Do you like playing Risk but are looking for something new?
Maybe you’re even looking for a game that’s better than Risk. Or something that has the same mechanics as Risk, but with a completely different setting.
If you checked any of the boxes above, check out these board games that we’ve identified as being similar to Risk, but offer new mechanics and strategies to keep you entertained.
From the classic area control games of Axis & Allies and Shogun to the unique card-based systems of Kemet and Cry Havoc, there’s something for every type of gamer on this list!
Don’t have time to read the whole post? Here are our recommendations at-a-glance:
- If you want something very, very similar to Risk but better, get Risk Legacy
- If you want Risk but with more strategy and no dice rolling, get Game of Thrones: The Board Game Second Edition.
- If you want less combat but more strategy with a Greek gods theme, get Cyclades
- If you want more combat, get Kemet
- If you want resource-intensive space battles, get Eclipse: 2nd Dawn for The Galaxy
- If you want Risk with phase planning, cube tower combat, resource management, building, citizen revolts, and no dice rolling, get Wallenstein.
- If you like the sound of Wallenstein but want a setting in Imperial Japan, get Shogun.
We have a few other wargame recommendations below, so if you want a deeper dive into all of our recommendations, just bookmark this page for later!
* This post may contain affiliate links. You won’t be paying a cent more, but in the event of a sale, the small affiliate commission I receive will help keep this blog running/pumping out useful content. Thanks!
Table of Contents
Risk Legacy
Most similar to Risk
The game evolves with each game you play.
Plays way faster than regular Risk.
Risk Legacy is a popular board game that has been around for decades. If you’re looking for something ‘like Risk’, this would be the closest thing to it!
Risk Legacy serves to improve upon the classic game of Risk. It features a campaign mode in which players can alter the board and rules as they play, making for a unique and ever-changing experience.
The game is simple to learn and play, but there are a few things you should know before you start.
The first thing you need to do is choose your factions. There are many different factions to choose from, so take your time and pick the one that best suits your style of play.
Once you have chosen your faction, it’s time to start building your empire. conquest points by taking over territories on the board. The more territories you control, the more conquest points you’ll earn.
As you conquer more territories, you’ll also unlock new abilities and powers for your faction. These can be used to help you achieve victory in future games.
Game Details: Risk Legacy
- Genre: Strategy
- Number of Players: 3 to 5
- Average Game Length: 60 mins
Kemet
Best for More combat
Have epic battles as you embody gods of ancient Egypt.
Create powerful asymmetric combinations and lead your followers in glorious battles.
Kemet is the next board game like Risk on our list.
Set in ancient Egypt, players take on the role of Egyptian gods or goddesses, and they use their divine powers to lead their followers to victory. The goal of the game is to be the first player to earn 10 glory points.
Players can earn glory points by defeating enemies in battle, building temples, and completing other objectives.
Everyone starts with the same hand of cards. Combat is decided by combat strength and the card played, modified by any powers or upgrades you’ve purchased (like monsters that accompany your troops, etc.).
We like Kemet because while it is a complex game with many different mechanics, it can be learned relatively easily with a little bit of practice.
It’s also a relatively short game once you get over the initial hump of everyone learning how to play!
While there is the original Kemet, the new and improved Kemet Blood and Sand allows you to rediscover Kemet’s epic universe with streamlined and upgraded gameplay.
Blood and Sand features new rules, four pyramid colors, new cards and tokens and a redesigned map with a twist!
Game Details: Kemet Blood and Sand Board Game
- Genre: Strategy
- Number of Players: 2 to 5
- Average Game Length: 90 mins
Game of Thrones: The Board Game (Second Edition)
Best for longer gameplay
Gameplay is based on strategy entirely, no dice rolling.
Updated second edition, incorporates elements of past expansions.
Game of Thrones: The Board Game Second Edition is area control like Risk but entirely strategy. No dice rolling whatsoever!
Based on the bestselling fantasy novels by George R.R. Martin (now a hit HBO series), the high-level plot is that King Robert Baratheon is dead, and the lands of Westeros brace for battle.
This classic board game puts you in the role of one of the great houses of Westeros, vying for control of the Iron Throne.
The game is played on a board with spaces for each house, as well as various other key locations from the book/TV show. Players move their pieces around the board, engaging in combat and trying to take control of key locations.
The first player to take control of seven key locations wins the game!
This is a classic game of warfare, diplomacy, and intrigue perfect for three to six players. And not only is the game easy to learn, but it will also provide you with hours upon hours of entertainment.
It’s a great game with card-based combat instead of dice. If you are looking for a game that’s all strategy with no luck involved, this is the game for you.
Game Details: Game of Thrones: The Board Game Second Edition
- Genre: Strategy
- Number of Players: 3 to 6
- Average Game Length: 240 mins
Cyclades
Best for Greek gods theme
Great adventure game of soldiers, philosophers and mythological creatures.
Quick and immersive gameplay at under 90 minutes per game.
Cyclades is a blast of a war game with a fun theme set in mythological Greece. This is one that ranks pretty high on our list for a reason.
Players take turns moving their figures around the map of the Greek islands, trying to control as many of the islands as possible. The goal of the game is to have the most victory points at the end of the game.
Players can earn victory points by controlling important buildings on the islands, such as temples and fortresses. They can also earn points by building ships and sailing them to other islands.
The game looks beautiful and has Matago Games’ typically brilliant production values. It has a novel mechanic in bidding for the God’s favors every turn that determines both your ‘special power’ for the turn as well as turn order!
Battles are fast and ruthless, meaning you’ll be at the edge of your seat during most of the game. The game even features mythological monsters that give you even more special powers and abilities!
The game play does offer a lot of variety, with no single clear path to victory — it’s a clever fusion of different types of games, with some unique elements we haven’t experienced in any other game.
One thing we especially like is that you never feel like you absolutely can’t win the game.
Unlike Risk, where the outcome becomes clearly inevitable once a certain player establishes dominance, in Cyclades any player can have a comeback and snatch victory if one or two breaks happen to come their way.
Ultimately, if you’re looking for a board game like Risk but better, Cyclades is a very strong option.
Pro Tip: The expansion packs make the game even better!
Game Details: Cyclades
- Genre: Strategy
- Number of Players: 2 to 5
- Average Game Length: 90 minutes
Small World
Best for Fantasy lovers
Fantasy-themed area control game.
Highly variable in the way that you can play; no game is ever the same.
Small World is a fantasy-themed board game that shares some similarities with Risk and has players vying for control of a map that is constantly changing!
The gameplay is basically about area control, plays in 45 to 90 minutes, and relies very little on luck. The combat when moving into new territories isn’t luck based at all, with the exception of one or two civilization combos.
The first thing you need to do is choose your race and special ability. There are 14 different races to choose from such as dwarves, wizards, amazons, giants, orcs and even humans, each with their own unique special ability.
Your goal is to expand your race’s empire by taking over adjacent spaces on the board. You can do this by either conquering or building.
To conquer, you must have more pieces than the space you are trying to take over. If you want to build, you must pay one gold piece per piece that you want to put on that space.
The game is won by having the most Victory Points at the end of the game.
The game also features a neat “going into decline” mechanic where you can choose new civilizations through the course of a game.
Small World also has many other versions (such as Small World: Compendium Vol. 1 or Small World: Underground) if you find yourself itching for more like it!
Game Details: Small World
- Genre: Strategy
- Number of Players: 2 to 5
- Average Game Length: 65 mins
Shogun
A classic area control, euro-style game.
To succeed, players will need to control as many provinces as possible, and develop their realms by building castles, temples, and theaters.
Shogun is basically Risk (but better) set in Imperial Japan!
The game is set in the Sengoku period (approx 1467-1573) which ends with the inception of the well-known Tokugawa Shogunate.
Shogun has a combat mechanic that starts off like Risk. Each player assumes the role of a great Daimyo with all his troops.
Each Daimyo has the same 10 possible actions to develop his kingdom and secure points. To do so he must deploy his armies strategically.
Each round, the players decide which of the actions are to be played out and in which of their provinces. If a battle ensues between opposing armies, the unique Cubetower then comes into play.
Basically, you take the attacker’s units (cubes) and the defender’s units and drop them all into what looks like a dice tower. Some of the cubes come out, some don’t, and some cubes that were already in the tower might come out as well.
You see which side had more units come out of the tower, and that’s the winner! The player who manages to build the most buildings in each of the five regions earns valuable bonus points.
The Shogun Big Box contains the Shogun base game and the expansions: Tenno’s Court, Samurai, Military Leader, and Noble Arts in Japan.
Game Details: Shogun
- Genre: Strategy
- Number of Players: 3 to 5
- Average Game Length: 120 mins
Wallenstein
Unique cube tower combat (has some luck to it, but no dice involved).
Like Risk, but with phase planning, resource management, building, citizen revolts, and no dice rolling.
Wallenstein is another strategy board game that can be enjoyed by players of all ages. This one’s basically like Shogun, but set in Germany.
The objective of the game is to control as much territory as possible and to score the most points. The game is played on a map of Europe which is divided into a number of regions.
Players take turns placing their armies on the map and moving them around in order to conquer new territory.
The game can be won in a number of ways but the most common is to score the most victory points. Victory points are scored by controlling specific regions on the map as well as by having the most army units at the end of the game.
Wallenstein is a great game for those who enjoy strategy games and for those who want to try something new. It is easy to learn but difficult to master, making it perfect for players of all skill levels who also enjoy the game of Risk.
Game Details: Wallenstein
- Genre: Strategy
- Number of Players: 3 to 5
- Average Game Length: 120 mins
Cry Havoc
Fast-paced gameplay
Fast paced war game where 4 asymmetrical factions are fighting over a planet filled with valuable crystals.
Easy-to-teach rules make it perfect even for less experienced gamers.
Cry Havoc is a card-driven, area-control war game set in a sci-fi world in which players take on the role of one of four factions vying for control of a planet. The game is played over the course of three rounds, with each round consisting of four phases.
The first phase is the card drafting phase, in which each player drafts cards from a central pool. These cards determine the order in which players will take actions during the second phase.
The second phase is the action phase, during which players take turns performing one action. Actions include things like moving their units around the board, attacking other players’ units, or spending resources to upgrade their units.
The third phase is the resolution phase, during which combat is resolved and any objectives that have been met are scored.
Battles are decided by placing units on one of 3 objectives that get resolved in order, with opportunities to use cards to move/add units and reorder objectives before combat is resolved.
The result is that you can lose control of a space while still taking a prisoner or killing enemy units, and can sneak in some surprise routes if you plan well.
One of the huge benefits of this game is that it plays in 90 minutes or less.
It also gets bonus points for having a very limited number of rounds and a system for resolving combats all at once, which helps avoid having games drag out or players getting bored due to not having much territory.
Another plus? It’s pretty easy to learn, making it a great game for even those less experienced gamers.
Game Details: Cry Havoc
- Genre: Strategy
- Number of Players: 2 to 4
- Average Game Length: 90 mins
1775: Rebellion
Best intro to historical board games
Very easy to learn; can be played with younger ages when teamed with a parent.
2014 Origins Wargame of the Year Winner
1775: Rebellion is an area control game that simulates the American Revolution and is great for head-to-head or up to 4-player team play.
This game is the second title in the Birth of America series after 1812 – The Invasion of Canada. If you’re looking for a simple-to-learn game like Risk, this game is the perfect strategy board games with a historical theme!
Each player takes on the role of one of the major factions of the time period: the Continental Army, Loyalists, Native Americans, or British Army. The objective of the game is to score victory points by controlling key locations on the map, such as Boston, Philadelphia, or New York City.
The game is played in rounds, and each round consists of four phases: Action, Movement/Battles, Discard/Draw cards, and End turn.
In the Action phase, players take turns performing one action from a list of possible actions. These actions include things like recruiting new troops, playing cards from their hand to gain benefits or hinder their opponents, or moving their troops around the map.
Unlike Risk, each player has their own battle dice and the dice has more effects than only combat. Some players hit more often, others move around much more.
Overall, 1775 is very easy to learn. In fact, many have considered this game the gateway into wargames. The game also only takes about 60-120 minutes to finish whereas many area control games can easily take 4 hours.
The fact that the game is a 2v2 also eliminates any chance of diplomacy from happening, which is a benefit for gamers who aren’t too fond of that tactic.
Game Details: 1775: Rebellion
- Genre: Strategy
- Number of Players: 2 to 4
- Average Game Length: 60 to 120 mins
Eclipse: 2nd Dawn for The Galaxy
>resource-intensive space battles
The revised and upgraded version of the well-loved 2011 version of Eclipse.
Features new designs, custom combat dice, fine-tuned gameplay, and more.
Eclipse: 2nd Dawn for The Galaxy is a 4X game of galactic conquest. The goal of the game is to be the first player to control all of the sectors in the galaxy.
A game of Eclipse places you in control of a vast interstellar civilization, competing for success with its rivals. You’ll explore new star systems, research technologies, and build spaceships with which to wage war.
The game is played on a map of the galaxy, which is divided into sectors. Each sector contains planets, asteroids, and other objects. Players move their fleets around the map, attacking and conquering enemy planets.
Over 8 rounds, each player will select actions to achieve their goals, carefully managing resources, and engaging in epic battles with one another and the Ancients that lie in wait.
Eclipse is a more complex game, but it can be learned relatively easily with a little bit of practice.
Of note, Eclipse still has some luck involved in its combat, but it’s a lot better than the reliance on dice rolls that Risk’s gameplay is comprised of.
Game Details: Eclipse: 2nd Dawn for The Galaxy
- Genre: Strategy
- Number of Players: 2 to 6
- Average Game Length: 180 mins
Inis
Best for Unique gameplay
There are three different ways to win, allowing you to adjust your strategies.
Has a lot of different, unique gaming mechanics that make it completely different from any other game.
Inis is another board game like Risk, but simulates the conflict between three tribes based on ancient myths about Ireland’s colonization and first kings.
The game is played on a map of the island of Inis, which is divided into territory hexes. Each player controls one of the tribes, and the goal of the game is to be the first to control at least six territories.
Each player begins the game with three citadels, which are placed on their chosen territories. These citadels represent the strongholds of each tribe.
Multiple players can occupy the same territory on the map, but whoever has the most in that territory at the start of the round is “Chieftain” and gets a bonus card.
If all combatants agree, you can choose to make peace during a battle and stop fighting immediately.
There are three ways to win (victory conditions are leadership, land or religion), and they typically all happen around the same point in the game.
What this means is achieving victory can get very tense and competitive, but that adds to the fun and immersive-ness, right?
What we love about Inis is that you can do very well during the game by fighting very little. You definitely have to fight at some point to win, but it’s much more about fighting with strategy versus just always trying to invade.
This is ultimately what sets it apart from most combat war control games!
Game Details: Inis
- Genre: Strategy
- Number of Players: 2 to 4
- Average Game Length: 60 minutes
Diplomacy
Best for Groups of 6 or 7
Great in-depth strategy game for true strategy board gamers.
Best played with 6 or 7 players.
Diplomacy is a strategy board game of international intrigue, trust, and treachery, set at the turn of the twentieth century, prior to World War I.
This game is from the same era as Risk, but unlike Risk, has no luck factor. This is precisely why hardcore gamers love this one.
The emphasis is on making secret alliances, in which players must rely on their own cunning and cleverness, not the luck of the dice, to determine the outcome.
It is important to know that this game has a very niche audience. Because of its complexity and length of gameplay (about 6 hours are needed), we wouldn’t recommend this one for the casual or even the average game enthusiast.
Compared to many wargames, the rules are fairly easy but the strategy is very complex and dependent on who the other players are and how many other players are playing the game.
Diplomacy is best enjoyed as a 7-person game; it is playable with 6, but not really below that.
- Genre: Strategy
- Number of Players: 6 to 7
- Average Game Length: 6 hours
Other Games Like Risk (But Better)
If the board games above did not tickle your fancy, here are a few other games like Risk that might do the trick and give you what you’re looking for:
Cosmic Encounter
Cosmic Encounter pits players against each other in a battle for galactic domination. It features unique alien races, each with their own special abilities, making for a varied and exciting gameplay experience.
- Genre: Strategy
- Number of Players: 3 to 5
- Average Game Length: 60 to 120 minutes
Axis & Allies
Axis & Allies Pacific 1940 (Second Edition) is a classic board game that is very comparable to Risk, but ultimately plays better than Risk. You still roll dice to determine hits, but the combat is far more detailed and the economy surrounding it makes the game more strategic.
- Genre: Strategy
- Number of Players: 2 to 5
- Average Game Length: 180 mins
Nexus Ops
Risk has spawned many descendants over the years, and Nexus Ops is probably the most popular ones. This game does have luck of the dice combat, so if that’s what you’re looking for, this could be a great game for you.
- Genre: Strategy
- Number of Players: 2 to 4
- Average Game Length: 90 mins
And that concludes our post! A lot of the games listed here play like Risk, but have overall better strategy and gameplay.
We hope you were able to find a board game like Risk that ticks all the boxes for you!
If you enjoyed reading this article, check out some of our other board game roundups!
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