I remember having RISK as a kid and, rarely having anyone to play with, setting up the colorful armies all over the board, creating stratagem never deployed and visualizing battles never to take place. I imagined what the battlefield would look like, soldiers lined up like so much cannon fodder, cavalry ready to charge with sabers bare, and said cannons creating a thick fog of black. When we did get to play, I don’t think a game was ever finished since we weren’t allowed to keep the board set-up.

Conquer the world, one move at a time, risking land and armies for global domination. RISK is the most popular mass marketed war game available. Developed in France by Albert Lamorisse a filmmaker in 1957, RISK is one of the most popular board games of all time and inspired games like Axis and Allies and Settlers of Catan.

The game was released in 1959 after Parker Brothers purchased the title. The theme was based on the Napoleonic wars and came with wooden cubes and triangle prisms. Later versions came with plastic pieces. These pieces represented troops, multiple troops, cavalry and artillery. During the game players: expand their armies with reinforcements, attack, move their armies or pass. Bonuses for controlling entire continents. Once a player loses the last of their territories, they are out. Last player standing with territories is the winner.

RISK was inducted into the Games Magazine Hall of fame in 2984 and into the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design Hall of Game in 1995. The game has tons of editions, including: Rick and Morty, Vikings, Lord of the Rings, Assassin’s Creed, Star Wars, Godstorm, 2210 A.D., Narnia, Transformers and Castle Risk (which was a financial disappointment for the company).

What is your favorite RISK edition or memory?

As always, play more games.