An open-source, turn-based tactics game with deep unit interactions, terrain bonuses, and a trove of official campaigns spanning centuries of in-world history. Fully free, moddable, and excellent offline—strategy fans can easily sink hundreds of hours into it without touching the same content twice. The rules are clear yet punishing. It narrowly missed the main list because the presentation is dated and the learning curve runs steeper than most modern picks. For tactics purists, though, it's one of the richest free strategy offerings you'll find anywhere.

Overview
About Battle for Wesnoth
The Battle for Wesnoth is a turn-based tactical strategy game with a high fantasy theme.
Build up a great army, gradually turning raw recruits into hardened veterans. In later games, recall your toughest warriors and form a deadly host whom none can stand against! Choose units from a large pool of specialists, and hand-pick a force with the right strengths to fight well on different terrains against all manner of opposition.
Wesnoth has many different sagas waiting to be played. Fight to regain the throne of Wesnoth, of which you are the legitimate heir... step into the boots of a young officer sent to guard a not-so-sleepy frontier outpost... lead a brutal quest to unite the orcish tribes... vanquish a horde of undead warriors unleashed by a foul necromancer, who also happens to have taken your brother hostage... guide a band of elvish survivors in an epic quest to find a new home... get revenge on the orcs by using the foul art of necromancy...
There are at least two hundred unit types, sixteen races, six major factions, and hundreds of years of history. The world of Wesnoth is absolutely huge and only limited by your creativity — make your own custom units, create your own maps, and write your own scenarios or even full-blown campaigns. You can also challenge up to eight friends—or strangers—and fight in epic multiplayer fantasy battles.
Reference
At a glance
- Released
- August 2, 2005
- Platforms
- macOS, Linux, PC, iOS
- Genres
- RPG, Strategy, Indie
- Play modes
- Single Player, Multiplayer
- Time to beat
- 1 hours
Media
Screenshots
Click any screenshot to view it full size.
Playtime
How long to beat
Player-reported completion times for Battle for Wesnoth.
- Typical
- 1hoursStory plus some extras
Playing together
Multiplayer & game modes
Battle for Wesnoth offers various play modes for different gaming experiences.
Play Modes
Single Player • Multiplayer
Also in our guides
Often listed alongside Battle for Wesnoth
Titles that appear in the same guides on this site. Grouped by where they show up, not by recommendation.
Coverage
Featured in our articles
This game appears in 1 article on this site.
#11
Game data and imagery provided by IGDB.com
