Ever since I acquired this thing called disposable income, I’ve been enthusiastically jumping down rabbit holes consisting of various hobbies and interests. Some of my past obsessions include anime, sci-fi movies and television, photography, so-cal punk rock music, classical music, jazz music, synthwave music, and more. Athletically, I’ve been a rugby player, a football player, a rock climber, a long-distance runner, a boxer, a weightlifter, and an extreme hiker. In school, I studied modern art, Renaissance art, graffiti art, literature, math, network theory, politics, French, German, studio art, military history, cultural history, western history, and so much more.

Lately, I have become interested in aquariums, philosophy, Japanese, Japanese history, Chinese history, Dungeon & Dragons, Python, C#, game development, game design, reading esoteric books with experimental narrative design, animation, drawing, custom keyboard construction, writing, and catching up on all the X-Men comics I have missed in the last twenty years. My video game obsession is undeniable at this point, as well.

I am someone who can become engaged with anything, save hard drugs or criminal activity. Thanks, but no thanks. If someone introduces me to a franchise or universe they are into, I generally take up their excitement, especially if it is something I am unfamiliar with. I have never been hesitant about diving into anything sci-fi or fantasy-related before; that was until I discovered this one rabbit hole that the more I learn about… the more afraid I become.

I am, of course, talking about Warhammer 40,000.

Warhammer 40,000 has always been a franchise on my periphery. I can recall walking by a Games Workshop store in my local mall many times and glancing in, thinking, “What’s that?” But, my curiosity never went beyond saying, “No, thanks,” to the pushy sales guy standing in front of the store. I don’t know why.

In retrospect, Warhammer 40,000 has a lot of the same activities and themes that I have engaged in before. I painted models when I was younger, and like any red-blooded North American male, I had more than a passing fascination with war and strategy. But Warhammer 40,000 turned out to be that rare thing in the realm of nerd culture that never got me hooked, and this might be for the best.  

Warhammer 40,000 is not just a tabletop game with painted models; it’s an outright way of life for those who engage with it. The universe of Warhammer 40,000 is so massive that no one person can even experience all of it. I don’t even know what to call Warhammer 40,000; it started as a tabletop game but has spread into almost every form of media I can think of. Even the word franchise seems too small for it, and universe doesn’t capture all the activities related to it.

There are over 300 books outlining the official lore. There are digital movies, both fan-made and official, that expand the universe even more. There’s even a Disney+ style streaming service called Warhammer+ that features high-quality Warhammer 40,000 videos. There are also video games, comic books, webcomics, and even board games beyond the tabletop strategy game.

I am shocked that no Warhammer 40,000 full-length feature film has been made yet. Thankfully, Superman himself, Henry Cavill, is currently in talks with Amazon to produce and star in a live-action series. With the recent success of Fallout (2024), this is most likely going to happen.

Of all the things that Warhammer 40,000 is, it’s also bloody expensive. Ask any fan what they think of their hobby, and somewhere in their answer, they will go into a rant about how Games Workshop is the greediest company in the Imperium while proudly showing you a titan they painted and spent over $300 on. The average cost for a standard 2,000-point army in Warhammer 40,000 is around $815; that’s not including the money for the divorce lawyer you will need after abandoning your spouse for the weeks it will take to paint.

My interest in this subject stems from my recent playthrough of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II (2024). I am enjoying it despite some issues I have with the combat systems. By far, of all the things that are good about this game, the world creation has to be the most intriguing. The story, at first glance, is like any other typical stock video game story: good guys fight bad guys, good guys ride the elevator to the next level, wash, rinse, repeat. (Seriously, you spend a lot of time riding elevators in this game.)

But delve a little deeper into the lore behind this story, and you will discover you have just scratched the surface paint (pun intended) of what Warhammer 40,000 has to offer.

This is what scares me. The Warhammer 40,000 universe is so deep and complex. It isn’t something you can do casually if you want the full effect. It appears to be a universe that can satisfy all of your hobbyist needs and keep you entertained long after you put your brushes or controller down for the night. I tend not to do things casually when it comes to gaming or hobbies, which makes me afraid that if I willingly go into Warhammer 40,000, I may never come out.

For now, I am going to follow my interests and see where this takes me. I will consider myself lost if I start buying models and painting them. At that point, everything has truly gone to hell. Mrs. Death has a lot of tolerance, but Emporer protect me, even she has her limits.