I guess you can say this article is a bit Risky… If you were missing out on taking over your favorite fantasy realms, the chance has come. We all know Risk, the classic old-school territory building, war game.
Suit up to conquer your rivals while trekking across the board of your most-loved movies’ land boundaries. Risk has over 18 versions, not counting the French versions! Oui! Let’s check out the best Risk board games out there. Find the best risk game editions below.
Table of Contents
🏆 Our Top Picks for Best Risk Board Games
In a hurry? Take a quick peek before you go.
Best Risk Game Versions
Risk: Europe
Players: 1–4
Playing Time: 45-180 mins
Age: 14+
Complexity: 2.69/5
Your kingdom beckons Sir/Madam, and there are threats incoming. Your peasants need a stable economy and crave security; can you divide and conquer?
Risk: Europe bets opponents against one another in a quest for the 7 crowns. Each crown boasts an impressive and unique skillset, so the more you acquire the strongest your bonds are. Some differences you can see in this variation include the turn-taking phase.
Begin by placing two cards face down, the first “orders” dictate if you will be taxing opponents or spending on resources. The second order shows your movement; will you move into another territory or expand held provinces?
Battles are fought using dice, and the game is won using backstabbing, secret alliances, and ultimate treachery.
What we liked
This version of Risk has perhaps the best balance of luck and strategy of all. With easy-to-learn rules and a good depth of strategy, it’s a winner in our books.
What could be better
While it stands as one of the best versions of Risk, the games may move a little bit too quickly for all of the setup required.
Risk: The Walking Dead – Survival Edition
Players: 2–5
Playing Time: 60 mins
Age: 13+
Complexity: 1.92/5
Brainnnnns, Eyessssss, Heartttt, is all it takes to play this rendition of Risk. The map takes us to the good ol’ southern states in America to outwit each other for territories.
As usual, the fight over the 32 regions is vital… but so is survival this time. At the beginning of each turn, bloodthirsty zombies flock to eat you for dinner. Before you start your turn, an event card must be drawn to determine your fate.
You might be blessed with a reward or sabotaged by a punishment. Either way, the game is concluded after a set number of rounds when there is only one person left standing. (Alive, obviously)
What we liked
This is probably the best 2-player Risk ever made. In this version, even a neutral army can be considered dangerous (and a ton of fun to play). The random events and special abilities work really well with the gameplay and are super unique.
What could be better
If you like zombies, this version is hard to beat. I do think, however, that the Event Deck could have been done better, both in terms of creativity and game mechanics.
Risk: Warhammer 40,000
Players: 2-5
Playing Time: 60-120 mins
Age: 10+
Complexity: 2.00/5
Welcome to Vigilus, the most unfortunate sector of the galaxy. Beset on all sides by greenskins, chaos, and Xenos, Vigilus is set to become the warzone of the millennium as forces from all sides converge to claim it as their own.
Pick your poison with one of many character groups: Orks, Chaos Space Marines, Ultramarines, Aeldari Craftworlds, and Genestealer Cults. All legions have a set leader to oversee and manage the triple-threat attack units. Use special leader abilities, lucky dice rolls, and reward cards to cement your position in the galactic dispute.
Work cohesively with your horde to seize three different objectives, and control Vigilus in its entirety to be crowned the ultimate dominator!
What we liked
We love this version because instead of solely focusing on domination, there are actually objectives to complete!
What could be better
For being a Warhammer 40k game, you’d think that the miniatures would have been better. There are no minis for the Leaders, only cardboard tokens, which was a bit disappointing.
Risk: Lord of the Rings Trilogy Edition
Players: 2-4
Playing Time: 180 mins
Age: 9+
Complexity: 2.27/5
“It’s a dangerous business Frodo, going out your door…”
Venture to Middle-Earth, through the Gardens of Isengard, past Rivendell, to the daunting Mount Doom with a mission to take over the region and harness the power of the ring.
This Risk variant offers basic Risk rules or the Lord of the Rings rules, with a twist! Command either good or evil forces and battle your rivals to extinction. As you dominate the land, you will uncover ancient power sites and adventure cards to boost your points.
What we liked
This edition is exceptionally interesting because it includes more territories like Gondor and Mordor, a second board on the flip side, as well as an alliance team adaptation. Once the ring leaves the table, the game is over. My precious!
What could be better
As a huge Lord of the Rings fan, it’s hard to fault this version at all. However, it doesn’t play very well with 3 players and definitely works best with 4.
Risk: Star Wars Edition
Players: 2-4
Playing Time: 30-45 mins
Age: 10+
Complexity: 1.85/5
May the force be with you! This game is perfect for Star Wars nerds; I fangirled out about the board being shaped like a tie-fighter, all the mini components, the stormtrooper tokens, and the Death Star basecamp.
The fight for the universe plays out in three battles as the Rebel Alliance battles the Galactic Empire for the deletion of the Death Star. The rebel fleet is abundant with six different fleets ready for attack, but if the Death Star eliminates them then it will have the power to destroy any ships, on any given space, causing chaos.
What we liked
This version is asymmetry done right. There are complex decisions to be made but without an overly complex ruleset. 10/10.
What could be better
This is an awesome game. There’s very little connection, however, to the “Risk” franchise, and honestly doesn’t even need the name in the title.
Risk: Game of Thrones
Players: 2-7
Playing Time: 120-140 min
Age: 18+
Complexity: 2.27/5
In Risk: Game of Thrones, it is a battle for the Iron Throne in Westeros as power parties flock to fill Bareatheon’s place. In Essos, Daenerys is building an army to command the Ghiscari slavers and later reclaim the throne as her own. The War of the Five Kings has officially begun.
Modeled after the hit HBO series, A Game of Thrones fans will be pleased with the detailed territory board, house tokens, and replayability. The board is two-sided, offers up to 7-player gameplay, has a smooth 2-player variant, incorporates victory points, and allows three different mechanisms of gameplay:
“Skirmish”: Basic and introductory
“Dominion”: Advanced with objectives, characters, maester cards, more strategy
“World War”: More players, using skirmish or dominion rules
First to 10 victory points while simultaneously holding the seat of power takes the Iron Throne.
What we liked
This one is a great twist on a classic. We love the addition of the maester cards. They give the game an extra dimension of strategy. Also, you can play the game without ever having read the books or watched the show!
What could be better
There is a lot of downtime between turns, with each player’s movements and decisions taking what feels like an eternity. Think faster, people!
You may also enjoy:
- Best Game of Thrones Board Games
- A Game of Thrones: The Board Game Review
- A Game of Thrones: Catan Review
Risk: Legacy
Players: 3-5
Playing Time: 60 mins
Age: 13+
Complexity: 2.59/5
Risk: Legacy offers a new, updated approach to the common Risk rules with many surprise elements. The box arrives with multiple hidden compartments, unpacking and discarding contents with each new play-through. Please reference Risk for the original rules, as I will only describe the changes here. [NO SPOILERS!]
Each of the five factions has the ability to break one major rule every turn. When you begin, you are given two choices — one you must trash immediately. Yeah, you heard me — trash this card. Tear it up! Throw it in the bin! In legacy games, the whole experience changes based on the decisions and actions of the players.
For the first 15 games, winners receive major rewards, while losers receive smaller rewards; such as naming a city, etc. After 15+ games, the board will eventually stop changing and you’re left with your own distinctive copy of Risk: Legacy.
What we liked
Even if you are not a fan of the Risk genre of games, you will probably LOVE this game. As a legacy game, it’s kind of on its own level, with tons of unique features, actions, and meaningful decisions to be made.
What could be better
The randomness of the dice is still a huge factor in this version (like all versions of Risk) which can bring even the best tactician to their knees. Also, if you hate messing up board game components (i.e. legacy games), your OCD will be off the charts here.
Risk: 2210 A.D.
Players: 2-5
Playing Time: 240 mins
Age: 10+
Complexity: 2.72/5
Manpower is so old news! Touch base on the moon, sea, and Earth as you fight with robotic armies to occupy the most gameboard territory.
Machines of Destruction (MODs) are led by humans who each have their own leadership capacity and powers. The gameplay plays out in a five-turn max limit, with an added component: energy!
Energy rules the board; it is the only way to buy command cards that will activate leader ability, make a bid for turn order, and hire new commanders for the fleet.
What we liked
This game has a wonderful simplicity (for a war game) and allows many opportunities to mitigate the chaos for those so inclined. It’s extremely cutthroat… but, like in a good way.
What could be better
The difficulty ranking is heavier than the other Risk Editions on this round-up for the extra strategy elements you need to incorporate. Also, it takes light years to commute to the moon.
Risk: Godstorm
Players: 2-5
Playing Time: 120 mins
Age: 10+
Complexity: 2.69/5
Any mythology lovers in our midst? Play as Greeks, Celtics, Babylonians, Norse, or Egyptians, tasked to spread their rule throughout both the ancient world and the corresponding Underworld.
The board places you in Europe, the Middle East, and Northern Africa to explore the region with your forces, compile ancient relics, and master world domination.
The Underworld adds a dark element to the movement; you can deploy troops to invade and control crypts which will gain you Victory Points later in the game.
Similar to Risk: 2210 A.D, there are only five “epochs” and whichever cleric is left with the most victory points at the conclusion is declared the most powerful.
What we liked
As a history nerd, I absolutely love this version. Having a limit to the number of turns adds a sense of urgency, and also avoids having games drag on for days.
What could be better
The amount of random destruction that the cards can bring will most likely cause some players to rage and possibly flip the table as they storm off.
One noteworthy mention is the allowance to play in Atlantis territory; be warned as the city can sink at any moment, taking your ruling party with it.
Risk: The Original
Players: 2-6
Playing Time: 120 mins
Age: 10+
Complexity: 2.07/5
Ah, the most well-known wargame on the market! Nobody can argue that Risk is a classic… and for good reason. The game is set on monopolizing the world, becoming the only conqueror left standing!
Each turn allows three decisions:
- Attack other players with a higher dice roll. You can do this many times if you are feeling Risky!
- Move your troops to a new territory, only adjacent to the one you currently occupy.
- Gain supplements for victory: whole-continent bonuses, bonus cards, holding multiple territories.
Whoever acquires the most armies, plays them most effectively, and conquers the most territories steals the win in Risk.
What we liked
This game has been around for ages! A true classic to get newbies into the area control genre. It’s easy to learn, has a decent rules system, and is just an all-around fun game.
What could be better
The old-school plastic minis have tiny bases, leading to a lot of tipping mishaps. Also, the reliance on dice rolls for military success is a bit too luck-driven to be considered a true wargame.
Wrap-Up
We hope you enjoyed our list of the best Risk board games! Risk has been around for decades and will probably outlast us all. The reskins and alternate variants add interesting twists and challenges for players who love the wargame genre (and world domination, of course).
Have you tried any of these Risk board games? What did you think? Drop a comment below and let us know! We’d love to hear from you.
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Kendra has always been a hardcore fantasy nerd. Growing up in the worlds of Tolkien, Sanderson, Jordan, and Abercrombie, DnD & board games just came naturally. She and her husband, Bryan, started GameCows.com in 2018 as a fun passion project that just took over their lives. An avid board gamer since childhood and chronic DnD chronicler for more than two decades, she loves to play, write, travel, and learn dead languages. She is also a professional content writer at SlashGear.com