Risk Board Game: World Domination War Strategy
Played with two to six players and five or six dice, Risk involves strategic maneuvers to gain control of 42 territories. A political undertone does not detract from the fun of the game. The rules are simple, making Risk a good entertainment for children and adults alike.
What different versions of Risk exist?Since its invention in 1957, various themes have surfaced to put different spins on the original concept of the Risk Board game. Similar to Monopoly, alternative play venues may relate to popular or classic television series or movies. Other Risk games center on revisions and anniversary editions. Still others take their inspiration from video games. Many subsequent editions of Risk have represented an evolution of the game, increasing the complexity of its interactions but keeping the basic concepts simple.
- The Walking Dead
- Mission Cards - European versions feature missions to shorten the game.
- Star Wars Trilogy
- Plants vs. Zombies
- Castle Risk – This featured European Castles in place of the traditional world map, which changed the face of future Risk versions.
Parker Brothers introduced Risk to the US in 1959, revising the rules somewhat from the original French version. Vintage Risk wargames feature a wooden board and pieces. The pieces stand out for their simplicity, numbers of armies specified only by whether a block is square or oblong. They go into convenient plastic compartments, adding to their charm. The original rules are as commemorative as the rudimentary pieces in the vintage board games. Some players find the old rules difficult to understand and execute, leading to many innovative styles of play. Also, well-received on eBay is the 1959 map of the world with its original artwork.
- 2005 - Vintage Game Series
- 60th Anniversary Commemorative Vintage Edition
- 1998 Vintage/Retro Risk
Risk pieces represent your armies and reinforcements, each player designated by a different color. The number of pieces can vary from one year to the next, but the evolving novelty of the design stands out the most. As the years have passed and different versions have been released the construction of the pieces has changed.
- 1959 - Original pieces were made of simple wooden designs: cubes were worth one troop and oblong pieces 10
- 1963 - Plastic triangles replaced wooden cubes, and plastic stars took over for the rectangular pieces.
- 1980 - Pieces remained plastic but took the form of the Roman numerals I, III, V, and X to represent the respective number of troops.
- 1990 - Army pieces reverted to the 1963 (also used in 1975) plastic triangles and stars.
- 1993 - The first figurines arrived, depicting infantry, cavalry, and cannons. Editions moving forward have used figurines ever since, varying designs based on different armies.