So, you are planning – or maybe even already starting – your dream vacation? Time to rest, recharge the batteries and disconnect a bit from everyday issues? But the bag has its limits, and it is almost full. On the other hand, you do not want to part with your beloved hobby – boardgames. How would you survive all those hours during a long flight, and what would you do to diversify the free time you will have along the way?
Do not be afraid! With the holiday season just starting here in the Northern Hemisphere, I am presenting the newest edition of my flagship article – the guide to Top Travel-Friendly Wargames. We are talking here about titles which you can easily take along for your summer trips. This is a series I revisit every year, and each edition brings a fresh batch of discoveries alongside some enduring classics that simply refuse to leave my travel bag.
So what does “easy to take on a trip” actually mean? For me, it boils down to two dimensions:
- first and foremost: space needed to carry and set up the game – the box cannot be too large, nor can the game demand too much table area; you are travelling, after all, and do not want to burden your luggage with too much additional stuff!
- second key consideration: time needed to play – in general these are fast to set up and quick to play, some of them light enough to bring even on a bike trip! You are on holiday; you want your precious wargames with you, but you do not necessarily want to spend the whole time hunched over them 🙂
Of course, sometimes you travel alone – so solitaire positions are very much represented here too. And this year the list has grown nicely, so I have grouped the titles by publisher to keep things tidy. Without further ado, let us jump into the selection – and please use the comments section, as I am counting on your ideas too!
If you prefer video version, here it is for you:
Other articles in the series:
1. Battle Line by GMT Games
A small card game created many years ago by the board game veteran Reiner Knizia, and still a staple of my travel set. Two players compete across a “battle line,” aiming to win by capturing 5 of the 9 flags, or 3 adjacent flags. The game is simple, elegant and fast.
In 2017 it was re-implemented with a new theme centered on Medieval warfare. This version is a two-player strategy card game featuring 60 beautifully illustrated cards by Roland MacDonald, plus 10 full-color tactics “wildcards” that give players extra flexibility and make each battle play out differently.
This is the perfect travel wargame. It is very easy to pack, requires minimal space (leave the box behind and put the cards in a Ziplock or a Cube4Me Card Tray), and takes no more than 30 minutes to play. Despite its simplicity it offers very engaging gameplay that rewards careful planning. As a fan of the title I could not resist getting both versions – the Ancient and the Medieval – and I play them interchangeably.
More about game:
2. Hispania by Draco Ideas
Let me present another great creation from Miguel Marqués, the recently published Hispania from Draco Ideas. This is a cooperative game in which 1 to 3 players take the roles of all the praetors and consuls Rome sent to Hispania for almost 200 years – until the first emperor Caesar Augustus culminated the conquest with the final defeat of the Cantabrians and the incorporation of Hispania into his brand-new Empire.
If you played Tetrarchia – and I did, and had a lot of fun with it – the game will feel familiar, as the core engine is similar. However, there are several important changes (like Roman coins and roads) and a difficulty matrix that leads to 243 different levels! On top of that, the game includes several modular expansions, historical scenarios, and a competitive mode that lets 1 additional player lead the Hispanic resistance against Rome. All of this in a small, neat box that can easily be taken on a trip!
More about game:
3. La Resistance by Flying Pig Games
Designed by Mark H. Walker, La Résistance is a simple yet engaging dice-and-card game set during the German occupation of France in World War II. During this period brave French men and women fought against the Nazi occupiers, disrupting their communications, destroying supply warehouses and ambushing German patrols. La Résistance lets players lead a band of resistance fighters, striving to keep their team alive while aiming to become the most famous resistance leader.
This is a special title on my list, as it plays three to five people – and at the same time it is compact, quick and very engaging, with some very-much-welcome negative interaction! It is a great proposition for larger groups travelling together. Highly recommended!
More about game:
4. Caesar! Seize Rome in 20 Minutes! by PSC Games
Caesar! Seize Rome in 20 Minutes is a fast-paced and replayable game in the “20-minutes series.” You might be familiar with Blitzkrieg! World War II in 20 minutes! – this title is from the same series and designed by Paolo Mori. The rules, however, are entirely different, even if some mechanics seem familiar. There is hidden information regarding your influence tokens, and the goal is to vie for control of provinces. The player who uses up all their control tokens first wins!
This design was fresh for me, as I had not played the earlier titles in the series. It fit perfectly whenever we had some spare time between larger games. It is also very compact, making it an ideal travel wargame – which my colleagues and I have already tested!
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5. General Orders: Sengoku Jidai by Osprey Games
A genuinely fresh addition to my travel shelf this year. General Orders: Sengoku Jidai, designed by David Thompson and Trevor Benjamin, is a compact two-player game that cleverly blends the dynamism of a wargame with the cut-throat decision-making of worker placement. You take command of feudal lords battling for control of crucial battlefields in 16th-century Japan, deploying your commanders to seize advantages, secure supply lines and capture well-defended forts – all while protecting your vulnerable headquarters.
What makes it such a great travel companion is the small footprint paired with surprising depth. The map is modest in size but every space matters; rivers form natural choke points, ships let you bridge them, and siege weapons soften up enemy positions. A full game runs in about 30 minutes, the rules are crisp and quick to teach, and the standalone sequel to General Orders: World War II stands proudly on its own – I had a chance to discuss it directly with the designer, David Thompson, in an interview on the blog.
More about game:
6. Punica: Rome vs Carthage by PHALANX Games
This was a genuine discovery for me at Essen Spiel 2025. Announced only a few weeks before the fair, Punica: Rome vs Carthage rapidly gained a lot of attention among visitors – and playing it was a real pleasure. Set during the Punic Wars (264–146 BC), it puts the two great powers of antiquity head to head: Rome, seeking supremacy through disciplined persistence, and Carthage, fighting for survival with the daring tactics of Hannibal Barca.
At its heart Punica is a blend of area control and hand management, with asymmetric decks that give each side a distinct feel – yet the whole thing plays in around 20 minutes. It is not language dependent, features outstanding artwork by The Mico, and is equally enjoyable for experienced wargamers and newcomers. Compact, luck-free, brisk and very replayable – exactly the kind of small-box title that belongs in a travel bag.
More about game:
7. A Bridge Too Far by PHALANX Games
Staying with PHALANX, here is something completely different – and a title I was really looking forward to (I even had a small personal contribution, having connected the designer with the publisher). A Bridge Too Far is a book game: a paragraph-based solitaire experience delivered as a single, beautifully produced volume. You step into the boots of a Polish paratrooper from the 1st Independent Parachute Brigade, dropped into the chaos of Operation Market Garden in September 1944.
Through his eyes you relive the tension, the courage and the doubt of a soldier fighting far from home, making choices that branch the narrative as you go. The format is ideal for travel – the whole game is essentially a book, so it takes virtually no space and needs no table setup at all. You can play it on a plane, a train or a quiet evening at the hotel. A thoughtful, atmospheric and very portable design.
More about game:
8. Battle Box: Napoleonic Wars by Feral Wizard Library
If there is one title on this list that embodies the very idea of a travel wargame, it might be this one. Battle Box: Napoleonic Wars is a complete wargame that fits in a small tin box you can slip into your pocket – and yet, despite its minimal footprint, it delivers a surprisingly full tactical experience set in the age of black powder and bayonets.
The box contains 24 unit blocks in two colors – infantry brigades, cavalry regiments and artillery batteries – along with 18 terrain cards that let you generate random battlefields or recreate historical engagements. Three dice handle turn tracking, musket fire, charges and assaults, and a single set of streamlined rules keeps a session under 30 minutes. It is honestly surprising how much Napoleonic flavor the designers managed to pack into such a tiny container. A perfect pocket-sized companion for any trip.
More about game:
9. Verdun by Dragon Dawn Productions
Essen Spiel is a great place to discover new titles – even wargames! Verdun, from the Finnish publisher Dragon Dawn Productions and designer Ren Multamäki, was one such discovery for me. It uses clever trick-taking mechanics to resolve the battles and to determine how you score – with beautiful, thematic components and always hard decisions to make. It was a no-brainer for me to bring it home.
Verdun supports both 1v1 and 2v2 partnership play, revisiting the German and French armies fighting in the World War I battlefields of Verdun. You start with a fixed hand of cards, and as it dwindles you are forced to play cards that also help the other side – timing this just right to minimize your own casualties is the heart of the tension. With an introductory game, a regular game and a small expansion, it offers solid replayability in a small, very packable format. A small gem, and a great quick wargame for the road.
More about game:
10. Battles of Normandy by Mike Lambo (self-published)
Titles from this series of solitaire book games could not be omitted in an article like this. Mike Lambo’s solitaire wargames are simply addictive – once you start one, you want to try more, and with over 30 titles to choose from there is no shortage of opportunities. You have probably seen my material on The Fields of Normandy and the US troops fighting during Operation Overlord. Today I am presenting a game that depicts the same battle, but from the British perspective!
As part of the D-Day landings in Normandy in 1944, the British 6th Airborne Division took part in Operation Tonga, capturing and destroying bridges on the Orne River and Caen Canal and securing key villages in the area. In Battles of Normandy you command whatever British units happen to be available to take strategic positions on the map. German forces may not act with the full efficiency the German army was known for, but they will nonetheless put up a fight.
As this is a book game, it takes virtually no space to carry and packs very easily for a holiday trip. Just bring a set of dice and the few counters needed to play, and enjoy the enormous variability these titles offer.
More about game:
11. Pacific War 1942 by Worthington Publishing
I picked up the Pacific War 1942: Solitaire Travel Game as an add-on to the main title I was after, namely Iwo Jima 1945. To my great surprise it proved to be an interesting, quick solo game that delivered exactly what it promised – a short, brisk, violent and dice-dependent Pacific War experience to be played in about 20 minutes.
The box is very small and compact, the play time short, the replayability high – what more could you want from a travel wargame! Definitely consider this as one of the titles for your holiday trip.
More about game:
12. Berestechko 1651 from SNAFU Design
Berestechko 1651 is a two-player game that simulates the third day of the Battle of Berestechko, fought on June 30, 1651. This battle pitted the Zaporozhian Cossacks, led by Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky and supported by their Crimean Tatar allies, against the Polish-Lithuanian army under King John II Casimir, near the Styr River in Volhynia. It was one of the largest land battles of 17th-century Europe, involving roughly 300,000 combatants on both sides.
The game is a small-footprint simulation designed to give a quick and clear representation of the battle, focusing on good preparation of attacks and on when and where to withhold, retreat, rally and reorganize. All components – the map, player aids and counters – fit into a small zip-lock bag. Just add dice and voilà, you have the perfect two-player wargame for vacation travels!
More about game:
13. Rome: Fate of an Empire from Best With 1 Games
Rome: Fate of an Empire was a very pleasant surprise for me. A small, slick game that packs into a VHS-size box – a solitaire challenge with various difficulty levels. It is a journey in which you pick your leader, adjust your strategy to his strengths and weaknesses, and try to accomplish the goals fate has chosen for you.
Perfect for vacations, as it takes almost no space in your luggage (a bit more on the table) and can be set up anywhere. Very replayable, very engaging and a really great experience.
More about game:
14. Port Arthur from Nuts! Publishing
Nuts! Publishing creates astonishingly beautiful games that are a pure aesthetic joy to play. This holds true for Port Arthur too – a vibrant, fast-moving and incredibly nice-looking two-player naval strategy game that recreates the 1905 Russo-Japanese war at sea.
Gameplay is quick and tense, with players using their naval forces to mount sorties against the enemy and dominate the naval zones surrounding Japan. Each turn presents a rich array of tough decisions, with success in combat depending on how much risk a player is willing to take, factoring in the variable speed and gunnery skills of the ships involved.
You can store the game in its small box, or leave that at home and put everything in a zip-lock. It takes up little space (in transport and during play) and has a reasonable length for its main scenario. Definitely consider it for your holidays!
More about game:
Summary
Ok, time to stop – this list has a tendency to grow with each passing year 🙂 New titles keep arriving while some of the classics still hold high positions and simply accompany me on my journeys! What is worth stressing is that I have actually tested these titles – some of them even in very rudimentary conditions, or on bicycle trips. They all fulfill the size and time requirements that are essential when you think about playing wargames during travels. Some even have digital versions – but of course nothing compares to a nicely published “analog” copy brought to the table during your free time!
Feel free to share your own ideas for travel-friendly wargames in the comments!
Ordered a Bridge Too Far in November. Phalanx took my money. I have yet to receive my book. I will never order from Phalanx again.
lol, that is pity to hear.