The history of Europe has been used in many ways by boardgame designers, from the setting for a murder mystery to having the players reenact historical events. The following is a list of the best games with a European History theme which are currently available - specialist games can often have very small print runs! War and Empire games have been given their own categories.
1. El Grande
As a Spanish Grandee, use a beautifully designed board and pieces, including cards and counters, to try and secure your power, and perhaps even dominate the country; this is a game of subtlety and cunning. Many regular gamers count El Grande as one of their all-time favourites.
2. Diplomacy
Requiring no dice, this is one of the classic games. As a great power in pre-WW1 Europe, you must defeat your enemies and extend your lands through negotiation…and backstabbing. A gorgeous board and pieces complement the experience. Given the massive quantity of real-life negotiation that took place in the period, this is nicely representative, but it can strain real life relationships!3. Carcassonne
This award-winning tile-laying game set in medieval France has proved very popular, featuring in many ‘top 10 game’ lists and spawning a range of expansions and sequels. So why is it called Carcasonne? Well, the French city of the same name has large Roman and medieval defences...which you’ll have to rebuild yourself!4. Caylus
William Attia’s Caylus lets between two and five players compete to build a medieval castle for Philip the Fair. Playable in two hours on a fully coloured board and pieces, this game appeared in your Guide to Board Games top ten of 2005 and has swiftly won many fans.5. The Princes of Florence
Some city building games make you create walls and fight over territory, but Princes of Florence (you play a medieval/renaissance Italian Prince) has you competing for the best subjects – professionals, artists and more. Playable in under two hours, this is an interesting abstraction of Italian civic rivalry.6. Liberté
Can your faction dominate the French Revolution, an era famous for suddenly turning and beheading leading politicians? Can it even survive! Although now hard to find, this masterful mixture of politics, land domination and controlled chaos reflects many themes of the Revolution while providing a fun, if sometimes vicious, experience.7. La Citta
In this city building game you play an Italian noble who wishes to expand their dominions; of course, your opponents want to do the same! Create new buildings, make sure everyone is fed, maybe even found more cities...all with a strong Renaissance flavor. A lovely board and good-looking pieces assist the gameplay.8. The Merchants of Amsterdam
Now famous for student holidays, Amsterdam’s reputation was once founded on its merchants, whom you play in this trading game for 3-6 players. It actually plays quite fast, has plenty of replay value and uses an auction system to drive things forward.9. Mystery of the Abbey
Mystery of the Abbey is a whodunit set in an Abbey: can you deduce who murdered Brother Adelmo before your rival monks (the other players)? The game isn’t based on any historical event (you’re more likely to think of Name of the Rose), but the setting is distinctly medieval and the illustrations on both the board and the cards create atmosphere.