying hidden units based on loyalty, with the potential for defections. The game aims to provide a historically accurate experience within a concise and intuitive set of rules, focusing on strategic deployment and the significance of loyalty without relying on luck to determine outcomes.

    Nominated for 4 awards and won 2.

    More details for Sekigahara: The Unification of Japan
    • 2 Players
    • 180 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Medium difficulty
  2. Star Wars: Rebellion

    All details for the board game Star Wars: Rebellion and similar games

    Star Wars: Rebellion is a grand strategy board game set in the Star Wars universe, offering an epic conflict between the Galactic Empire and Rebel Alliance for two to four players.

    Nominated for 15 awards and won 4.

    More details for Star Wars: Rebellion
    • 2 - 4 Players
    • 180 - 240 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Hard to learn

    Video reviews for Star Wars: Rebellion

    • YouTube Review for the game "Star Wars: Rebellion" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
  3. Resist!

    All details for the board game Resist! and similar games

    Nominated for 4 awards.

    More details for Resist!
    • 1 Players
    • 20 - 40 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  4. In Magnificent Style: Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg

    All details for the board game In Magnificent Style: Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg and similar games
    • 1 Players
    • 60 Minutes
    • 13+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  5. Julius Caesar: Caesar, Pompey, and the Roman Civil War

    All details for the board game Julius Caesar: Caesar, Pompey, and the Roman Civil War and similar games
    • 2 Players
    • 60 - 180 Minutes
    • 12+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  6. Battle Cry

    All details for the board game Battle Cry and similar games

    Battle Cry immerses players in the tumultuous era of the American Civil War, offering a low-complexity, highly modular board game experience. Through the strategic use of hexagonal tiles, players can recreate a variety of historical battlefields, bringing the conflict to life with an extensive collection of plastic miniatures representing infantry, cavalry, artillery, and leaders. The heart of the game lies in its innovative use of cards, which command troops across the battlefield's flanks and center, a system that would become the foundation for Richard Borg's acclaimed Command and Colors system.

    Nominated for 1 award.

    More details for Battle Cry
    • 2 Players
    • 45 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  7. The Games of War: A Treasury of Rules for Battles with Toy Soldiers, Ships and Planes

    All details for the board game The Games of War:  A Treasury of Rules for Battles with Toy Soldiers, Ships and Planes and similar games
    • 1 - 8 Players
    • 30 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  8. Freedom: The Underground Railroad

    All details for the board game Freedom: The Underground Railroad and similar games

    Freedom: The Underground Railroad is a compelling cooperative game that immerses players in the crucial historical period of the Abolitionist movement in the United States. Players collaboratively work to build up the movement's strength using cards representing notable figures and events from Early Independence to the Civil War. The game balances the challenging tasks of moving slaves to freedom in Canada and raising funds to sustain abolitionist activities. The presence of slave catchers on the board adds a tense and realistic element, as they seek to thwart the players' efforts.

    Nominated for 5 awards and won 2.

    More details for Freedom: The Underground Railroad
    • 1 - 4 Players
    • 60 - 120 Minutes
    • 13+ years old
    • Medium difficulty

    Video reviews for Freedom: The Underground Railroad

    • YouTube Review for the game "Freedom: The Underground Railroad" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
  9. Rebels and Patriots: Wargaming Rules for North America

    All details for the board game Rebels and Patriots: Wargaming Rules for North America and similar games
    • 2 Players
    • Easy to learn
  10. Crusade and Revolution: The Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939

    All details for the board game Crusade and Revolution: The Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939 and similar games
    • 2 Players
    • 180 - 480 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Medium difficulty

Didn't find the game you were looking for?

We're positive that you'll find it in one of our other lists! To make the search easier for you, we split our website into different categories. The following board game categories will help you find the right list: