Miniature wargaming is a recreational hobby where players simulate a battle, which is played out using small figurines to represent the units involved. Many miniatures games are played on a floor or tabletop, with terrain represented by miniature scenery (hills, forests, roads, fences, and so on). Movement of the miniatures is regulated using a tape measure though some, like boardgames, are played using gridded terrain (squares or hexagons) or even gameboards.

The hobby started around the beginning of the 20th Century, but really kicked off in the 1960s and 1970s when fantasy and science fiction wargames came onto the scene as an alternative to games based on historical conflicts. Now of course miniatures have a place in other game types as playing aids for Roleplaying games and also offer something for the collector and modeller alike.