Once the holidays around the new year are over, it can seem like all that’s left of winter is cold weather and the January sales. But the winter aesthetic doesn’t belong exclusively to December! And for fans of tabletop gaming, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the winter from the comfort of your living room!
Snow based board games:
Now the selection in this section is nowhere near comprehensive, but here’s a few ideas that piqued my interest!
‘Dead of winter’ is a Crossroads Survival game that sees 2-5 players taking control of a group of survivors in a frozen zombie wasteland as they struggle to survive. The game focuses on building a safe base and collecting new survivors and supplies from the hostile world beyond, all the while fighting off hoards of the undead.
The Zombie fuelled wasteland could be just what you need to feel thankful that you’re inside safe and warm this January!
If you’re more into civilisation style strategy games; those that focus more on resource management and building up settlements than battling for survival, then why not look at ‘Winter Kingdom’ by Queen games, The winter themed version of the game ‘Kingdom Builder’! In this strategy game 2-4 players gather to compete for resources and build the largest kingdom. So if ruling the snowscape before you is more your speed, why don’t you give games like these a look?
Ready to theme RPG’s
Not a fan of strategy games? Want a more immersive experience that’ll put you right into a snowstorm of adventure? Why not check out an RPG and take control of a character as they journey through the frozen tundra!
When looking for a Role-Playing Game that’s easy to theme, the first place I go is Dungeons and Dragons! D&D offers a plethora of Wintery modules, with thematic settings and creatures, taking you and your friends on a wide array of arctic adventures!
If you are new to D&D, the adventure module ‘Dragon of Icespire Peak’ is available as part of the D&D essentials kit! This boxed set includes a dungeon master screen with quick reference information, maps, an adventure module book, a condensed rulebook, item and character cards, premade characters to try out and a set of dice to help you get started! This is a smaller adventure and is designed to be a great place to start! And for those looking for something more advanced for your winter wonderland, dive into ‘Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden’, or ‘Storm King’s Thunder’! These module books come rich with detailed snow laden settings and adventures for you and your party to explore! And if you don’t fancy any of the adventure modules, it’s easy to make an adventure yourself! The versatility of the game’s resources is perfect for matching the wintry feel you’re going for! And once you have selected your game of choice, spice up the table with terrain guides and tutorials like these:
Decorating your table with ice and snow can really drive home the idea of a midwinter gaming experience!
Winter Wargaming:
Finally, if swarming the table with miniatures to do battle with your opponent in a world of sci-fi or fantasy is your thing, why not flavour your games with a backdrop of sleet and snow? With themed terrain, snowy battle matts and snow effect paints to cover your miniatures in a sprinkling of snowflakes, you can easily turn your table into a frigid battlefield ripe for war!
And for an idea as to what to play this winter season, how about recreating the battle for the north in Game of Thrones with the tie in war game ‘A song of ice and fire’! Or try Warhammer, with both sci-fi and fantasy settings! Take control of armies like the Norse inspired Space wolves and wage frozen war!
Also, if you already own a set of miniatures and are looking to use what you have for something new, how about the smaller skirmishes of ‘Frostgrave’? Use any miniatures you have and pick up the rulebook now! Just one book includes all the information you need to play!
And again, complete the experience with a playing table fit for your winter wars! Here is a good tutorial on how to build a wargaming board! It’s a bit geared towards the channel’s existing Warhammer audience, but the tips and tricks for building the table will work for whichever wargame you choose!
I hope that, for you gamers out there, at least some of the things I pointed out in this article will be of help to your gaming sessions as we wait for spring to begin! Have fun, and don’t forget to check us out over on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!
Thanks for reading!
Oliver is a writer and journalist who loves fantasy fiction and table top gaming, with a bit of acting on the side!
