Top Board Games To Go Against Mighty Forces

After years of board gaming, all of us want our session to have a bit of extra…challenge.  

And we suppose taking on the Gods themselves would do it. 

We’ve chosen eight games that raise the stakes to the heavens, letting you grapple with gods or act as their agents with absolute impunity.  

Starting with- 

Just when you thought you’d seen every version of Risk under the sun. Released in 2004, Godstorm puts a twist on the established formula by allowing players to summon their Gods to earth and tackle their opponents. Touching on a wealth of classical cultures, the game uses a tighter map dominated by Europe, North Africa, and…Atlantis. Once your unique Gods are summoned (covering war, death, the sky, and more), your armies secure hardcore bonuses that can see you sweep the map and take the fight to opposing deities. Perfect as the ‘next step’ in managing your friend’s Risk addiction, Godstorm is still a standout in a very crowded market. 

The WH40K mythos is a world of extremes. On one end, you have the armies of the Imperium of Man. A billions-strong force of conscripts thrown into battle on countless alien worlds, armed with nothing more than a laser rifle and/or a helmet. On the other, you have the gibbering hordes of Chaos. Manifested and maintained by The Ruinous Powers, these contain fearsome Demon Lords, terrifying Primarchs, and even avatars of the malevolent Gods themselves. So, if you’ve ever wanted to play a game where Private Jenkins throws hands with a twenty-foot tall, physical manifestation of the concept of murder…you know where to go.    

If there’s anything that’s consistent about the Greek Gods, it’s that they like people paying attention to them. Designed by Bruno Cathala and Ludovic Maublanc, the game combines playing the Gods off against each other, courting their attention, and monopolizing actions to squeeze out your opponent. Set on the iconic island chain, the game quickly devolves into intense bidding wars, agonizing over tough decisions, and taking merciless swipes at anyone standing in your way. Tight, taut, and supremely easy to teach – Cyclades belongs in every collection. Well…along with its brother and sister.          

Bringing the iconic video game to the tabletop, Age of Mythology was a breath of fresh air for the much-loved Microsoft series. And, bizarrely, translating the game’s RTS mechanics to the tabletop just works. The game’s card-and-dice system adds an element of strategy and luck to battles and the game’s deities allow for the recruitment of bizarre and thematic creatures. Combining 4X gameplay and balance-breaking divine powers, the game is perfect for strategy players looking to take their gaming to the next level and prove what pantheon packs the biggest punch. Until the next game anyway.ond basis. Horrendous for some but, for those looking for a challenge, pure heaven.    

Of course, divine influence can be constructive as well as very, very harmful. Published in 2016, Santorini is an incredibly accessible puzzler that has taken the hobby by storm. Players win by building and reaching the third floor of buildings in the town, letting you move and add a block each turn. Quick, clean, and straightforward – individuals of any age can play. However, if you add variable player powers…the Gods get involved. Dealt out at the start of the game, players are assigned unique powers from the likes of Ares, Charon, Morpheus, and more. These can augment play, hand-tailor your preferred playstyle, or act as a randomiser (or equaliser) to keep things fresh. Throw in the Golden Fleece expansion, and you’ve got something truly special on your hands.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a list about waging war on the Gods without a mention of Eric Lang. First released in 2015, Blood Rage is a game about the joy of battle, with each player controlling a band of Viking warriors pursuing the thrill of combat in the time of Ragnarök. This boils down to a shoving match of an area control game where gorgeous minis are pushed through the game’s three ages. Then the Gods come into play. Represented through card drafting, players snatch boons from the Gods that can boost your clan’s stats, hoover up more glory, or improve your killing power. Throw in the Gods of Asgard expansion and you can pillage Odin’s house. Bloody insanity at its finest. Just be sure to have the tablespace necessary to host the games gorgeously stylized miniatures…and one too heavy to film if the real-world rage gets a little too high.  

Ever struggled to get a promotion? Elysium ups the stakes by setting players up as demigods struggling to snatch a spot in Mount Olympus. But there’s only one vacancy. Built around card drafting, each of our quasi-gods attempts to write their own legend using the influence of their divine patrons. This means hoovering up mythical beasts, legendary heroes, and divine weapons as you build a story (engine) to secure the renown and fame (points) that you need to snap up your seat among the Gods themselves. Combining gorgeous components with a wealth of cards, the game is an exceptional choice and perfect (and thematically appropriate) passive-aggressive wish fulfillment for myth fans everywhere      

A Kickstarter success story of Chthonic proportions, Cthulhu Wars is absolutely what is says on the tin. Combing dudes on a map mechanics with mind-bending horror, players are put in charge of their own eldritch cult that is struggling to bring their Great Old One to earth. This starts small, with gates and portals and squamous horrors. But it’s only a matter of time before a critical mass of power is accumulated and the Gods burst forth onto the earth. And then…things get interesting. Offering a streamlined ruleset and game-breaking powers, Wars plays fast, looks phenomenal, and guarantees an apocalyptic battle with every setting.  

What board games that summon the Great Powers do you love? Tell us in the comments!