Fans were disappointed when Game of Thrones came to an end and had to say a tearful farewell to Westeros. Although House of the Dragon has given them a much-needed chance to revisit the Seven Kingdoms, many still want more adventures in the Game of Thrones world.

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A Look Back at the History of Game of Thrones Video Games

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Of course, many fans turn to A Song Of Ice And Fire books, but a handful of Game of Thrones games might give them their Westeros fix. These fans might still be waiting for the perfect game that really makes the most of the incredible world created by George R.R. Martin, but there are still a few to toy around with for now to keep them happy.

Updated June 19, 2024 by Matt Twinley: As House of the Dragon Season 2 keeps the Game of Thrones franchise alive, more and more fans are diving into the world of Westeros for the first time. As a result, newer fans might be left wondering which games are safe to play without stumbling upon spoilers. Although some games are better left until finishing all eight seasons, there are some that fans can enjoy at any point while they watch Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon.

10 Game Of Thrones: Conquest (2017)

Pocket Gamer: 2.5/5

Game of Thrones: Conquest is a mobile strategy-building game released in 2017, shortly after Season 7 came to a close. This game took mechanics from games like Clash Of Clans and Game Of War and applied them to Game of Thrones. Still, beneath the Game of Thrones skin, this is a familiar game that avid mobile gamers will have played before.

Players are tasked with building a kingdom and forging alliances, starting by building farms and barracks before going on to command troops, raise a dragon, and even collect “heroes” from the show. The quests given by Tyrion Lannister himself make the game fun and addictive at first, but soon feel limited with little to keep them interested, other than upgrading buildings. Some players complain about glitches and bugs, but their biggest problem is often how the best features are hidden behind a paywall.

When to Play?

Players should ideally wait until watching all eight seasons, but could still play this one after watching Game of Thrones: Season 7.

9 Game Of Thrones (2012)

Metacritic: 52

This Game of Thrones game came out just as Season 2 of the TV show finished, just managing to catch the start of its immense popularity. Although a step up from the tie-in game released the previous year, Game of Thrones remains an interesting but flawed entry, despite a cameo by George R.R. Martin himself.

The story on its own makes this game worth it, however. Taking place during Season 1, the game follows two characters: knight Alester Sarwyck and Night’s Watch ranger Mors Westford, each with great backstories and character development. However, it’s the gameplay that ultimately lets this title down. With The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim and The Witcher 2: Assassins Of Kings released just one year earlier, Game of Thrones should have fit in with these titles seamlessly. However, frequent bugs, awkward combat, and limited character models let down the excellent story hidden within an action-adventure game many fans found lackluster.

When to Play?

Since this game takes place alongside the events of Game of Thrones: Season 1, players should aim to play it once they are finished with the first season.

8 A Game Of Thrones: Genesis (2011)

Metacritic: 53

Film and TV tie-in games were starting to disappear around the time that Game of Thrones first aired way back in 2011, but there were still a few around. A Game of Thrones: Genesis came out just a few months after the first season finished airing, largely intended to bring in more fans to promote the show.

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Sadly, although it offered some more Westeros adventures for fans to enjoy and included some novel real-time strategy mechanics, this strategy game was not well received by fans or critics. Players select a house, each with its special abilities, and go on to capture castles and towns until they obtain enough prestige to win the Iron Throne. Ultimately, many found this game repetitive with overly confusing mechanics.

When to Play?

As its name implies, A Game of Thrones: Genesis takes place hundreds of years before the events of Game of Thrones and even House of the Dragon. This means that fans can enjoy it at any time without fear of spoilers.

7 Game Of Thrones: Beyond The Wall (2020)

Metacritic: 58

• A Strategy RPG for Android/iOS

Not to be confused with the DLC released for 2012’s Game of Thrones, this mobile game came out amidst the mayhem of the pandemic, meaning it didn’t get much attention before sadly shutting down in April 2023. Before its untimely end, it was a turn-based strategy game that predominately cashed in on the popularity of gacha RPGs.

Set before the events of the Game of Thrones TV show, players assume the role of Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch shortly after the previous one disappeared. The plot revolves around discovering what happened to the previous commander “beyond the wall,” hence the title. The gameplay largely revolved around grid-based battles using characters with special abilities and using XP to upgrade heroes and their gear. Players could let battles play out automatically, but challenges were included to make it more interesting.

When to Play?

Since this game was released after Game of Thrones ended, it's best to play it after watching all eight seasons. However, the game is largely independent of the main story, so unless fans don't want to meet characters they haven't seen yet, it's safe to play as soon as they finish Game of Thrones: Season 1.

6 Game Of Thrones: Winter Is Coming (2019)

Steam: 6/10

Bigpoint had originally planned to use the Game of Thrones license to develop an MMORPG called Game of Thrones: Seven Kingdoms. However, plans changed when they were acquired by Yoozoo Games and instead produced Game of Thrones: Winter Is Coming. Advertised widely upon its release, this is a browser MMO mixed with a kingdom management simulator, featuring well-known characters from the show and famous locations, from King’s Landing to Winterfell.

The game is set in a slightly alternate universe where all seven kingdoms separate after the death of Ned Stark. Players become the Lord or Lady of a Westerosi kingdom, tasked with training soldiers, managing their surroundings, and making alliances. With some impressive visuals, the gameplay is a mix of strategy and roleplay as players build their base, expand territory, and recruit fan-favorite characters. The game garnered mixed reviews, however, and although players enjoyed the graphics and ability to develop their kingdom, they became frustrated with constant timers, a lack of engaging combat, and key features hidden behind paywalls.

When to Play?

Game of Thrones: Winter is Coming picks up after the events of Game of Thrones: Season 1, at which point it diverges from the main timeline of the show. While fans could start playing at this point, it's probably safer to wait until watching all eight seasons to safely avoid any spoilers.

5 Game Of Thrones: Tale Of Crows (2020)

Apple App Store: 3.3/5

Game of Thrones: Tale of Crows is very simple to look at. There’s not much in the way of visuals; the environment is just an animated square, albeit with some intricate drawings packed with personality. But that’s okay since this game is all about the narrative. In many ways, Tale of Crows seems more like an interactive novel where players make occasional choices.

This is a text-based adventure game combined with a management simulator. Players are put in charge of the Night’s Watch, guiding the Lord Commander in responding to events around the Wall. It’s a narrative idle game where players send rangers on expeditions from Castle Black and receive notifications whenever there’s an update, tasked with responding to problems, making allies, and avoiding enemies.

When to Play?

Although fans of the show could play Game of Thrones: Tale of Crows at any point, they will have the best experience playing it from the end of Game of Thrones: Season 2 onwards to ensure they better understand the gravity of the threat beyond the Wall.

4 Game Of Thrones: A Telltale Games Series (2014)

Metacritic: 64

Telltale’s Game of Thrones entry came out at just the right time when the hype for the series was at its highest. Telltale was also coming off a run of successful games, such as The Walking Dead, The Wolf Among Us, and Tales From The Borderlands. This game doesn’t retell any of the story from the main series, but instead inserts new characters into the same world. Although never mentioned in the show, players follow these characters alongside the main Game of Thrones plot, witnessing famous events like the Red Wedding and meeting familiar faces, like Tyrion and Cersei Lannister, Daenerys Targaryen, Jon Snow, and Margaery Tyrell.

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As with all Telltale games, the gameplay is all about quick-time events and making crucial choices for characters, whether it’s what to say, who to make an alliance with, and who to save. All these choices matter and this works perfectly in the Game of Thrones world where who you make friends with can make the difference between life and death. Dialogue is often the strongest aspect of the show and Telltale capitalizes on this, making their game story-driven and engaging throughout. Although the second season was announced, it was canceled when the studio closed in 2018. Fortunately, Telltale is back now, and fans are eagerly hoping for a new season.

When to Play?

Telltale's game starts with the Red Wedding, so fans shouldn't start playing this game until they've finished watching Game of Thrones: Season 3 at the earliest. Still, they would perhaps be better off waiting until the end of Game of Thrones: Season 4 to ensure they know all the main characters and in what direction they're heading.

3 Game Of Thrones: Ascent (2013)

Metacritic: 67

Game of Thrones: Ascent was the franchise's first mobile game, and it set something of a trend since nearly all subsequent projects have been Android or iOS releases. This game was also a Facebook web browser game for those who didn’t have a powerful enough phone back in 2013.

Ascent was essentially a point-and-click RPG strategy game. The King awards the player with a small holding of land and makes them the head of a minor house. From there, it’s up to the player how to grow. They train armies, manage buildings, and navigate alliances as they battle to become the strongest house in Westeros. Quests are inspired by the main story with choices that don’t only affect stats, but relationships with other houses as well. With decisions, players usually have three choices, many only unlocked by exploring various avenues of dialogue. It was somewhat ambitious for its time and released expansions before shutting down six years later in 2019.

When to Play?

When Game of Thrones: Ascent came out, fans were able to start playing as soon as they finished Game of Thrones: Season 3. However, since the game lasted until Game of Thrones: Season 8, it's best for any players who can still access it to only play it after watching all eight seasons.

2 A Game Of Thrones: The Board Game - Digital Edition (2020)

Steam: 7/10

Players have access to digital versions of many classic board games, from Monopoly to Uno, and now they can play digital editions of newer games, from Gloomhaven to A Game of Thrones: The Board Game. Released in 2020, the digital edition missed the peak of the franchise's hype, but may still see a resurgence with each new season of House of the Dragon. Although buggy on initial release, this game is now popular with fans, praising its mechanics and engaging gameplay.

Like with the board game, gamers can play a PVP mode with up to six players or pit their wits against an AI in a single-player mode. The gameplay looks similar to games like Risk on the surface and helps players feel like strategic geniuses, channeling their inner Varys. Players select from a range of commands, such as moving troops or defending, before revealing their choices all at once. This leads to all sorts of surprises and plot twists fans would hope from a Game of Thrones game.

When to Play?

Although set in the same world as Westeros, this game doesn't follow the same narrative of the Game of Thrones show, despite references to various characters, families, and other bits of lore. As a result, fans can play this game at any point as they watch the show.

1 Reigns: Game Of Thrones

Metacritic: 84

No one saw the mechanics of Tinder crossing over with Game of Thrones, but that's precisely what happened with Reigns: Game of Thrones. Reigns is a series of strategy games that takes the swiping mechanic made popular by dating apps like Tinder and uses it to create engaging games with a simple choice: yes or no. Although choices seem simple at first, they all have consequences that make the game both challenging and engaging.

Reigns applied their tried and tested formula to Game of Thrones to brilliant effect. It’s an easy game to pick up and learn to play but tricky to master its strategy. Players take the role of Cersei Lannister, Jon Snow, Tyrion Lannister, Daenerys Targaryen, or Sansa Stark as they sit on the Iron Throne and make decisions. Each choice the player makes must maintain a balance between military strength, religious favor, domestic popularity, and state wealth, requiring a great deal of thought with every swipe.

When to Play?

Although the game's narrative isn't as rich and deep as others, there are still plenty of references to all eight seasons of Game of Thrones, meaning it's best played after watching to the end.

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