Tell me about Risk (the board game)

[Laughing Lagomorph]

My eight year old son's birthday is coming up. He has recently become very interested in world geography, continents and countries and all. For Christmas he got both a good kid's atlas, and a globe, and he enjoys looking at them both.

He also likes to play chess, he started playing when he was 5(!).

Anyway from what little I know about it the game Risk is something he might enjoy. I've never played it but I understand it involves conquering territory on a map of the world. On the downside it seems to be recommended for ages 10 and up. He's pretty bright though, and can read above his grade level. He also has a good attention span for activities he is interested in. And of course I would help him understand how to play.

Do you think Risk would be a good present for such a kid, or might it be too involved? Any other suggestions?

[jsc1953]

My eight year old son's birthday is coming up. He has recently become very interested in world geography, continents and countries and all. For Christmas he got both a good kid's atlas, and a globe, and he enjoys looking at them both.

He also likes to play chess, he started playing when he was 5(!).

Anyway from what little I know about it the game Risk is something he might enjoy. I've never played it but I understand it involves conquering territory on a map of the world. On the downside it seems to be recommended for ages 10 and up. He's pretty bright though, and can read above his grade level. He also has a good attention span for activities he is interested in. And of course I would help him understand how to play.

Do you think Risk would be a good present for such a kid, or might it be too involved? Any other suggestions?

I think Risk is a great game, and your son will absorb some basic geography (he'll probably be the only 9 year old who will have any idea what Irkukst and Yakukst are). (And I think you're to be commended for not getting hung up on that whole "world domination" thing.) But unless he has an extraordinary attention span, he may be a bit young. Games tend to run long, with a lot of wait time between turns, and it requires the patience to see a long-term strategy to fruitition.

[Dolores Reborn]

Absolutely! I think an intelligent 8-yr-old (or 9?) should be able to understand it. Be advised that it is a very stylized map, with continents divided into areas, not necessarily countries.

To battle, you simply roll dice. You can teach him the strategy.

[Slacker]

Go for it. On its face, Risk is remarkably simple. Definitely one of those "Easy to learn, difficult to master" type games. Just make sure you whoop him a few times to build some character. ;)

[Laughing Lagomorph]

Absolutely! I think an intelligent 8-yr-old (or 9?) should be able to understand it. Be advised that it is a very stylized map, with continents divided into areas, not necessarily countries.

To battle, you simply roll dice. You can teach him the strategy.


Ah, yes. I messed up. He is now seven, he will be turning 8.

Slacker it will be payback for all the times he's whooped me at chess! He also routinely beats me at checkers, and now at Othello, one game where I used to be able to hold my own.

[Kamino Neko]

Games tend to run long

I used to play it regularly in high school - games consistently lasted a whole night.

My parents played it a lot before I was born, and report games that lasted DAYS.

[Sitnam]

Risk is good, but I agree, he might be a little young yet. If he does like it then I strongly recommend History of the World (http://www.rainydaygames.ca/Product.asp?Product=HAS40196&Name=History%20of%20the%20World) when he gets a bit older.

[Anne Neville]

Is he into computer gaming? He might like Europa Universalis II or III (I hasn't aged so well, IMO). Europa Universalis II, in particular, has events that will teach him a fair bit about history. And you get to conquer the world.

[qubed]

You really need at least 4 people to play it. Technically you can play it with 2 or 3 people but it's just not nearly as good. 5 or 6 people are best.

If you find a computerized version, it'll do all the dice rolling instantaneously for you, which means a whole lot less waiting. You can finish a game in less than 30 minutes, and you can have AI players fill in for extra people. (Mainly i'm thinking of iConquer for Macs.) However, you do lose some of the fun of the actual board game, and this may not be a good idea for first-time players.

[Sauron]

There's a computer version of Risk that I recommend. You can buy it from several places; we got ours from Big Fish Games.

Not only can one person play the game (against computer generals of varying degrees of skill), you can also modify the game to make it go much faster -- automatic dice rolls, speedier turns, etc. It's the same game, it just goes by much more quickly. I can usually play a game against the computer generals in about 25 minutes. My five-year-old likes to play, too, but he doesn't understand all the strategy involved.

If your child is comfortable with point-and-click work on the computer, it sounds like Risk would be an excellent game for him. I think the download runs about $20.

[glee]

Risk is a pleasant enough game, where the rules are straightforward (and you can learn a little geography).
However, unlike chess, it does have a luck factor. Both the starting positions (drawing cards) and the combat system (rolling dice) can affect the game so the best player does not win.

When he's ready for a game with negotiation + strategy (but no luck!), introduce him to Diplomacy (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gibsons-Games-Diplomacy/dp/B00009W9JK). :cool:

[divemaster]

Risk is a pleasant enough game, where the rules are straightforward (and you can learn a little geography).
However, unlike chess, it does have a luck factor. Both the starting positions (drawing cards) and the combat system (rolling dice) can affect the game so the best player does not win.

I played Risk w/ my family when I was a kid (<10) and have enjoyed it ever since. I know there have been some rules and stylistic changes over the years. For example, the iteration we had the defender could only roll either 1 or 2 dice, never 3. And our "armies" were colored wood blocks, not plastic Roman numerals.

Anyway, the luck of the starting position is more pronounced if you go with the version glee referenced. That is, using cards to determine what countries you start off with. However, unless the rules have really changed, this is a variant style of play. The "normal" way to start is to just choose countires in turn. You place an army down on any unoccupied territory until all are taken. Then amass and start the rolling!

I do find it interesting that the OP cites board games and, I assume, a desire for a little family interaction, and some of the suggestions are to plop the kid in front of a computer.

[Sitnam]

I played Risk w/ my family when I was a kid (<10) and have enjoyed it ever since. I know there have been some rules and stylistic changes over the years. For example, the iteration we had the defender could only roll either 1 or 2 dice, never 3.
What Risk version allows defenders to roll three dice?

[Sauron]

I do find it interesting that the OP cites board games and, I assume, a desire for a little family interaction, and some of the suggestions are to plop the kid in front of a computer.

I suggested the computer version for two reasons:

1) It moves much faster than the board game -- a key component when you're talking about a child's attention span;

2) It can be played either alone, or with other family members or friends. The board game isn't fun with just two people.

[qubed]

I do find it interesting that the OP cites board games and, I assume, a desire for a little family interaction, and some of the suggestions are to plop the kid in front of a computer.

You can have family interaction in front of a computer too! Just because it involves a computer doesn't make it illegitimate.

Mainly, the purpose of the computer version in to remove all the dice rolling -- which can turn a 3 hour game into a 1/2 game.

[Darth Sensitive]

Here's a link to the computerized version I use. It's free, and has rules for 2 variants of RISK. I play the 2200 (or whatever it is variant). The AI could be a little stronger, but it's good for internet play when you can find a server.

http://www.smileygames.net/invadeearth

[OneCentStamp]

When he's ready for a game with negotiation + strategy (but no luck!), introduce him to Diplomacy (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gibsons-Games-Diplomacy/dp/B00009W9JK). :cool:Totally seconded. Diplomacy is a terrific game. Two caveats for the OP: one, the game is most fun with six players and you really need at least four; and two, it's probably best enjoyed by people 12 and over.

[glee]

Anyway, the luck of the starting position is more pronounced if you go with the version glee referenced. That is, using cards to determine what countries you start off with. However, unless the rules have really changed, this is a variant style of play. The "normal" way to start is to just choose countires in turn. You place an army down on any unoccupied territory until all are taken. Then amass and start the rolling!


It shows how long ago I played Risk :eek: .
I agree that allowing players to choose their starting territories is much better than randomly drawing cards.


I do find it interesting that the OP cites board games and, I assume, a desire for a little family interaction, and some of the suggestions are to plop the kid in front of a computer.

I know what you mean, but the computer can save a lot of setting up (and also do the baking in some games).

[Hello Again]

I played loads of Risk in high school. The computer does move things along. When we played as children we almost never finished a game (as other say 4-5 hours is nothing for a game of Risk).

[Slacker]

Here's a link to the computerized version I use. It's free, and has rules for 2 variants of RISK. I play the 2200 (or whatever it is variant). The AI could be a little stronger, but it's good for internet play when you can find a server.

http://www.smileygames.net/invadeearth
Good call. My goober friends and I play Risk 2200AD exclusively these days. Well, that and Axis & Allies. :) Either way, straight up Risk seems kind of boring to me now.

[Omi no Kami]

He's a bit young for it right now, but if he still enjoys strategy games when he's 12-14 I would recommend Cosmic Encounter. I guess younger kids could learn it easily enough, but most of the fun of that game comes from hacking: coming up with extremely unusual strategies that effectively make use of cards, powers, and abilities that you essentially receive at random.

[GargoyleWB]

Don't forget to also play the Risk nuclear variant...instead of getting extra armies with a card trade in, you can stockpile a nuke instead. When you play the nuke, you obliterate the armies of one territory.

Discourages those pesky Indonesia squatters from building a massive legion of troops.

It does tend to make more of a marathon game though.

[Eureka]

I think there are two questions that you should answer before starting your child playing Risk.

Is your child is willing and able to play a game which is likely to last multiple hours?

Does your child understand that when the person playing black, the person playing green, and the person playing yellow all attack your child it should not be taken personally, but is merely a matter of each other player deciding that their optimum strategy is to attack your child?

Because it's no fun playing a game with someone who is sitting there crying "it's not fair" when other people do things they don't like.

[MarcusF]

I played Risk with my friends (and Dad) when I was under 10 - prob 9ish. We had no problem with concentrating but I don't remember many games actually reaching a conclusion :D

[Danalan]

Risk is a great game, and a smart young kid with a good attention span should enjoy it, provided they can handle losing.

Just remember that Risk is a pretty cutthroat game, and you will be attacked, and you will lose men and countries.

Another thing to think about is that Risk pretty much demands at least 4 players for it to be any fun. The six player game is even better. If you don't have regular opportunities to play with a group, there are likely better games for an eight year old.

[Boyo Jim]

There's a computer version of Risk that I recommend. You can buy it from several places; we got ours from Big Fish Games.

Not only can one person play the game (against computer generals of varying degrees of skill), you can also modify the game to make it go much faster -- automatic dice rolls, speedier turns, etc. It's the same game, it just goes by much more quickly. I can usually play a game against the computer generals in about 25 minutes. My five-year-old likes to play, too, but he doesn't understand all the strategy involved.

If your child is comfortable with point-and-click work on the computer, it sounds like Risk would be an excellent game for him. I think the download runs about $20.

Based on Sauron's comments I would suggest the computer version would be much more appropriate than the board game. The board game is LONG, and you need 4 people committed to it. So if your family regualrly plays board games together, this would be a fine addition. But otherwise he'll probably need the computer as an opponent.

[Voyager]

I played Risk back in high school, back in the wooden army days. I've played an old computer version, and didn't like it much. There is a pleasure in seeing the armies piled on the board and actually moving them a computer game doesn't match. There is drama in dice rolls also. Yes, it could take hours, but a kids who plays chess well shouldn't have any problem with attention span, and there are enough things decreasing attention span these days - why add one more. Concentrating for hours is a good skill to learn. My kids and I played when they were under 10, no problem.

I do agree that you need at least 3 people, maybe 4. I prefer cards for country selection, since it makes it a bit more lucky, and because you have to deal with different regions in different games.

[Just Some Guy]

I'm shocked that I might be the only contrary opinion in the thread but Risk is a terrible game. It's very random, has a handful of obvious optimal strategies, and the winner is usually obvious hours before the game ends. There's an entire world of spectacular board games out there so there's no reason to get something this mediocre.

You said he likes world geography so may I recommend the 10 Days (http://www.boardsandbits.com/product_info.php?products_id=12917) series. In these games players try to assemble a ten card hand that forms a concurrent vacation through a particular region of the world. It makes it a lot like Rummy in that you are building a run of cards but you're doing it with states and countries. So far there are 10 Days in the USA, 10 Days in Africa, 10 Days in Europe, and 10 Days in Asia. They play very similarly so you wouldn't want to get more than one. My personal favorite so far is Africa but a lot of people favor the recently released Asia.

But let's say that geography isn't really what he wants and it's more of a game where armies fight. In that case the current darling is Heroscape (http://www.amazon.com/Hasbro-41712-Heroscape-Master-Set/dp/B0001ITVZQ/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1200956273&sr=1-4), a miniatures game where players build a rather nice map to fight on out of large lego type pieces and then have fantasy armies duel on it. It plays very fast and its expandable in that there are a lot of accessories that you can buy (additional armies and terrain pieces) which can be a pro or a con depending on how you look at it. I would recommend the Master Set which I linked to above as the starting point since the other two core sets don't have nearly as much terrain or figures with them. It's becoming a bit rare but it can be found more cheaply than what I linked to above.

You also said he liked chess, so have you considered Go? This Asian abstract strategy game has been played for thousands of years and is considerably deeper than chess though its rules are much simpler. Essentially on a grid of 19x19 players take turns setting down white and black stones trying to enclose spaces. This is a game that can be learned in minutes and take multiple lifetimes to master. If you live in an area with a Chinatown then you could find a set fairly cheap otherwise you'll have to check online for a decent price (though I wouldn't try for a big set until he's played it). I should also say that while I know of eight year olds who play this one might be bit too far for him. I'd only look in this direction if he's a chess maniac already since then he might be receptive to trying it.

Finally let me strongly recommend using boardgamegeek.com (http://boardgamegeek.com) (which is down for maintenance as I write this). There's opinions and suggestions for pretty much any game you might think of and plenty of recommendations for more.

[FoieGrasIsEvil]

Go for it. On its face, Risk is remarkably simple. Definitely one of those "Easy to learn, difficult to master" type games. Just make sure you whoop him a few times to build some character. ;)
God, I must have the most character of any Risk player ever, as my Dad, a retired Army general, would mercilessly rout me in that game from the time I was about seven even into my teens.

It is a great game and if your child is as bright as you say and has the patience to play chess, then he'll enjoy Risk.

Someone else here mentioned Axis and Allies, that's pretty much my alltime favorite war boardgame, but it's a little advanced for an eight year old. If he cottons to risk, but him Axis and Allies when he's eleven.

Also, another option and blast from the past ....Stratego.
While not nearly as involved as Risk, it's still military-oriented and a lot of fun.
That was another game my old man regularly blasted my arse at.
I recall loving the gamepieces, too, with the marshalls, colonels, etc. Great game.

[Windwalker]

Good call. My goober friends and I play Risk 2200AD exclusively these days. Well, that and Axis & Allies. :) Either way, straight up Risk seems kind of boring to me now.

Ditto. Risk 2020AD is so much better than the original Risk that even thinking about playing the original gives me a headache. In comparison with most modern board games (like Settlers of Catan, Acquire, Puerto Rico, etc.), the original Risk is actually pretty bland, repetitive, and boring. However, the original was still quite good if you had enough ganja to last the duration.

"You sunk my battleship!"
"That's Kirkuskt, and there are no boats!"
"Go fish!"

[Leaffan]

I'm shocked that I might be the only contrary opinion in the thread but Risk is a terrible game. It's very random, has a handful of obvious optimal strategies, and the winner is usually obvious hours before the game ends. There's an entire world of spectacular board games out there so there's no reason to get something this mediocre.
Touche'

I hated Risk!

[Airman Doors, USAF]

If you can, find a copy of Castle Risk. It sticks to Europe and empires, and it adds certain elements that help alleviate the boredom. Much more strategy than building up armies and cutting a swath, if you ask me. He can work up to Risk later when he has a bit more patience.

[Just Some Guy]

If you can, find a copy of Castle Risk. It sticks to Europe and empires, and it adds certain elements that help alleviate the boredom. Much more strategy than building up armies and cutting a swath, if you ask me. He can work up to Risk later when he has a bit more patience.
Castle Risk is even worse than normal Risk. It's not uncommon for a player to win on the first turn before any other player has gotten a turn. Admittedly this does cut down on the hours of not so great game play but otherwise it is considered a bit of a design flaw.

[tds1273]

If you are looking for an computer version of Risk, without a doubt, go with Lux Delux (http://sillysoft.net/lux/). The demo comes with a couple different 'classic' Risk maps, but even better, you can refight WW2(tough, I like to build up down in the ME), the Vietnam War(fun! start in the north, make sure you control the water), conquer the US(great map!, start with DC and the eastern front push), capture castles, fight for a space station, and a bunch of random type of maps. If you buy the full versions you get more maps and online play. The interface is supperb, and though graphically it is very simple, it still manages to look quite nice. Do check this game out. You get 30 free games on the demo, and a little trick I learned, when you get to 30 games, you can actually keep playing as many as you like as long as you dont exit the game.
...yeah I'm a fan...


They also have other versions, though I've only played the demo's which are fairly limited, of American History(refight all the wars the US has been in, including Iraq), world history(all the great wars through the ages). I think they might have a couple other versions as well, but I can't check the site at work.

[jackdavinci]

I played Civilization (board game) in fifth grade, which was like Risk on steroids and was fine. I'm sure I must have played actual Risk even before that. It's probably more a question of temperament and interest than age - there are many adults who either love or can't stand Risk. Also the question of, are you willing to play or does he need a group of friends who also like the game? A computer version is definitely something to consider.

[Scumpup]

My brother and some of his friends were Risk fanatics. I used to regularly get browbeaten/forced into playing. Even without the element of coercion, I always found risk tedious in the extreme. I was an enthusiast of vastly more complex games like Squad Leader and other hex map war games; Risk was just a bore.

[Rocketeer]

My daughters and I played History of the World,\

(http://www.funagain.com/control/product/~product_id=011708)

which is more complex than Risk but less complex than Diplomacy or Civilization. It's an attractive game, with lots of little men to move around, and it models the ebb and flow of world empires and the course of world history very very well. My daughters were perfectly happy to play it with me.

[Oslo Ostragoth]

Crashing this thread to state that I went years undefeated at Risk, and if anyone can find a free online game, I challenge you to defeat me.

[Coil]

I would also recommend History of the World. I used to play that a lot in my teens and it had a very nice ebb and flow which tended to make the game very open even in the final turn.

[Malacandra]

I would also recommend History of the World. I used to play that a lot in my teens and it had a very nice ebb and flow which meant that the game went to whoever drew Britain in the final turn.

Excuse me for editing, but I think that now means what you actually meant it to mean. :D (Strangely, despite the bias noted above, the bunch I used to game with rated HotW really, really highly, as do I.)

No-one's mentioned Britannia yet, a super four-player game covering British history from the Roman invasion to the Norman Conquest. Each faction has different objectives and has to try to maximise its own while, where possible, interfering with others' attempts to maximise theirs. It's an intriguing balancing act and, as a rule, every game is different. The combat system is simple too.

[Rocketeer]

Excuse me for editing, but I think that now means what you actually meant it to mean. :D (Strangely, despite the bias noted above, the bunch I used to game with rated HotW really, really highly, as do I.)



The latest edition (the plastic figures version) has some rules changes intended to address that; most of my playing time is on the old edition --I'd only played the plastic-figures version a couple times when my daughter went off to college, deep-sixing my game-playing-- and so I can't say whether the new rules are effective.

[Coil]

In my defense I should say that it was a long time ago since I played HotW. What I do remember is that whoever was on top in the middle of the game would definitely be stuck with the Khmers in that era. :)

It was still a very fun game though.

I remember playing Britannia a lot, but I can't recall any of the game mechanics.

[Malacandra]

Britannia basically entails occupying various parts of the country with at least one army every so many turns. Your population grows naturally according to how much land you have, but each faction has an upper limit that it can't exceed. Additionally, most factions get a kick-start with an initial invasion force, and a few get off-board reinforcements depending on the state of the game.

Each faction gets points for different parts of the country, which naturally overlap - so the Picts, Scots, Caledonians and Norsemen will violently disagree over who should own the highlands and islands, for example - and sometimes get points for killing specific enemies (indigenous Britons get points for killing Romans and burning down Roman forts, f'rinstance). Many factions can receive a historical Leader in some turn, which gives enhanced movement and combat capabilities. Most armies are equal, but some (Romans; Norman cavalry) are more equal than others.

It can be hard to tell who's winning, but in general, if you're fulfilling the conditions on your factions' cards, you're doing all right.

[Philster]

Oh, it's Risk, the game of world domination being played by two guys who can barely run their own lives -- Jerry Seinfeld commenting on Kramer and Newman
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On the subway...

Kramer: Ha ha, the Ukraine. Do you know what the Ukraine is? It's a sitting
duck. A road apple, Newman. The Ukraine is weak. It's feeble. I think it's
time to put the hurt on the Ukraine.

Ukrainian: I come from Ukraine. You not say Ukraine weak.

Kramer: Yeah, well we're playing a game here, pal.

Ukrainian: Ukraine is game to you?! How 'bout I take your little board and smash
it!! ::SMASHES IT::

[shijinn]

Crashing this thread to state that I went years undefeated at Risk, and if anyone can find a free online game, I challenge you to defeat me. challenge is on if there is enough interested dopers to fill a 6-8 player game.

Conquer Club (http://www.conquerclub.com/)
Grand Strategy (http://www.denizengames.com/grandstrategy/login.faces)

note that these are free browser games (no downloads) designed for you to take a turn a day, so games can last for many days, if not weeks.

[Salmo Trutta]

Yeah, I second the idea of trying Go. It has nothing, really, to do with Risk or geometry but if he's into chess and Othello he should love it.

I disagree that it might be too much for a child to pick up. I find Go to be full of strategy but sort of "gut feeling" type of strategy. You know, the kind that a kid has naturally that could humble most intelligent adults. It’s pretty fast paced and super satisfying to look at the finished board when the game is over. Come to think of it, I haven’t broken out my Go set in awhile now. Perhaps it’s time to revisit it.

By the way, I got my set at a run of the mill game store. The kind with poker chips, a hundred monopoly versions, role-playing games and the like. I love the movie “pi” and decided I needed to find out what Go was all about. I scoured the cities toy stores and made numerous phone calls. Eventually found my set at the kind of place I described above.

[Khampelf]

challenge is on if there is enough interested dopers to fill a 6-8 player game.

Conquer Club (http://www.conquerclub.com/)
Grand Strategy (http://www.denizengames.com/grandstrategy/login.faces)

note that these are free browser games (no downloads) designed for you to take a turn a day, so games can last for many days, if not weeks.


I'm in, I'm trying to get signed up for Conquer Club, waiting on the confirming email.


Now, the variation where you start with territories distributed by cards is better for two people. (I think it's even called 'the two player option' in some versions.) We took it a step further, and introduced 'Indigenous Peoples' That was a third color, distributed randomly, and we took turns placing their reinforcements, initially. After that, they didn't reinforce, and never attacked, but you had to conquer them to get the territory.

[shijinn]

well that's 3 of us :)

I'm in, I'm trying to get signed up for Conquer Club, waiting on the confirming email.


Now, the variation where you start with territories distributed by cards is better for two people. when you have 6 players, it depends on the type of game you want to play. distributed territories means an initial hustle to stake your own continent, whereas choosing your own territories usually means you skip that step and everyone ends up with their own continent much earlier on.


OP: imo if he can play Chess i don't see why not? Risk is a simpler game. more important are the social aspects, as Risk is not a 2 player game and is only fun with the full complement. while Chess rewards your own ability to play, Risk is all about a group of friends dickering around the board. no matter how good you are technically, it's just as fun to convince everyone else not to attack you and go attack someone else. ... Because it's no fun playing a game with someone who is sitting there crying "it's not fair" when other people do things they don't like.

[Danalan]

I'm in. I just signed up on Conquer Club.

Bring it on, fellow Dopers!

[Gatopescado]

I always win.

[Khampelf]

I've started a thread to organize some DoperRisk in this thread

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=9401042#post9401042

Thanks for the Idea Shijinn, I hope this flies.

And Thanks to Laughing Lagomorph for bringing it up.

[Oslo Ostragoth]

I've started a thread to organize some DoperRisk in this thread

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=9401042#post9401042

Thanks for the Idea Shijinn, I hope this flies.

And Thanks to Laughing Lagomorph for bringing it up.Signed up at Conquer Club. Hope I can make it through a game against you Tasmanian devils.

[gonzoron]

Gotta agree with Just Some Guy here. I loved Risk in my youth, but that was before I played many better games. Risk 2210 is an improvement, but since it's set in the future, the map is different and so may not scratch that Geography itch. (One of the good points of the original Risk is that I know where Kamchatca is). The downsides of Risk are many, but the major ones are: huge dependence on luck, long play time, and hurt feelings due to extreme conflict.

Here are some games that share some of the good points of Risk without the bad that I'd be happy to give a 9-year-old:

Geography related:
TransAmerica (and TransEuropa): Building train routes across the country (or Europe) to connect up your 5 cities faster than anyone else. (Plays fast (30 mins), simple rules, inexpensive)

Ticket To Ride (or Ticket to Ride Europe): Similarly, a train-based game, but longer and slightly more complex. Collect train cards Rummy-style and play them in sets to claim tracks on the board.

Battle/Conflict related:
Nexus Ops: Risk-like, but with a sci-fi theme, and better, more balanced rules and shorter play time. (Available for $10 or under in some Toys R' Us and online stores. They are discontinued and clearancing out)

Vinci: This may be a bit advanced, or he may have no trouble with it. You conquer a map of Europe, like Risk, but without any luck. Empires rise and fall, as you abandon declining empires and restart elsewhere on the board with new powers. Play time is under 2 hours. (Sadly, it's out of print, so Ebay may be the best place to find it.)

(And I do love HeroScape as well, but be warned, constant expansions make it either a great, reliable present idea, or a money-sink, depending on how you look at it.)

If he just likes rolling lots of dice:
Can't Stop: classic push your luck game, recently republished. Plays in 30 minutes.

I definitely recommend checking out www.boardgamegeek.com. Post the same question there in the Recommendations forum and you'll get ten times the options.

(Most of these games won't be found at your local toy store. You may need to find a specialty Game store near you, or go online to: www.thoughthammer.com, www.funagain.com, or www.bouldergames.com, all of which I've ordered from in the past with no problems.)

[AmericanMaid]

Anyone else thinking about this quote?

"In the '30s, Hitler: Czechoslovakia, Poland, France, Second World War... Russian front not a good idea... Hitler never played Risk when he was a kid. Cause, you know, playing Risk, you could never hold on to Asia. That Asian-Eastern European area, you could never hold it, could you? Seven extra men at the beginning of every go, but you couldn't fucking hold it. Australasia, that was the one. Australasia. All the purples. Get everyone on Papua New Guinea and just build up and build up...

[jsc1953]

Risk is all about a group of friends dickering around the board. no matter how good you are technically, it's just as fun to convince everyone else not to attack you and go attack someone else.

In my Risk-playing group, we evolved a shorthand for this argument: Civic Duty. As in, it's to the common good of all players (with one exception, of course) that you spend this turn breaking up somebody else's stranglehold on Europe. You must go Do Your Civic Duty.

[PharmBoy]

It's a great game. My nine year old loves it. It's like chess in that you can play it for the rest of your life and never grow tired of it. My friends and I used to have all night Risk games in college.

[Khampelf]

Anyone else thinking about this quote?

"In the '30s, Hitler: Czechoslovakia, Poland, France, Second World War... Russian front not a good idea... Hitler never played Risk when he was a kid. Cause, you know, playing Risk, you could never hold on to Asia. That Asian-Eastern European area, you could never hold it, could you? Seven extra men at the beginning of every go, but you couldn't fucking hold it. Australasia, that was the one. Australasia. All the purples. Get everyone on Papua New Guinea and just build up and build up...

Yes, but Australia's only worth 2, Asia's worth 7. And build up New Guinea all you want, who can you attack? India. Which is in Asia. The other players will get around to you eventually. As long as you lose more than two armies a round, you lose eventually.

Keeping North America is the key to victory. Worth 5, three entry points.

[Just Some Guy]

Yes, but Australia's only worth 2, Asia's worth 7. And build up New Guinea all you want, who can you attack? India. Which is in Asia. The other players will get around to you eventually. As long as you lose more than two armies a round, you lose eventually.

You're forgetting the resource cards (the most problematic portion of Risk, IMO). Hole up in Australia and protect your gate. Take one territory a turn so you get your card and leave it protected by the minimum force since it makes no difference to you if it gets retaken (in fact, it's better if it gets retaken). They can't wall you in since in Asia you can protect your front much more easily than they can especially when they have to deal with multiple external threats while you're only looking at one path. When you've got a sufficiently large mass of troops on the border start your long march.

[shijinn]

... Keeping North America is the key to victory. Worth 5, three entry points. but even before you can secure North America you'll already have a war with whoever's at South America, and possibly Europe. Australia is .. relatively Civic Duty Safe, provided you can get it.