Board games have the ability to introduce a wide range of themes and subject matters to players in ways that not only entertain but also cause them to think. From woodland critters waging war on each other, fighting off a galactic empire, or even pretending to be your favorite superheroes, there is a board game for everyone. This includes folks who enjoy learning about and experiencing historical events from around the world.
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This list highlights some titles that not only are fun to play, but also offer insights and a deeper look at various historical events. Even though these are all fun games, some of the subject matters they tackle may not be right for all gaming groups, so make sure ahead of time that all of your players are fine with the game first, to have the best time you can!
Above, you'll find a side-scrolling list of all the items on this list. But if you want more info about any of the games, keep on reading.
Watergate
In Watergate, two players take on the roles of either the Press or the Nixon administration during the Watergate scandal from 1972 to 1974. Players use their custom decks of cards to try and secure, or bury, enough evidence to either convict the president if you are on the side of the press, or to finish out your term if you are playing as the administration. Cards are adorned with actual historical photographs and events that took place during this period, with additional blurbs and details that give Watergate an intricate look at what transpired.
The game itself is a fun tug-of-war that's also a quick-playing board game, with average games only taking maybe a half hour or so. And thanks to its small box, it makes it easy to take with you to the coffee shop, brewery, or on vacation. As an added bonus, the back half of the rule book provides even more information about the people, places, and events that are represented on the cards.
For more information on the Watergate scandal, check out this paper from Britannica or this documentary from Timeline.
Molly House
Set during the 18th century in London, Molly House is an exploration of the Molly community of the era (think LGBTQ+) as they looked to spread joy throughout their community while navigating around the Society for the Reformation of Manners and police. Molly House has players maneuvering around a board, managing cards to grow their reputation, and throwing parties to score points. There is always a danger, however, of constables and rebels trying to tear it all down, so players will also have to work to prevent the various houses from being raided, shut down, and individuals from being indicted. Some players can even choose to secretly become an informer, working against the others and the Molly community, adding a "hidden motive" mechanic to mix.
While the game itself is a fun and complex game of strategy and bluffing, it's also a game whose subject matter and historical ramifications are worth considering. Molly House showcases actual people who lived and were prominent members of the Molly community at the time, with the rulebook's last few pages dedicated to further elaborating and giving context to the time and people involved.
But it's also a game where "getting hanged" is one of the end-game outcomes, including imagery of a noose. Molly House is a game that highlights both the joy of that community (yay throwing parties), but also the dire situations that members could find themselves in and suffer through. Something to be aware if you are looking to introduce this game to your game night with fellow history buffs!
For more information on this period and topic, here are two articles from Historic England and the British Newspaper Archive.
Pax Pamir
Set during the period that Western historians refer to as “The Great Game,” Pax Pamir has players assume the roles of Afghan leaders after the fall of the Durrani Empire in the 19th century. One of the central aspects of this game is managing your relations with Russia and Britain, who at the time were gain a foothold in the Central Asian region, while also attempting to create your new state.
From a gameplay standpoint, Pax Pamir is a strategy board game that has you drawing and playing cards in order to perform actions, build your armies, and establish coalitions with groups in an effort to gain dominance in the region. It’s an intricate and surprisingly complex tableau builder of a game with a lot of moving parts that players have to keep their eyes on and work around, to secure a lead of at least four victory points to win.
Inside its box, the Pax Pamir 2nd Edition contains lavish components, including a cloth game board and detailed resin pieces. Perhaps most impressive are the 150+ cards, which all feature archival imagery. In typical Wherlegig style, the back of the rule book contains additional historical information for those who want to know more. The ramifications of the events presented in this game are still felt today, so make sure your players are comfortable with the setting before sitting at the table.
John Company: Second Edition
Perhaps the most complex game on this list, John Company 2nd Edition is a game about positioning your family within various roles and using the historically problematic British East India Company for your own personal gain. Your characters will inhabit a variety of roles throughout, including the company’s Chairman, Director of Trade, or of Military Affairs, while you try to manage various crises and negotiations in the attempt to build this state-sponsored trade monopoly.
The game has you guiding the company as opposed to letting you directly control it, as most games would. Turns consist of retiring family members, choosing how they will invest in the company, hiring for new positions, and accepting bonuses, and moer. The game is a lot, with a lot of moving parts, making John Company a title you probably would only want to introduce to a seasoned group that's comfortable with complex board games. Still, when you figure it out, it's a game whose web of systems results in a thought-provoking experience.
John Company is also a game that doesn’t try to mask or hide the themes of imperialism, globalization, or colonization that the British East India Company took part in. Playing this game can stir conversations, but the subject matter may be heavy for some players around your table.
Memoir '44
If you and a friend enjoy World War II and find yourself with a couple of hours of free time, then Memoir ‘44 is a game to check out. This tactical grid-based war game puts one player in the boots of allied forces and the other in the Axis, roughly recreating specific battles that took place during the war. Utilizing card-based movement and three regions of combat to assign orders to, Memoir is relatively easy to pick up and teach, but offers plenty of room for strategy. It also has numerous expansions to not only increase the number of players it allows but also the number of scenarios you can play out.
As mentioned previously, the different battlefield scenarios you can set up and play are based around actual battles, and accompanying each setup guide are historical details of it. These include both the name and date it occurred, which is a neat inclusion, so if you are interested, you can look up additional details after playing.
Omertà: The Five Families
Omertà: The Five Families takes players back to 20th-century New York City as members of five of the most powerful mafia families of the time as they work to push out their competition and secure territory. Included in the box are nine scenarios that highlight various years from 1905 to 1985, including events such as the Second Mafia War, the Havana Conference, or the Castellamerse War.
The game itself is an area control title where each player moves their forces around Manhattan, Brooklyn, and New Jersey, playing cards to take actions, gain respect, and unfold the story. As you can expect, though, sometimes violence is required, so players can expect some fighting too.
For fans of mafia history, or just the period of New York, Omertà provides you with a more historical approach, one that isn’t tied to a film or other series, and is more rooted in moments in history. The variety of scenarios also does a good job mixing things up, with different victory conditions and setup alterations, helping keep the game feeling fresh, longer.
Votes for Women
In this asymmetrical card-driven area control game, Votes for Women puts one to four players in the roles of either the Suffragists or members of the Opposition in the campaign to pass the Nineteenth Amendment. Players will be playing cards and trying to win the support of enough states around the United States to secure a victory for their side. The suffragists need 36 states to ratify and win, while the opposition only needs 13 states to reject it to win.
Votes for Women showcases artwork and imagery from the period and movement, including posters and other propaganda used during this contentious moment. As an extra bonus for fans of the period, Votes for Women also includes a number of document replicas, including stories from the August 19, 1920, issue of the New York Times and a supplementary designer notebook detailing.
For more information about the suffrage movement, check out this article over at the National WWI Museum and Memorial site and this short documentary from LucasFilm.
Twilight Struggle
Set during the events of the Cold War from 1945-1989, Twilight Struggle has two players facing off, playing cards and struggling to gain control of regions around the map, while reducing the influence of the other. Both sides draw and play cards that can be used either for a specific effect or for action points they can use to perform various actions.
The cool twist is that the cards (which are broken into Early War, Mid War, and Late War decks) can lean towards North America, the USSR, or neutral. And if you have to play a card that is geareed toward the other side, you may get the action points but your opponent gets the beneficial effect. Depending on the actions that players take and in what regions, it may lower the Defcon rating, pushing the world closer to Nuclear War and instantly losing.
For the Cold War buffs out there, the cards that you play – similar to those in Watergate earlier on this list – feature real photographs and mention of events that transpired during the war. For even more details, the back of the rulebook features more robust descriptions and breakdowns of the events the cards represent, which is a really neat touch.
Axis & Allies - Various Theater Games
The Axis & Allies franchise has been around for more than four decades, letting wargame aficionados command the forces of the Allies and Axis powers during the World Wars. While the mainline games offer a fun representation of the wars themselves, for those looking for something more specific, the series also features a variety of games set around specific encounters in World War II. These games tend to have their own little tweaks to the traditional A&A gameplay but still maintain the same rich strategy gameplay, just on a smaller, more intimate scale.
While some games are out of print, Renegade Games is doing a great job with the brand, not only creating new entries like A&A North Africa but also reprinting previously out-of-print games like A&A Battle of the Bulge, Guadalcanal, and Stalingrad. These are excellent options and may be of more interest for historical war buffs.
Scott White is a freelance contributor to IGN, assisting with tabletop games and guide coverage. Follow him on X/Twitter or Bluesky.
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