8.1
Still in beta, it has some great features and a small, active community. Can MajorCommand live up to its massive potential?
7.3
The largest community out there, this slumbering giant is fun to play but could use a little developer attention.
5.7
Relatively new, this site brings a fresh interface and some interesting features. Some more users and goods maps are needed.
5.5
Packed to the gills with features, LandGrab.net can be entertaining if you can deal with the bloat and clumsy interface.
5.4
New on the block, small and growing. D12 has some cool features and a clean experience.
5.1
An attractive looking site but lacks features and a community.
4.7
Lots of potential and innovation, but the tumbleweeds make it a lonely place to game.
3.6
Decent interface, but a bit too commercial and lacking in flavor.
3.4
A small community and some decent maps are weakened by a ton of ads and banners.
2.7
A failed mix of Risk and new age philosophy with a cult mindset.
1.1
A hideous site loaded with spam and ads. No features, no community.
Is the most classic strategy board game of all time. If you are looking to play Risk online, you are in the right place. Millions of fans can remember heated diplomacy and rolling dice into the early morning. But sometimes that's not possible, so playing online can really take the Risk experience to the next level.
I have been playing the board game for 30 years but wanted something more. Also I couldn't gather my friends around the table every week, so I needed some online players. If you type in "play risk online" into any search engine you are presented with tons of options. But joining a community and figuring out a site's interface can be time consuming process.
So I am here to simplify it for you.
I have joined every variant of Risk clone out there, looking for the best experience, the best community and the most fun.
The quality of the Risk clones out there ranges from good to terrible, so I have rated 5 important aspects of all these sites and compiled them into one meta score.
Take a look and see which Risk site would be best for you.
8.1
Created by a splinter group of ConquerClub veterans, MajorCommand looks to bring something fresh to the table.
Interface
82
The game interface is easy to use and efficient. It's packed with options but not overly cluttered. The load times are not suitable for dialup. The site has simple tabbed navigatable, though some parts are unfinished.
Community
81
The community is small but engaged and growing quickly. However all the tools are in place to be a highly communal site. Forums are lively, user profiles have depth, and the scoreboard has many options to rank on. There is even a wiki and developer blog.
Fun
85
Playing is a blast and the built in diplomacy feature takes the game to new heights. There are plenty of rule variants to keep you busy but real time games are hard to get going at this stage. A thoughtful gaming experience has left very few pain points.
Maps
77
There is only seven maps but they are all gorgeous and well thought out. Each has a unique interactive layer to keep it interesting. They have a team of skilled map designers so expect more on the way.
Vitality
80
Still in beta, this multi-member team is highly talented and experienced. Updates and fixes are rapid and the developers are active in the community. It seems to be a professional operation dedicated to making it’s mark in Risk based gaming.
7.3
The largest community out there, this slumbering giant is fun to play but could use some sprucing up.
Interface
63
While it seems a bit dated, it gets the job done. Drop down boxes and menus are used during the game. Much of the rest of the site is integrated into phpbb forum software. Users will need 3rd party scripts and add-ons to complement the interface as the developer has not added these improvements to the core game.
Community
85
One of the largest and most active Risk playing communities out there. Some 20,000 active users and a robust forum with over 2 million posts. The forums is where the community is as many members have taken up the charge with tournaments, clans, forum games, and other user created extras.
Fun
72
Conquer Club has a well-deserved reputation as one of the most addicting Risk clone sites. There are lots of options, but not so many that you can't get a pickup game going within minutes. The casual games are easy to play once a day or you can play real time games as well. There are also limited achievements to be won.
Maps
81
There are well over a hundred quality maps to play, ranging from tiny to massive, simple to extremely complex. All of them have been tested and officially approved, and quite a few have high quality graphics. The downside is that the sheer number of maps can be daunting for new players as there isn't much in the way of descriptions or organization.
Vitality
62
Started in 2006, Conquer Club can be considered a mature gaming site, with all the advantages and disadvantages maturity can bring. The major disadvantage is that official development progresses at a very slow pace, leading to declining activity and restless membership. However the community is large enough to keep the embers burning for quite some time.
5.7
An innovative site that could be a contended with some more members and better maps.
Interface
79
The game interface is quick and simple to understand. What it lacks in style and character it makes up for with feature rich additions.
Community
41
The forums are not very active, but there are some tournament tools to use. No scoreboard though, which is unfortunate
Fun
71
You can immediately jump into a single player against AI, which can be fun and provide a little practice. Multiplayer has lots of options and works well, as long as you manually invite your friends. The community is small so don't expect pick up games.
Maps
33
The maps are really a weak spot. They are boring, two color, and serve the gameplay only. there are 4 standard maps and 30 or so user created ones with are mostly worthless.
Vitality
62
The site is still in beta, and the developer is active. The up-to-date site design looks fresh and should attract new players. Keeping them involved in the community might be difficult though.
5.5
Packed to the gills with features, LandGrab.net can be entertaining if you can deal with the bloat and clumsy interface.
Interface
51
The basic site interface can be confusing for the uninitiated. The game interface benefits from clickable maps instead of menus, but certain features are on entirely different pages, which is annoying. The turn by turn playback is an invaluable tool.
Community
42
Almost all player interaction takes place within the forum, which have over 50K posts. There isn't much in the way of tournaments or user created content as most of the discussion is just that, discussion.
Fine if you want to
play slots, not so much if you are playing Risk.
Fun
68
With more game types than any other site, Landgrab can be a lot of fun. The game options are incredibly varied and almost infinitely customizable, and Landgrab even features AI players. There are loads of achievements, though many are easy to attain, along with multiple leader boards.
Maps
62
There are around 100 official maps ranging in quality from good to disaster. Players can upload their own maps without official approval, which can extend the possibilities endlessly or waste a person's time on an untested map.
Vitality
54
Online since 2005, LandGrab has motored along largely on the dedication of its responsive developer, who updates on a monthly basis. Unfortunately, the site as a whole is less than the sum of its parts, due to the lack of attention to user interface and design. Growth is limited because of this.
5.3
A one man spin-off of ConquerClub, D12 is looking to build a better experience.
Interface
68
Playing a game combines a clickable map and drop down boxes. It doesn’t feel fresh but it gets the job done. Small design touches help the user interface along. Browsing the site is a slick and professional experience.
Community
35
The only community takes place in the forums which could be more active. There is no true scoreboard and the user profiles have sparse information.
Fun
62
The games can be fun with a good group of players. There is a few interesting rule variants to try also. The scoring and ranking system is a bit convoluted and you have to buy maps and game types with tokens earned for good behavior.
Maps
44
There are only four maps but they all have a decent level of design aesthetics. There are no user-generated maps which might be a good sign of quality standards. Maps must be earned with site tokens.
Vitality
58
Recently out of beta they now offer a premium membership for $25. There is one developer who seems active and responsive. The member base is growing and there is a decent amount of open games to jump into.
5.2
It excels in the graphic department but comes up short in most other areas.
Interface
61
The game interface is solid thanks to clickable maps, but much of the secondary information is spread out over entirely different pages. The site interface is workable and has a designer's touch to it.
Community
49
The forums are building steam and user pages can offer some connectivity. There is also a scoreboard to see the leaders.
Fun
48
Basic games on Wargear are enjoyable, but with few options there isn't much replay value.
Maps
40
With over 120 maps, they may be some winners in gameplay but the design quality is very low on all of them. Too many maps and not enough users means it hard to get a game started on a nonstandard map.
Vitality
57
There is definitely some effort put into the site. The members just need to take up the charge and use the community tools available.
4.7
Lot's of potential and innovation, but the tumbleeds make it a longly place to game.
Interface
68
While there is nothing new about in game drop down menus, there is plenty of secondary info easily accessed in a tabbed section. The rest of the site suffers from an icon overdose but is clean and efficient.
Community
25
There is no forum or centralized community but you can message users and a scoreboard provides a look at who else is playing. They do have a yahoo group but it is not linked to from the site itself.
Fun
60
There a lots of game types and options, including some novel ones too so you can certainly mix it up for a while. If you had a core group of friends already, you can can have a lot of fun here, but otherwise it can be a bit lonely.
Maps
42
There are about 30 maps, most are of decent quality. You can find four varients of the classic Risk map. Unfortunately, some of their maps appear to be stolen from other sites.
Vitality
40
The developer isn't much a presence and there is only about 30 or games waiting for players, but the yahoo group does have some activity. THe site design looks like it hasn't changed since 1998 so don't expect much.
3.6
A new commercial venture has potential but leaves a lonely and clinical experience.
Interface
50
The game interface is an odd combination of a clickable map and input boxes. It is fairly easy to get the hang of but feels overly technical. The rest of the sites limited content is easy to navigate
Community
15
The user pages have some good statistical info, and the scoreboard looks good, but there is no way to interact with other members, except for a limited in-game chat.
Fun
44
There are some alternate rule sets not found else where, but unfortunately it is still only played on the same old Risk map. The lack of communication with other players feels isolating. There is a small number of decorations to be won.
Maps
10
There is only one map, the standard Risk world, and it is not very pretty but gets the job done. There appears to be no other push for other maps.
Vitality
49
Tthe site is new and is a professional effort with several hundred players on the scoreboard. There are strong commectial elements, like the ability to buy armies, which doesn't seem like a good idea. The developer knows how to market well, but with few active games, it is unclear if the site can retain players.
3.4
Ads and spam obscure a small but active community and some decent maps.
Interface
42
Unfortunately, the interface and site are cluttered with ads and banners. The game is run with drop down menus, but there are no game stats offered. The maps are small, and oh did I mention, tons of ads and banners.
Community
12
There is no community to speak of. No forum or tournaments or clans. In fact, the only place you can be assured that you are not playing alone is the scoreboard, which lists the top 100 players.
Fun
35
With only a basic set of game types and features, it is hard to see the fun extending beyond a few games. However, it's relatively easy to get a game started, as the site regularly has over 200 members on at the same time.
Maps
46
There are about 70 maps in total. Some are interesting and have decent graphics, but most are real turds. All maps have a 600px width, which is a bit small.
Vitality
34
There is a strong push on the site to upgrade to a paid membership, which offers limited benefits. It's quite clear this venture is revenue centric and will likely limp along as long as there is some cash in the developer's pocket.
2.2
Read the manifesto, join the cult, expand your mind. Oh and play some Risk too.
Interface
42
At first visit, the visuals look promising. But the drop down boxes are nothing new. The rest of the site is hard to navigate and can be labyrinthine.
Community
0
There is no forum or any other method to interact with players, which reinforces the site's main focus, joining the Fellowship of Luca cult. There is a creepy undercurrent of new age philosophy and some sort of "new money". Best to not engage these people.
Fun
22
There isn't much fun to be had as features are very few. Perhaps their philosophy will lead to higher consciousness, but the connection to Risk isn't there. There are 'quests' available but it looks like they have little to do with strategy.
Maps
10
There is only one map, France, and it's not even that good quality.
Vitality
37
The site's focus on its new age philosophy at the expense of strategic gaming does not bode well for its future. There are several areas that are under construction and have been for a while. Feels like an incomplete project, but the developer may get their second wind.
1.1
No features, no maps, no community, but tons of spam and ads.
Interface
13
There are ads everywhere, including popups. The game interface uses drop down boxes like many others. The site interface is confusing and often slow or unresponsive.
Community
5
There is none. The entire forum is overrun by spammers, and alternate options for connecting with other players are few.
Fun
22
If you like being bombarded by ads, then this is for you. There are no features that can't be found elsewhere. It's amazing that RiskAttack has managed to register so many users. Amazingly, a player can get a pickup game going fairly easily.
Maps
0
There is only one, and it's stolen from another site.
Vitality
8
The site owner has 53 other sites with advertising on them, so it's obvious that RiskAttack is just an ad grab. The design is old and has never been updated.
