Definition of War game

War Game or War Games may refer to:

• wargaming
• War Game (novel), a 1993 children's novel about World War I
• War Game (film), a 2001 animated film based on the novel
• War Game (short story), a short story by Philip K. Dick
• WarGames, a 1983 live action film directed by John Badham and starring Matthew Broderick
• WarGames 2: The Dead Code, the sequel
• WarGames (game), a Colecovision video game
• War Games (album), an album by Grave Digger
• War Games (novel), a 1966 novel by James Park Sloan
• The War Game, a 1965 BBC film for television
• The War Games, a Doctor Who serial
• , a Batman crossover dealing with a gang war in Gotham City
• WarGames match, in professional wrestling, a gimmick match used originally in the old National Wrestling Alliance
• Military Simulation, live or computer military simulations
• "War Games", a first-season episode of Space: 1999; see List of Space: 1999 episodes

A wargame is a game that simulates or represents a military operation. Wargaming is the hobby dedicated to the play of such games, which are also called conflict simulations. The somewhat similar, professional study of war is generally known as a military exercise or "war game," with the words war and game kept separate. Although there are occasional disagreements as to what qualifies as a wargame, the general consensus is that they are not only games about conflict or warfare, but that they must realistically simulate war to some degree. Depending on the style and scale of the game, such factors as flanking, supply, line of sight, terrain, and morale must be considered. For these reasons, games like chess and Risk are not generally considered wargames. Most wargames are historical or contemporary in nature, but science fiction and fantasy themes are also represented.