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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 know what you mean, but the computer can save a lot of setting up (and also do the baking in some games).
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).
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.
Either way, straight up Risk seems kind of boring to me now.