Warhammer 40K: A Grimdark Positive Perspective On Wellbeing

Growing up, I got into Warhammer and Warhammer 40k hard as a kid. However, while researching this article, I discovered Warhammer (Fantasy) was discontinued, which is a little sad. Anyway, I spent thousands of pounds on figures and scenery so I could create my own gaming space at home. I loved Orc and Goblins when playing Warhammer, and the Space Wolves, Elder, Tyranids, and Chaos Space Marines when playing Warhammer 40k.

 

Unfortunately, I no longer collect and play with Warhammer or Warhammer 40K, but I’ve been wanting to play Total War: Warhammer, 1, 2, and 3 video games. With the release of Space Marine 2 and the potential Henry Cavill Warhammer 40K adaptation, it got me thinking about what wellbeing lessons could be learned from the grimdark universe of 40K. This is the result of that thinking, whereby I stretch the concept of a silver lining to its maximum. Because, “In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war“, and what is war good for? Mental wellbeing support, apparently.

 

 

What Is Warhammer And Warhammer 40K?

 

Games Workshop are the creators of a variety of tabletop games which include Warhammer 40K, where you collect and paint miniatures to play those tabletop games. But they also come with their own extensive universes, lore, and stories, with the Black Library publishing the lore and stories that bring the worlds of Warhammer 40K to life. They have a very extensive library to go with these tabletop games.

 

Warhammer 40K is the world’s most popular tabletop war game, with Games Workshop currently dominating the tabletop and board game industry (Harrop, Gibbs, and Carter, 2013). Warhammer 40K is described as a dystopian satire of our (humans) worst impulses (Etherington, 2022).

 

As such, Warhammer 40K stands as a testament to grimdark fantasy, speculative fiction, dystopian narrative, and societal commentary by weaving these elements together (Sinha, 2024).

 

So if Warhammer 40K is set in a dystopian hellscape where humanity’s worst impulses are on show, then how can there possibly be any positives to take from this tabletop game, this grimdark universe? Well, traditionally, you’d create your army made out of units you select for that army, and over a series of turns, you make manoeuvres and attack the other plays units (Harrop, Gibbs, and Carter, 2013). But you can also take on this grimdark universe as a gamer.

 

 

What Can Warhammer 40k Teach Us About Wellbeing?

 

While Warhammer 40K is clearly about struggling with a violent and grimdark universe, a dystopian future I hope never becomes real, it also offers some unexpected insights into wellbeing. Here are a few lessons that can be learnt from this grimdark universe, and how it can benefit our mental health.

 

The importance of camaraderie

Warhammer 40K often revolves around groups of people coming together to paint their figures, attend events, and most importantly, take part in games where you get to fight each other’s armies. Through this, a sense of identity, unity, and shared passion develops that can overcome feelings of exclusion and isolation (Kathryn, 2023).

 

This emphasises the importance of community and belonging in promoting mental health. This also allows for having shared experiences of triumphs and losses, but also exploring how to improve in playing the game and painting models.

 

Online and in real life, shops that stock Warhammer games, local gatherings, after-school clubs, and playing on your kitchen table, have allowed like-minded people to connect, and socialising over shared hobbies and interests is great for our mental health (Kathryn, 2023). This all adds to our social support network.

 

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In a post on Autism Families talking about their son with autism (ASD) who loves Warhammer 40k, telling us how their son loved talking about the lore and stories with their family, and how creating an online ‘paint club’ during covid allowed him and other children to talk while painting their models. This has led to their son developing a group of real friends, and socialising independently, which has brought their family joy because of how hard this had been to achieve.

 

In an interview for Frontline Games (Morgan, 2020) with a clinical psychologist, Dr Christopher Nahumck, a Warhammer fan, Dr Nahumck shared their insights on the social support benefits of this hobby. They talk about how some people within the community don’t always have the best social skills, as social anxiety is a common struggle within and outside the community.

 

What this space creates is an environment that can help develop better social skills, which are also transferrable. Having a shared interest makes it easier to connect and talk about things that aren’t considered personal. All the while, the purpose is to enjoy playing the game and painting the models, creating a shared experience to further help with developing social skills and bonding.

 

For example, if someone isn’t sure what to do, just focus on the table rather than on the opponent. You can also ask about how they painted their armies, or why you like their chosen faction, creating discussion in a slightly more indirect way. This should help build tolerance for social situations and talking to people.

 

Talking to the Sunderland Echo, 48-year-old Jonathan Lee talked about how they left their job to become their partner’s full-time carer, whereby they started to experience anxiety and depression. They found attending a local Warhammer club twice a week gave them a release, providing a break whereby they could do something for themselves.

 

Stephen Mole, 48, also talking to the Sunderland Echo, also found that attending the same local Warhammer club benefitted their mental health. As a military veteran, suffering from both physical and mental health issues after leaving the military, found it difficult to socialise with strangers. However, through their stepson, they got into Warhammer, with the group now feeling like a family. They credit this with helping them with their recovery from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

 

Support for all this comes from a study by Park, Deshpande, Scott, and Thompson (2004), who found that during the 11 in-depth unstructured interviews they performed, one of the common themes was how friendship was a main reason why Warhammer 40K enthusiasts hang out.

 

 

The power of resilience

The grimdark Warhammer 40K universe is filled with characters who endure immense hardship and loss. You only need to read about their lore and other stories to see just how harsh that hardship and loss is. This form of resilience in the face of adversity can inspire people to develop their own coping mechanisms and strength. But it doesn’t stop there.

 

An interesting part of the Warhammer 40K experience is how players can reframe losing a game to another player. Harrop, Gibbs, and Carter (2013) report on how players can rationalise a failure, and even see it as a narrative success where the importance of actually winning isn’t the priority. For example, a player might create an army based on a faction that might be an underdog to their opponents, because of the fun of it or to give themselves a challenge. Thus, losing such a match doesn’t matter. It’s the experience that matters and the fun that experience brings.

 

Finding hope in the grim darkness

Even though Warhammer 40K exists in one of the darkest dystopian futures I’m aware of, the lore, and the stories that accompany this board game allow us to see its many characters find reasons to continue fighting, to overcome insurmountable odds. And those odds would put Mission Impossible to shame. This highlights the importance of hope and perseverance, which will hopefully lead people to apply the same to their lives. An “If they can do it, why can’t I?” mentality. I get a similar boost from watching anime.

 

Being good enough

As Blair (2024) aptly said, embrace mediocrity. This is a hobby and it shouldn’t feel like work. Why did they say that? Well, they argue that creating the units for your army, whereby you try to balance the stats against their costs, is already hard enough and aiming for ‘good enough’ instead of fully optimised is less stressful. Especially when you might not be able to afford to keep up with the new units Game Workshop releases.

 

It’s also important to remember that not everyone can be a top-level competitive Warhammer 40K player (Morgan, 2020), but that’s ok. It shouldn’t only be about winning, and even top-level players will take time to help their opponents learn and grow so they can get the most out of playing.

 

Even if you’re competitively minded, like Blair (2024), and you want to win (who doesn’t like to win), they are still able to see that playing to win isn’t the only reason they love Warhammer 40K.

 

The importance of balance

To keep Warhammer games fair, there’s a point limit for your army that you have to stay within, meaning you quickly have to learn the importance of balance across your army.

 

 

Strategy

Another important part of balance is learning to develop your strategic thinking (Morgan, 2020). When someone creates their units, they have to think about how those units will be used, especially when balancing these units out across their army. This allows Warhammer 40K players to think through what the units will do on the board, estimating how they might perform. As well as considering what their opponent might do, as they tailor their army based on what their opponent’s faction is and how they might play.

 

Goals

Playing within the grimdark universe of Warhammer 40K can help us develop skills in using goals. Maybe the person playing has a narrative goal they want to work towards with their army, or it could be as simple as learning to paint better or wanting to improve their strategy. Either way, there are many avenues to develop skills in goal setting. Skills that will be transferable.

 

For example, if someone who plays Warhammer 40K wants to improve their painting skills, they might seek advice from other players online or in person at local events. Then, with time, they’ll see their painting skills improve. This will also come with a sense of achievement.

 

Self-esteem

Before the painting can begin, you first have to invest in some models. When writing for Autism Families, they talked about how their son was first worried about painting the tiny models, as they hated art and struggled with fine motor skills. Over time, their son’s confidence grew in their painting skills, as did his motor skills. Their son is now proud of their of their painted models, a sense of achievement he certainly earned. This also gave him a huge boost to their self-esteem.

 

Whether your child/children have ASD or not, taking an interest in their special interests is a great way to help them with their self-esteem and also to bond with them. This also doesn’t have to stop with children. The same applies to your family, friends, and lover(s).

 

Mindfulness

The process of painting the Warhammer 40K figures can be calming. Think of it as a mindfulness activity, whereby it can help relieve stress and allow us to enter flow states (Wargamer). Art therapy exists for a reason, and this is just another way to tap into that approach.

 

This is supported by Morgan (2020), who says that painting the figures that will make up your army is a great grounding technique. Painting the figures causes people to bring their focus to the present moment, as each stroke of the brush can be delicate. This also makes it harder to worry about anything else and can help reduce depression as they instead focus on the progress of the painting. Then there’s the accomplishment of finishing the figure that’s been painted.

 

 

Talking to Kathryn (2023), Katie Foad says they got into Warhammer 40K when their anxiety was at its worst. However, they found that painting the figures helped force their mind to focus, leaving less room for their anxious thoughts. Since then, Katie has gone on to produce various Warhammer shows across various online platforms, and presenting TableTop Tactics.

 

Expectations

One of the hardest things in life to manage is expectations, especially the ones set by others, whether real or imagined. This can come with a lot of internal conflict. With hobbies like Warhammer 40K, keeping realistic expectations can be important.

 

If you want to make it to the top tables in Warhammer 40K tournaments, then that means investing a considerable amount of time into it. A person would need to keep up with changing metas, painting their figures, and building armies specific to their opponents (Blair, 2024). However, this just won’t be possible for most people when there’s studying, work, and other commitments.

 

Keeping your expectations realistic to you as an individual is important in life, and in playing Warhammer 40K. This will help you to be ok with losing to someone who has been able to dedicate more time and resources to their army. If you’ve ever played a gamed online as an adult against a kid who has more free time than they can shake a stick at, you’ll know the truth of this. So don’t compare yourself to others and keep your hobby fun.

 

Challenges

Warhammer 40k is a board game, and with that comes the luck of the dice. Thus, how you deal with challenges when the dice might mean things don’t work out your way is also an important skill that can be learnt (Autism Families).

 

Educational

Game-based learning has been used for a while to help people learn, and Warhammer 40k is no different. Playing Warhammer familiarises people with probability, risk management, and statistics (Wargamer). Although it’s been a very long time since I last played Warhammer 40K, you’ll have to work out the damage vs the defence of your target character or unit, then roll a die to see if they’ll survive. 

 

Playfulness

Above all else, Warhammer 40k taps into our playfulness, just like Lego does, and there’s nothing wrong with that. The ability to tap into our playfulness is great for our mental wellbeing. 

 

Opening up

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Although this Reddit user wasn’t sure of the source on how men prefer to talk while standing side by side, rather than face-to-face, I was able to find a source that did support this. According to MensLine Australia, talking side by side avoids making eye contact, which makes it easier for men to talk, increasing their comfort level.

 

This is meant to be because men put less weight on reading someone’s expressions. Thus, men painting their figures side-by-side or talking while painting their figures where eye contact isn’t expected makes Warhammer a great way for men to talk.

 

Don’t be a dick

Most of us know that online gaming has a problem with toxic people have behaviours. Research by Harrop, Gibbs, and Carter (2013) reported on how Eve Online players were socialised (conditioned) to see playing the game as a survival of the fittest mentality. Whereas, Warhammer 40K players were socialised to ‘don’t be a dick‘. This obviously benefits the social aspect of playing Warhammer 40K, and will hopefully be a mentality they’ll bring to other aspects of their lives.

 

Creativity

All tabletop games with a narrative require some form of creativity. I know when I was a child playing Warhammer and Warhammer 40K; I used to create my own special characters, especially for my Orcs. 

 

I also became quite ingenious in creating scenery for the bases of my models. Warhammer 40K is great because of its many elements, whether it’s building and painting models (Morgan, 2020) or because of the massive backstory, they easily tap into our creative thinking and our imagination (Wargamer). And let’s not forget the creativeness that comes with the challenges of trying to win a game as well. So instead of buying an adult colouring book, why not try painting a Warhammer 40K figure instead?

 

Games Workshop fans extend beyond the figures, lore, stories, and tabletops as part of their hobby (Walliss, 2010). We’re all aware of fan fiction. But there’s nothing more creative within Warhammer 40K than this YouTube video I found. Enjoy at your own peril.

 

 

The Grimdark Universe Of Warhammer 40K Meets Special Educational Needs (SEN)

 

Although I’ve already talked about how Warhammer 40K helped someone with ASD to develop new skills that improve their quality of life, this next story goes even further. As such, I thought that it needed its own section to do it justice. This next section comes the way of Bennet (2022) work within an Additional Support Needs (ASN) setting.

 

In the therapeutic educational establishment school of Closeburn House in Dumfries and Galloway, attached to a residential care unit, Warhammer 40K has been playing a substantial role in helping people with ASD.

 

They took the novel approach to help their pupils engage with each other and build relationships through the use of Warhammer 40K as a therapeutic tool to help them connect. This took the form of creating a club where they could paint Warhammer 40K figures. There was also the bonus that Warhammer is an accepted hobby within the skills section of the Duke of Edinburgh Award. This means the pupils participating in the Warhammer 40K club get to develop skills that help them progress with this award, adding prestige and further meaning to what they’re doing.

 

Observations of these painting sessions found that the pupils were calmer, focused, and peaceful. They found that there we no arguments, disagreements, refusals, or ascending during these painting sessions. Even pupils who had previous relationship issues became more talkative and cooperative during these painting sessions, which continued into the wider school.

 

When the pupils were polled after each painting session, they reported their stress and anxiety levels as being significantly lower after the sessions than they were before starting the sessions. They also reported feeling more relaxed and no longer upset or angry about previous issues that bothered them earlier in the day. One student also reported that they found it easier to open up during these sessions without fear of judgment. If that isn’t amazing, I don’t know what is.

 

 

Summary

 

So there you have it, Games Workshop have managed to create several amazing universes that anyone can take up, with the most popular game to date being Warhammer 40K. Not only is playing this game fun, but the communities that grow around this game can be truly amazing, adding to anyone’s social support network. And if that wasn’t enough, there are the benefits to your mental wellbeing, creativity, and problem-solving skills. The only thing taking a hit here is your wallet.

 

If you’d like to know more about my time playing Warhammer and Warhammer 40K figures, hop on over to my member’s article by clicking here.

 

As always, leave your feedback in the comments section below. Also, please share your experiences with Warhammer and Warhammer 40K in the comments section below. Don’t forget, if you want to stay up-to-date with my blog, you can sign up for my newsletter below. Alternatively, click the red bell icon in the bottom right corner to get push notifications for new articles.

 

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References

 

Bennet, D. (2022, May). Painting Fantasy Miniatures as a therapy. SEN Magazine. Retrieved from https://senmagazine.co.uk/content/activities/complementary-therapy/16653/painting-fantasy-miniatures-as-a-therapy.

Blair, Z. (2024, September). Stop Competing: Embracing Being Good Enough. Goonhammer. Retrieved from https://www.goonhammer.com/stop-competing-embracing-being-good-enough.

Etherington, J. (2022). Satirical Sleight of Hand in Warhammer 40K: Space Marines and Hegemonic Masculinity. SFRA Review, 22, 70-78. Retrieved from https://sfrareview.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/warhammer-sfra-5204.pdf.

Harrop, M., Gibbs, M., & Carter, M. (2013). Everyone’s a winner at Warhammer 40K (or, at least not a loser). In Proceedings of DiGRA 2013 Conference. Retrieved from https://dl.digra.org/index.php/dl/article/view/673/673.

Kathryn, W. (2023, 9 September). Warhammer and wellbeing: Can tabletop games support our mental health?. Happiful. Retrieved from https://happiful.com/warhammer-and-wellbeing-can-tabletop-games-support-our-mental-health.

Morgan, C. (2020, September). Mental Health and the Hobby – A Special Interview With Dr. Nahumck Part 1. Frontline Gaming. Retrieved from https://frontlinegaming.org/2020/09/07/mental-health-and-the-hobby-a-special-interview-with-dr-nahumck-part-1.

Park, D., Deshpande, S., Scott, L., & Thompson, C. (2004). Seeking Entertainment through Battle: Understanding the Meaning of Cosumption Processes for Male Warhammer Enthusiasts. In the proceedings for the ACR Conference on Gender, Marketing and Consumer Behaviour (Vol. 7). Retrieved from https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=fafc0f58c2d92cb1c158c0df25fb98dee8b903a7.

Sinha, P. (2024). Warhammer 40K: A Grimdark Odyssey through Dystopian Realms. Authorea Preprints. Retrieved from https://d197for5662m48.cloudfront.net/documents/publicationstatus/196977/preprint_pdf/5813d336a5b77c0763a4df4a7c52642c.pdf.

Walliss, J. (2010). Fan filmmaking and copyright in a global world: Warhammer 40,000 fan films and the case of Damnatus. Transformative Works and Cultures, 5. Retrieved from https://journal.transformativeworks.org/index.php/twc/article/download/178/180.