5 Great Games Like Risk – But Better

Small World	Blood Rage
Memoir ’44	Kemet
Root	El Grande

While preparing to share my personal opinion on “What games are like Risk? (but better) – I was astounded to see some of the recommendations on other websites. Now don’t get me wrong – I don’t profess to have the final say on what games are like other games – but I do have a really hard time understanding how Dominion can be compared “to being like Risk.” Dominion is a deck builder with little player interaction. I also saw Catan as a game like Risk. Catan is a resource gathering game – Anyway…. My main gripe with the recommendations for what games are like Risk – is that they are so far off is that they just don’t seem to mirror any of the qualities or gameplay that Risk has. So first – before I list what games are like Risk – but better – let me define what I think makes Risk – Risk.

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What Makes Risk – Risk?

Dudes on a Map

At its very core Risk is about “dudes on a map.” That is just nerdy board game slang for having a lot of units (could be multiple “types” of units) placed on the game board. I’ve found that a lot of the times, the person with the most “dudes” win. The units can be a single generic type unit, such as in Risk, or they could be representative of something else. For instance, the great game Axis and Allies has a variety of units – infantry, armor, artillery, air units, and marine units.

Area Control

One of the other defining qualities of Risk is that it is an (sound board game nerd alarm) “Area Control” game. In a nutshell it means the player will receive some sort of benefit (points/victory) by having the most control over a particular area. Control in this case is represented by the number of units you have in a specified area. The most obvious example in Risk is the bonus you get each turn if you control a specific continent. Also to the same extent you get a bonus for the amount of individual territories you control across the board.

Forced Conflict

You can not win Risk by “doing your own thing”. The very soul Risk involves actively seeking to eliminate your opponents – by “force.” Now you can do this by many small skirmishes throughout the game, or you can have a slow buildup of troops then launch a major assault – but at the end of the day, in order to win, you need to go wreck your opponents. Risk of course does this by comparing traditional 6 sided dice rolls, but there are other ways to resolve these conflicts.

So -In order to find a game that is better than Risk, I really feel like to do a fair comparison they need to share the traits listed above. Now where can Risk improve in my opinion?

• Theme – Risk uses the map of the world which is fine for a global conflict – but for theme – beyond the map it lacks anything above and beyond that. The units are represented by bland Roman Numerals and lack any flavor. Newer versions of Risk are slightly better – but still are all one dimensional in what they do. Within the game there isn’t any historical context, no difference between units, and generally lacks any aesthetics.
• Mechanics – I don’t have anything against dice rolling – but as the sole mechanism for winning or losing the game – it needs to be improved upon. A few unbalanced and unlikely die rolls can throw the whole game.
• Game Length – For what Risk is – I don’t like the investment in time it can demand. In addition if you happen to be playing with more than two, and the third player is eliminated early on – it could literally be HOURS before the third player is invited to another game. Even in a two player game, at some point the game reaches a tipping point, to where the winner is a forgone conclusion and it is agonizing waiting to get there is some cases.

So for my short list – that I will eventually build upon, I have selected games that have added elements to improve the game, but are still true to what Risk pertains to be. The games listed are about one player struggling to gain control of the map – often through force. I hope I’ve added games that take all the best parts of Risk, and leave behind the negative that many board gamers have felt after time.

Each game also has a quote from other established (far more than me) board game reviewers and what they’ve said about the games as well.

The Games

Small World

What Memoir ’44 does for WWII – Small World does for fantasy lovers. Very familiar to Risk, players will be placing and moving their units from one area of the map to the another, with the hopes of uprooting their opponent. Small World is all about moving around and taking control of the map – but the nice wrinkle is that each player gets to try and do that a little differently than everyone else. You’ll select from a variety of fantasy races – each with their own special ways of doing things. As the game progresses your race will begin to lose power and decline. This is not a signal that you’ve been eliminated, you simply get to pick a new race and keep going. I find it to be a really cool feature, as it adds great variety to the game – not only the immediate game that you are playing – but makes you want to play the game again – just to select a new race and power.

The combat system is a bit different from Risk. The system doesn’t rely on dice roles, but looks at terrain, units on the map, your special powers, and some other considerations. In short – it brings a bit more consideration and strategy into the mix when you decide to take on a particular region or faction. The map, as indicated by the name of the game, is small and crowded – you’ll be heading to conflicts early on in the game.

The game is not about building civilizations or even destroying others, but rather about conquering regions and scoring victory points on each turn. Control of regions will move from one player to the other in a matter of turns. You can try to defend them, but don’t get too attached to them. Small World is both equally simple and varied each play. Simplicity comes from placing tokens and solving combat. Exploring the different races and abilities provide the replay factor, making every game different each time it hits the table. A bit more tactical in nature compared to Risk when you consider which regions to capture, how’ll you defend your own areas, and which player seems like an easy target. I enjoy the strategic decision of when to go into decline and choose a new race/ability combo. It will take multiple plays to figure out which combo is best suited for the current situation.

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“Small World combines the military strategy of Risk with the delightful art and fantasy races of Cosmic Encounter.”

— Wil Wheaton, Tabletop

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Blood Rage

If you like the appeal of moving massive minis across the landscape, all the while forcing your opponents into submission – I give to you: Blood Rage. The name alone evokes an emotional response, and gives you a glimmer of what this game is about. The theme in Blood Rage gets straight to the point – the end of the world is here, let’s go out with a bang! You do this by conquering territory, upgrading your armies, and appeasing the gods in a dozen different ways. The first thing you will likely notice straight out of the box are all the miniatures. When you stack up the the components and would be armies of Blood Rage compared to Risk – there isn’t much of a comparison at all. The game really goes all out to provide really nice components and decorative miniatures. If you are so inclined – I’ve seen some simply beautifully painted miniatures.

As stated, the theme of the game centers around the Norse stories of Ragnarök – aka the Apocalypse. You’ll be shepherding a Viking clan over 3 rounds of play seeking to acquire more victory points than your opponents along the way. One of the key differences between Risk and Blood Rage is that you in a way get to choose a path on how you will win. Through a unique card drafting phase, you’ll be upgrading your army, attempting quests in search of glory, and battle cards that can tip the combat system in your favor. This all leads to some tense, dramatic, unpredictable conflicts between players. Those strategic differences really come through when it comes to the conflict phase. Whenever a player decides to pillage one of the game’s areas, the other players, with units in the same area (or next to one), can attempt to stop them. This kicks off a battle that can range in scale from a simple, one vs one battle between two players to a crazy multi faction free for all with everyone around the table pitching their forces into the fight. The game is a bit more involved than Risk and is definitely suited for more experienced board game players.

The other little wrinkle that Blood Rage provides – is that you can win by losing! Yes that’s right, while yes- you may have been vanquished in a conflict on the board, your units will end up in Valhalla. Whilst they had died in battle, they can return to bring you glory (Victory Points). I guess at the end of the day I like that, while there are similarities to Risk – it really has taken the “dudes on a map” concept, and and ran with it. Blood Rage just has so many things that can make it easily learned. Every single turn is extremely understood and “in step”, yet there’s the constant conflict of map control versus timing upgrades versus just stalling to control your “rage”. Combat, while different from Risk, is well managed to keep even the central area of the board manageable when 3 or 4 players all decide to get in on the carnage.

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“I’ve loved every single time I’ve played it, and every time I’ve play it i feel like I want to play it again. This is a 5 out of 5 for me, it’s one of the best games in my collection.”

— Alex Radcliffe, BoardGameCo

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Memoir 44

Memoir ’44 takes several of the battles of World War II and recreates them in a tactical format. The base game comes with a variety of scenarios designed to have each player taking a turn as both the Allied powers and the Axis. Often (as I would imagine in war) the scenarios are unbalanced and you must use your wit and yes a bit of luck to be the victor. Using a variety of units such as armor (tanks), infantry, and artillery you can move them around on a hexagonal map. Your movement and attacks are driven by what feels more strategic system than Risk. In this system you use both a card and dice method to initiate and resolve combat. The cards more or less tell you what area of the map you’ll be fighting over and the dice will be used to resolve the combat. The game is much much shorter than Risk and I like the fact that you can take on both roles in the battle. Using this combination of cards, dice, terrain, and your positional advantage the game lends itself to feel like you have very tactical control over the battlefield. Much more so than in Risk.

I like the fact that the game maps out a number of different scenarios. There are some pretty cool expansions out there as well. As you grow into the game you can consider adding them in. They come with new units, cards, terrain types, and other surprises I’ll let the reader discover. One really unique twist is that you can combine multiple boards and create an Overlord scenerio – talk about dynamic!

In short the game is easy to learn, fast enough not to get bored, and more strategic in nature than Risk. The variety of game play forces players to be flexible. That is another difference between this and Risk. In Risk a dominant strategy is to simply turtle in Australia, amass your bonus armies, and then come out swinging – and people do this game after game! There is no prevailing strategy that people can simply fall back on. The game is great for experienced gamers and those looking to break out of the doldrums of Risk.

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“…this game has really been one of the defining games of me playing games…”

— Tom Vasel, The Dice Tower

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Kemet: Blood and Sand

Kemet: Blood and Sand, is a reimplementation of the original Kemet, which is extremely hard to find. The differences between original Kemet and Kemet: Blood and Sand are so much that I don’t have a problem recommending this version. Kemet oozes theme. Players assume the roles of Egyptian gods playing for dominance in Egypt. The game’s attention to detail, from building pyramids to leveraging asymmetric (geek talk for different) powers, creates a fun experience of pretending to be ancient Egyptian gods flexing their will. In contrast, Risk’s theme, while classic, lacks the depth and that Kemet brings to the table. I mean just look at that box!

Each turn demands crucial decisions, such as troop recruitment, map maneuvering, and acquiring power tiles using “prayers” as currency. Battles in Kemet are do away with the luck of the dice, and instead rely on simultaneous card play for resolution. The gameplay moves between “day” and “night” phases after five turns, incorporating scoring and upkeep. With victory achievable through temple control, or successful battles, players must have clever strategies and attempt to out maneuver opponents in card plays to amass the required nine points.

The game plays well with different player counts, offering different experiences for both two-player duels and multiplayer war-mongering, where politics, cooperation, and betrayal come into play. While the game itself is a bit more complex than others on this list. Players may find the investment in time worth it. The thematic components, from the monsters, to the pyramids, to the fantastic artwork make this game stand out.

“…it’s fun, it’s just really really fun…”

— Farro, Board of It

Root

We can’t have this discussion with out talking about Root. I’ve only listed but a few of the accolades that Root has won. You can see the full list of their awards by visiting Board Game Geek. It could be the best game we are listing, as well as the most complex and rewardig.

In Root, a wargame begins with asymmetrical factions vying for dominance in a sprawling forest represented on a beautiful player board. Each faction has a unique playstyle and a distinct victory goal, making each game a wholly different experience each time you play a new faction (animal type). Root offers a ton of variety with four expansion factions and more on the way. The dynamic interactions between factions add excitement to the game, with each faction playing distinctly against the others. This fantastic design blends area control, card/action selection, and war game elements, with each faction almost playing an entirely different mini-game within the larger game itself. The classic game within a game mentality.

Combat in Root is simple yet strategic, involving dice rolls and modifiers based on cards, faction abilities, and the size of attacking and defending forces. Those that like Risk’s dice-rolling elements will appreciate this, as well as ways to mitigate unfortunate dice rolls. The game’s simplicity on the surface cleverly hides just how deep and engaging the game can be, making Root a truly original and brilliant game that invites players to immerse themselves in its woodland theme. That theming elements sets itself apart from Risk.

The aspect of Root that truly impresses me is the strategic depth it offers. No single predetermined game plan guarantees victory; instead, winning depends on continuous strategic-thinking. It’s not just about planning your own moves but also anticipating and countering your opponents’. Contrast this to Risk, where it seems the best move is to turtle down in Australia, until you’ve amassed enough troops to crawl out. Even if you find yourself lagging behind, the use of special Dominance cards can cause dramatic turnaround from the clutches of defeat to a triumphant victory in just one round of play. Each game unfolds as an intense, nail-biting contest of strategic maneuvers and counter-plays, keeping the suspense alive until the very end.

“…a game with really cool gameplay, really cool theme, and a really cool look …”

— Ashton, Shelfside

El Grande

El Grande is what many would say the best area control game of all time. Now you won’t be establishing area control via “armed” conflict like it Risk. You’ll seek control by carefully gathering more “dudes” via cards that show how many units you can have available to set on to the board – and then, using another set of cards, to very strategically place those units on the board – while perhaps simultaneously either moving your own units around, removing your opponents, or seeking to score certain areas where your troops are dominant. It is a delicate and complicated balance of seeing what you want to do, and then in fact being able to do it!

You will start the game with the hand of cards 1 through 12 – used to determine turn order as well as troop accumulation.  There is also  a series of action cards come out with things that you want to do on the board you want to do them desperately but those set of 1 to 12 cards you will bid to determine who gets to pick action cards first. If you bid 12, and that’s your best card, and you’re gonna get the best action out there but you’ll never get to use that 12 again – for the rest of the entire game it’s agonizing trying to figure out when it’s worth it to use that card now or hold off later. If that wasn’t hard enough – often the “better” the action you are vying to be able to take – ultimately the less troops you’ll be able to get out on to the board.

Part of the play is that you can place some of your troops into an enclosed tower. You never really know just how many troops may have accumulated in there. At certain points of the game, opponents will secretly select a region of the board – and then those hidden troops will spread into that area – causing a disruptions in the balance of powers in specific regions of the board.

The real unfortunate thing about El Grande is that it is VERY difficult to find. So – should you stumble across a copy in reasonable condition – do yourself (or a game lover you know) a favor and see what you can do to pick it up. You’ll be picking up one of the greatest area control games out there.

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 El Grande is so tight and simple it just and so simple, every time I play a different area control game, I just wonder why we’re not playing El Grande

— Kellen, Board Game Barrae

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Other Games

Listen – this list isn’t meant to be exhaustive. Of course there are other great games out there like Risk – but better. Below are some other great ones to consider as well.