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Risk (game)

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Risk is a famous strategy board game about diplomacy and conquest.

Risk game board
Risk game board

Two to six players compete to control the entire world map. The board shows 42 different territories grouped into six continents. Players use colored pieces to represent their various armies. The main goal is to occupy every single territory on the board. When a player loses all their lands, they are eliminated. This game can last for several hours or even many days.

Risk (game) territory cards
Risk (game) territory cards

Some European versions use secret missions to make the game faster.

Playing a game involves many careful steps. First, players decide the order of play and receive their starting armies. Each turn begins with a reinforcement stage. Players get new armies based on how many territories they hold. They can also get bonus armies for holding a whole continent. Players can then choose to attack lands that are next to theirs.

Risk-dice-example
Risk-dice-example

Attacks are decided by rolling dice to see who wins. The attacker uses red dice for their rolls. The defender uses white or blue dice to protect their land. If an attacker wins, they move their armies into the new territory.

Albert Lamorisse invented this game in 1957. He was a French film director.

Risk game graph
Risk game graph

It was first released in France as La Conquête du Monde. Later, Parker Brothers bought the game and released it in 1959. They called it Risk: The Continental Game at first. Over the years, many different versions were made. One version in 1986 was called Castle Risk. It used a map of 18th-century European castles instead of the world. That specific version was not a financial success.

There are many interesting facts about the game's history. In 2001, a futuristic version called Risk: 2210 A.D. was published. This version featured moon territories and ocean territories. Since 2002, Hasbro has released many themed versions. You can find Risk games based on Star Wars or The Lord of the Rings. The pieces have changed a lot over time too. Early pieces were wooden cubes in colors like black, blue, and red. Later versions used plastic pieces shaped like Roman numerals. Some special collector's editions even use metal pieces.

Risk has inspired many other famous board games. Games like Axis & Allies and Settlers of Catan were influenced by it. You can play the game in many different ways today. Some people play with it on a table at home. Others play video game versions on a PC or a mobile app. The game even has special rules for experts or gaming clubs. Some players use "house rules" to change how it works. It remains a very popular way for people to test their strategy skills.

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File:Risk (game) territory cards.jpg
Risk (game) territory cards.jpg
File:Risk game board.svg
Risk game board.svg
File:Risk-dice-example.jpg
Risk-dice-example.jpg
File:Risk_game_graph.svg
Risk_game_graph.svg
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