Swap D&D for grimdarkness with these 9 Warhammer tabletop RPGs

GamesRPGSwap D&D for grimdarkness with these 9 Warhammer tabletop RPGsWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Cubicle Seven)

An airship battling a flying monster.

Jump to:Age of SigmarWarhammer FantasyWarhammer 40,000

Given the age-old connections between wargaming and TTRPGs, it should come as no surprise that there’s a lot of history to roleplaying in the various worlds of Warhammer. Games Workshop’s settings are rich, evocative, and lushly detailed, with loads of room for players to tell their own stories—perfect for a really engrossing campaign.

The Old World(Image credit: Games Workshop)Cubicle 7’s next Warhammer TTRPG release is The Old World,a new Warhammer Fantasy gamedesigned to tie intoGames Workshop’s recent relaunch of the setting. Details are light so far, but I suspect it could be a more heroic take, compared to WHFRP’s very bleak, powerless tone.

The Old World

(Image credit: Games Workshop)Cubicle 7’s next Warhammer TTRPG release is The Old World,a new Warhammer Fantasy gamedesigned to tie intoGames Workshop’s recent relaunch of the setting. Details are light so far, but I suspect it could be a more heroic take, compared to WHFRP’s very bleak, powerless tone.

(Image credit: Games Workshop)

A Bretonnian army marching to war in Warhammer: The Old World.

Cubicle 7’s next Warhammer TTRPG release is The Old World,a new Warhammer Fantasy gamedesigned to tie intoGames Workshop’s recent relaunch of the setting. Details are light so far, but I suspect it could be a more heroic take, compared to WHFRP’s very bleak, powerless tone.

Figuring out which game is right for you can still be confusing, however, so let me break down what’s on offer, and hopefully guide you to a book that kicks off your next amazing campaign.

Warhammer Age of Sigmar

Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Soulbound

(Image credit: Cubicle Seven)

Adventurers battle the forces of Tzeentch in Age of Sigmar: Soulbound.

Embracing the mythic fantasy of the Age of Sigmar setting, Soulbound is a game of mighty player characters making their mark on the Realms. A starting party fresh out of character creation can already contain powerful wizards, immortal Stormcast Eternals, and hulking tree men, and easily take on hordes of enemies and towering monsters in battle.

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals

Warhammer Fantasy

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4e

(Image credit: Cubicle 7, Games Workshop)

Adventurers battling a rat ogre in Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4e.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 3e

At the complete other end of the spectrum from Soulbound is Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, a game so bleak and low-powered that you’re more likely to play a ratcatcher or a peasant than a trained warrior. The joy in WFRP comes in finding clever ways to survive and overcome challenges despite the odds being so stacked against you, and witnessing the strangeness and horror of the Warhammer Fantasy setting from the perspective of an ordinary person.

Though a new game from Cubicle 7, this 4th edition is heavily based on the older2nd edition, and though it offers modern refinements, its d100 system still feels rooted in the past. Whether you find that charming or archaic will depend on your sensibilities, but either way it can be complicated and clunky—in the campaign I’m currently in, I have to usean automated, multi-page spreadsheetto track my character’s stats, and don’t get me started on the endless maths quiz that is levelling up.

Warhammer 40,000

Wrath & Glory

(Image credit: Cubicle 7)

Imperial agents battling Orks in Warhammer 40,000: Wrath & Glory.

While I’m not sure things ever get truly “heroic” in the absurd grimdarkness of Warhammer 40,000, Wrath & Glory is certainly geared towards lighter, pulpier adventures than most of the other games in the setting. Through a dice pool system similar to Soulbound, it allows you to tell a really broad spectrum of 40k stories, and there are mechanics for balancing mixed parties—so, for example, an Imperial Guardsman and a Space Marine can fight together without the latter outshining the former.

Arguably, the tone gets a little too light for the setting, especially in the artwork—but if the kind of Warhammer 40,000 you enjoy is larger-than-life heroes with even larger weapons fighting for a ray of hope in the darkness, this is the game for you. It’s also the only 40k TTRPG not based on the old d100 system, which does make it much more accessible and faster to run than its peers.

Imperium Maledictum

(Image credit: Cubicle 7)

A man looking scared as tendrils of evil energy descend on him in Imperium Maledictum.

Essentially a spiritual successor to Dark Heresy (see below), and in many ways a close cousin to Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, featuring a similar d100 system and bleak, oppressive tone.Imperium Maledictum puts the focus on the inner workings of humanity’s empire, casting players as pawns of one of many internal factions, from the Adeptus Mechanicus to the Inquisition to the Imperial Navy.

Like WHFRP, it’s very much a game about playing the underdog, but in this case you’re as much under threat from bureaucracy, politics, and in-fighting as monsters and dark gods. Unfortunately I think that does make it a little dry and impenetrable, and though it does provide some clever updates to Dark Heresy’s rules, I think it lacks its clear focus. It’s still relatively new, however, so there’s space for it to grow, and certainly if you’re interested in the inner workings of the Imperium, you’d be hard pressed to find a more comprehensive guide.

Dark Heresy

(Image credit: Fantasy Flight Games, Cubicle 7, Games Workshop)

A group of Inquisitorial Acolytes in Dark Heresy.

Further reading(Image credit: Necrotic Gnome)If you’re a TTRPG fan, we’ve got lots more for you to read:-The best alternatives to D&D-The coolest tabletop RPGs based on videogames-How to become a Dungeon Master-How to run tabletop RPGs online-The 5 most ridiculously broken builds in D&D history

Dark Heresy spin-offs

(Image credit: Fantasy Flight Games, Cubicle 7, Games Workshop)

A Rogue Trader and their retinue in Rogue Trader.

You certainly couldn’t fault FFG’s rate of production while it held the Warhammer 40,000 license. Not content to rest on the laurels of Dark Heresy, it was constantly releasing new versions of the game covering different corners of the setting, each with their own library of supplements and adventures, and they’re all still available via Cubicle 7 onDriveThruRPG.

All of these use the same overall system as Dark Heresy, with adjustments for their particular style and tone. Generally I’d say the further you get from playing lowly humans, the more the rules start to collapse under their own weight. Only War, for example, is a pretty good fit, simply telling its underdog stories on muddy battlefields rather than in overpopulated hive cities—whereas Deathwatch’s attempts to bend a gritty and deadly system to support superhuman soldiers having never-ending fights result in pretty exhausting sessions.

More about rpgFinal Fantasy 14 communities panic as it turns out change to blacklisting, meant to help reduce stalking, also lets players use mods to track their altsWe may not have a roadmap or balance patch just yet, but at least Path of Exile 2’s bugfix patch notes are funnyLatestI tried a sim racing rig that generates ‘wind’ at CES 2025 and it’s claimed to help keep VR nausea at baySee more latest►

More about rpg

Final Fantasy 14 communities panic as it turns out change to blacklisting, meant to help reduce stalking, also lets players use mods to track their altsWe may not have a roadmap or balance patch just yet, but at least Path of Exile 2’s bugfix patch notes are funny

Alisaie, a side character in Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail, folds her arms with a confident smirk on her face.

Final Fantasy 14 communities panic as it turns out change to blacklisting, meant to help reduce stalking, also lets players use mods to track their alts

Path of Exile 2 showing the Warbringer ascendancy class bludgeoning his way through a pack of hyenas

We may not have a roadmap or balance patch just yet, but at least Path of Exile 2’s bugfix patch notes are funny

LatestI tried a sim racing rig that generates ‘wind’ at CES 2025 and it’s claimed to help keep VR nausea at baySee more latest►

Latest

I tried a sim racing rig that generates ‘wind’ at CES 2025 and it’s claimed to help keep VR nausea at bay

Nitro Concepts CES 2025 booth with a sim racing rig that offered wind simulation from twin fans near the wheelbase.

I tried a sim racing rig that generates ‘wind’ at CES 2025 and it’s claimed to help keep VR nausea at bay

See more latest►

Most Popular

These are the 14 biggest upcoming RPGs of 2025—get ready for another amazing year for the genre

Five new Steam games you probably missed (January 6, 2025)

I’ve seen enough: No more forcing singleplayer studios to make mediocre live service games

6 games that could be bigger hits than you’re expecting in 2025

What are your 2025 gaming resolutions?

The FBI put a $5 million bounty on the ‘Cryptoqueen’ last year but still hasn’t found her, so take your pick: Russia, South Africa, or murdered on a yacht in 2018

The Witcher season 4: Everything we know about Hemsworth’s debut on The Continent

8 bold gaming predictions for 2025

The PC game releases we’re most excited about in January

Twitter is dead, X is a cesspit, let’s make 2025 the year of the message board

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

A bunch of the best Steam Deck accessories on a blue background.

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

Thank Goodness You’re Here review

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback

3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

4Ikea Utespelare desk review

Ikea Utespelare desk review

5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

Warhammer Age of Sigmar#

Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Soulbound#

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals#

Warhammer Fantasy#

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4e#

Warhammer 40,000#

Wrath & Glory#

Imperium Maledictum#

Dark Heresy#

Dark Heresy spin-offs#