Risk (game)
A strategy board game of global conquest and diplomacy.
Risk is a board game for two to six players that blends strategy, diplomacy, and conflict. Players take turns commanding armies of playing pieces, trying to capture territories from opponents, with the outcome of battles decided by dice rolls. The standard board shows a political map of the world split into 42 territories grouped into six continents. Alliances between players can be made and broken during the game. The main goal is to occupy every territory on the board, which eliminates all other players. Games often take several hours or even multiple days to finish. In European versions, each player gets a limited "secret mission" objective, which makes the game shorter.
Albert Lamorisse, a French film director, created Risk in 1957. It went on to become one of the most popular board games ever and influenced later games like Axis & Allies and Settlers of Catan. Hasbro still produces it, with many editions and variants featuring popular media themes, different rules, and digital versions for PC, video game consoles, and mobile devices.
**History**
Risk was first released in France in 1957 as *La Conquête du Monde* (The Conquest of the World). Parker Brothers bought it and released it in 1959 with rule changes as *Risk: The Continental Game*. In 1975, Parker Brothers renamed it *Risk: The Game of Global Domination*. After Hasbro bought Parker Brothers in 1991, the game was eventually rebranded under "Hasbro Gaming" sometime before 2026.
The first major new version, *Castle Risk*, came out in 1986. It used a map of 18th-century European castles instead of the world map and was a financial failure. In 1993, the Secret Mission Risk rules, already standard in Europe, were added to the U.S. edition. After a limited French special edition in 1999 called *Risk: Édition Napoléon* for the 200th anniversary of the Napoleonic era, Hasbro's Avalon Hill division released *Risk: 2210 A.D.* in 2001. This futuristic version added moon and ocean territories, commander units, and several expansions. Starting in 2002, media-themed versions appeared, based on franchises like *The Lord of the Rings*, *Star Wars*, and *Transformers*, sometimes with up to six editions per year. A collector's edition in a wooden bookshelf box came out in 2005 as part of the Parker Brothers Vintage Game series, sold at Target Stores. In 2008, Winning Moves, a Hasbro licensee, released *1959 Ri
- inventor
- Albert Lamorisse
- year_invented
- 1957
- original_release
- 1957 in France as La Conquête du Monde
- publisher
- Parker Brothers (1959), later Hasbro
- genre
- Strategy board game
- players
- 2 to 6
- goal
- Occupy every territory and eliminate other players
Lore & Background
Risk was invented by French film director Albert Lamorisse and originally released in 1957 as La Conquête du Monde (The Conquest of the World) in France. It was bought by Parker Brothers and released in 1959 with some modifications to the rules as Risk: The Continental Game. In 1975, Parker Brothers retitled the game as Risk: The Game of Global Domination. Some time between Hasbro's acquisition of the Parker Brothers brand in 1991 and 2026, Risk was rebranded under 'Hasbro Gaming'.
Reader's Guide
Risk is played on a board depicting a political map of the world divided into 42 territories grouped into six continents. Players control armies and attempt to capture territories from other players, with results determined by dice rolls. Players may form and dissolve alliances. The game can be lengthy, requiring several hours to multiple days. European versions include secret mission objectives that shorten the game. The game has inspired other popular games such as Axis & Allies and Settlers of Catan. Numerous editions and variants have been released, including themed versions based on The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Transformers, as well as PC software, video games, and mobile apps. The game remains in production by Hasbro.
Did You Know?
- Risk was invented by French film director Albert Lamorisse in 1957.
- The standard version is played on a board depicting a political map of the world divided into 42 territories.
- European versions include secret mission objectives that shorten the game.
- The game inspired other popular games such as Axis & Allies and Settlers of Catan.
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