Strategy game
Risk
Raise armies, roll dice and fight to conquer the world map
- Set-up
- About 10 min
- Reading
- Little
The quick verdict
Full verdict ↓Great for Families with children of 10 and up, and teens, who enjoy planning ahead and a bit of bluffing
Think twice if You want a game that reliably finishes within an hour: classic world conquest can take an afternoon
How we rate it
Learning curve. Every turn follows the same three steps and the rules fit in a short guide, but you are planning across 42 territories, judging dice odds and timing card trade-ins, so we put it at 3 with Catan. Scotland Yard is easier, at 2. A full game also lasts longer than either: Catan takes about 60-90 minutes and Scotland Yard 45-60.
Luck & skill. Every battle is settled by dice, and a lucky roll can let one defender hold off a big army. Over a whole game, though, where you build up, which continents you hold and when you trade in cards decide most results.
Interaction. Every attack is aimed at another player, and talk of truces, deals and ganging up on the leader is part of the game.
Set-up. Deal out the 42 territory cards (and a secret mission each, for Secret Mission Risk), place one infantry on each of your territories, then take turns adding the rest of your 25 to 35 starting troops. The war crates keep each army's figures together between games.
Reading. Territory names and the Secret Mission cards are in English; after that there is little to read. The guide is in English.
Learning curve: 1 = UNO or Connect 4; 3 = Catan; 5 = a heavy strategy game. These describe the experience, not an overall score.
Is Risk right for you?
Great if
- Families with children of 10 and up, and teens, who enjoy planning ahead and a bit of bluffing
- A long holiday afternoon, at Diwali or in the summer break, with three to five cousins or friends
- Players who enjoy table talk: truces, deals and ganging up on whoever is winning are part of the game
- Children who like maps: the board is a world map, and India itself is one of the territories
Skip it if
- You want a game that reliably finishes within an hour: classic world conquest can take an afternoon
- Your group gets upset when the dice go against them, because every battle is settled by a roll
- You mostly play as two: there are two-player rules with a neutral army, but the alliances need three or more
A place on the honours list
Good company to be in.
Recognition from beyond our table.
National Toy Hall of Fame (The Strong National Museum of Play), 2021 (Inducted)
Games magazine Hall of Fame, 1984 (Inducted)
Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design Hall of Fame, 1995 (Inducted)
How Risk plays
Set-up: each player picks an army colour. In the main game in this box, Secret Mission Risk for 3 to 5 players, one player acts as 'General': they deal each player a secret mission card (after removing missions that mention colours nobody chose) and then deal out all 42 territory cards. You put one infantry figure on every territory you were dealt, then everyone takes turns adding one more until their starting troops are used up: 35 each with three players, 30 with four and 25 with five.
- Time to teach: about 15 minutes.
- Reading and language: Territory names on the board and cards, and the 12 Secret Mission cards, are printed in English, but once you know the map there is little to read during play. The game guide is in English; we found no Hindi edition.
B7404_DAD_Demo_GMS_Risk_HowTo · Hasbro · Official
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A turn, step by step
- 1Reinforce
Take one new troop for every three territories you hold (at least 3), plus bonuses for whole continents and any card set you trade in, and place them on your territories.
- 2Attack
If you want, attack neighbouring enemy territories: you roll up to three red dice, the defender up to two blue, and the higher die in each pair wins, with ties to the defender.
- 3Move
Move troops once, from one of your territories to another connected through your own land, then pass the dice. Take a territory card if you captured anything.
- 4Win
In Secret Mission Risk, be the first to complete your mission and show the card; in Classic Risk, conquer all 42 territories.
The full explanation: how a game of Risk goes
Every turn has three steps. First, take new troops: one for every three territories you hold (never fewer than 3), plus a bonus for each whole continent you control. The board shows the bonus, from 7 for Asia down to 2 for Australia or South America. Second, attack if you want to: from a territory with at least two troops, push into a neighbouring enemy territory, or one joined by a dotted sea-line. The attacker rolls up to three red dice and the defender up to two blue ones; you compare the highest dice in pairs, the lower one loses a troop each time, and ties go to the defender. Third, you may move troops once, along a chain of territories you own.
If you captured at least one territory on your turn, you take one territory card. Three cards with the same picture, one of each picture, or two plus a wild card make a set you can trade in at the start of a turn for extra troops: 4 for the first set traded in the game, then 6, 8, 10, 12 and 15, and 5 more for each set after that. Knock a player out and you collect their cards too.
How you win depends on the game you choose. In Secret Mission Risk, the first player to complete their mission and show the card wins. In Classic Risk you must conquer all 42 territories. Risk for 2 Players adds a neutral army that blocks both sides and never attacks, and Capital Risk is a shorter game where you capture your rivals' secret headquarters while holding your own.
Tip: for a first game with children, play Secret Mission or Capital Risk so the game ends the same evening. The guide's own advice is to hold whole continents for the extra troops, keep an eye on neighbours who are massing troops, and strengthen the borders that face your enemies.
What's in the box
- 1Gameboard
a world map of 42 territories in six coloured continents - 200Infantry figures
40 per army, each worth 1 troop - 60Cavalry figures
12 per army, each worth 5 troops - 40Artillery figures
8 per army, each worth 10 troops - 56Risk cards
42 territory cards, 2 wild cards and 12 Secret Mission cards - 1Card box
- 5Dice
red for attacking, blue for defending - 5War crates
cardboard storage boxes, one for each army - 1Game guide
four ways to play: Secret Mission, Classic, 2 Players and Capital Risk
Box: 1.21 kg. Handy to know for gifting and travel.
From Hasbro's B7404 game guide (India print) and Hasbro India's product page, which list five armies of 40 infantry, 12 cavalry and 8 artillery (300 figures), 56 cards, a card box, 5 dice and 5 war crates. Hasbro's UK and US pages for B7404 list the same contents, so an imported box should match.
Where to buy
How to make sure you get a genuine copyEditions and the details worth checking.
What reviewers and players say
Risk has lasted since 1957 on a simple idea: build armies, roll dice and fight over a map of the world. The museum that inducted it into the National Toy Hall of Fame calls it the first popular game of strategy, diplomacy and conquest, and many hobby gamers say it is where they started. The common complaints are length, since a classic game of world conquest can run for hours, and luck, since dice decide every battle. Experienced players advise against becoming the obvious leader early, because the first player to hold a continent tends to attract attacks; the Secret Mission and Capital Risk rules make for shorter games.
What people love
- Simple turns: take troops, attack, then move
- Alliances, truces and betrayals around the table
- The world map and armies of soldiers, horsemen and cannons
- Secret missions give each player a different goal
Common complaints
- Classic world conquest can take many hours
- Dice decide battles, so luck can undo a good plan
- The late game can drag when one player is clearly winning
Based on 5 reviews and discussions
- Review Risk review (Martin Lockett, October 2018) · Zatu Games blog
- Players What are some good tactics for the early game in Risk? (October 2010) · Board & Card Games Stack Exchange
- Award Risk (inducted 2021) · The Strong National Museum of Play
- Reference Risk rules (Eric Mortensen, November 2025) · Geeky Hobbies
- Reference Risk (game), read October 2026 · Wikipedia
Summarised in our own words from the sources above. We don't use Amazon reviews or ratings.
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| Why consider it | This game Raise armies, roll dice and fight to conquer the world map | A different fit Hasbro's 20-minute card-and-dice version of Risk, with no board | A different fit A classic for 3-4 of similar difficulty: shorter, with trading in place of fighting | A different fit An Indian game of rival ancient kingdoms competing for territory, with battles decided without dice |
| Players | 2–5 | 2–5 | 3–4 | 2–4 |
| Best with | 3-5 | 3-4 | 4 | 3-4 |
| Play time | 1–3 hrs | 20–30 min | 60–90 min | 30–90 min |
| Age | 10+ | 10+ | 10+ | 14+ |
| Rules | Medium | Easy | Medium | Medium |
| Indian edition | Available | Available | Available | Available |
| On this page | Explore Risk Strike | Explore Catan | Explore Bharata 600 BC |
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Questions people ask about Risk
How long does a game of Risk take?
Hasbro doesn't state a playing time. A game of Secret Mission Risk, the main game in this box, or the shorter Capital Risk is often over in one to three hours, while Classic Risk, where you must conquer the whole world, can take a whole afternoon or more.
Can 2 people play Risk?
Yes. The guide has a two-player game: each of you takes 40 infantry, a third colour becomes a neutral army that also gets 40, and the 42 territories are split three ways. The neutral army never attacks or gets new troops; it only blocks your way, and you win by capturing all of your opponent's territories.
Is Risk suitable for children?
The box says ages 10 and up. Risk is about armies and territories on a world map: the 'war' is plastic soldiers, horsemen and cannons moving between countries, with dice deciding battles, and there is no gore. The rules are easy to follow, but games are long, so younger players may need a parent on their side.
What is Secret Mission Risk?
It is the main game in Hasbro's current box. Each player is dealt one of 12 secret mission cards, such as wiping out a particular army or holding certain continents, and the first player to complete their mission and show the card wins. Because you don't have to conquer the whole world, it is quicker than Classic Risk.
Is the Risk sold in India the same as the one sold abroad?
Yes. Hasbro sells the same B7404 box in India, the UK, the US and Australia, with the same 300 figures, 56 cards and four ways to play. Our Amazon.in link goes to that B7404 box.
Game facts
- Designed by
- Albert Lamorisse
- Publisher
- Hasbro (Avalon Hill brand)
- In India
- Hasbro India Toys Pvt. Ltd. (importer named on the Amazon.in listing)
- First published
- 1957
- Players
- 2–5
- Barcode
- 630509426027
- Language
- Little reading – Territory names on the board and cards, and the 12 Secret Mission cards, are printed in English, but once you know the map there is little to read during play. The game guide is in English; we found no Hindi edition.
- Box size and weight
- 1.21 kg
- Awards
- National Toy Hall of Fame (The Strong National Museum of Play), 2021 (Inducted); Games magazine Hall of Fame, 1984 (Inducted); Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design Hall of Fame, 1995 (Inducted)
Sources & photo creditsThe references behind this guide.
Facts on this page come from the publisher, the Indian maker or distributor, and the sources below. Photos are credited under each one.
- Hasbro India consumer care – Risk Game, item B7404 (contents, barcode, photos)
- Hasbro – Risk game guide, item B7404, India print (PDF)
- Hasbro instructions – Risk Game (UK page for item B7404)
- Wikipedia – Risk (game)
- The Strong National Museum of Play – Risk (National Toy Hall of Fame, 2021)
- Geeky Hobbies – Risk rules (Eric Mortensen)
- Toycra – Hasbro Risk Game (B7404 barcode)
- Wikimedia Commons – People playing Risk