I have played a computer game version of Risk, but whipping a computer to conquer the world is no way near as much fun as sitting around a table playing with friends in college. Risk is a great game under such circumstances because you do not have to sit at the table the entire time; you can go off, make a sandwich, watching a game on the tube, or whatever, until it is either your turn or somebody yells out, Irkusk is under attack and you need to roll your defense dice. Then it comes down to how lucky you feel, for many an ego has been shot down by trying to take a country and seeing an army decimated by an opponent rolling fives and sixes.

This is also a great game for students of history and/or current events because there is an inherent tendency to provide the game with a narrative structure, especially when some undermanned army puts up a spirited defense. Then those gathered around the board will sing of the glory of the valiant defenders of Iceland, who were able to stave off the horde of "Green Meanies" attacking in three directions. My only complaint was having to pick up all the pieces every time you knocked the tray onto the floor...

Before there were computer games, before there was Dungeon & Dragons, there was Risk as the premier social game for college students. I am sure its rank in the world of competitive gamesmanship has been greatly reduced in the past couple of decades, but in its heyday Risk was the game of choice on weekends.


Stunning game for strategists   August 26, 2004
 34 out of 38 found this review helpful

Forget anyone that sells you a video game and says it's strategic - quite simply, they aren't. If you want to learn about economics, game theory and human behaviour, then this is a must. It's a VERY sophisticated game for developing strategy and anyone who thinks it's simply about rolling dice is missing the point and will get spanked by a good player. It's like saying poker is just about betting on cards.

It takes a long time to play, longer than Monopoly (which is really about rolling dice more than anything), although there are speedier versions. That's not a problem with a lot of wine, some nibbles and some good friends (although they'll hate you at the end of the evening if you trounce them due to unspoken alliances - my enemy's enemy is my friend!)


A brilliant game   August 19, 2004
 20 out of 27 found this review helpful

One of the classic board games!! Set aside at least 3hours with at least 3 friends and get stuck in - you can even play in pairs and discuss tactics between yourselves, put two boards together and play with about 16 people; but that takes a whole weekend...so get in the snacks and drinks. The game balances a little luck with a dollop of skill perfectly, although winners claim it is all skill.