RisiKo! facts for kids
| Publisher(s) | Giochiclub (1968-1977) Editrice Giochi (1977 - present) |
|---|---|
| Years active | 1968–present |
| Genre(s) | Strategy game Board game War game |
| Players | 3–6 |
| Setup time | 5–10 minutes |
| Playing time | 35–300 minutes |
| Random chance | High (6 dice, cards) |
| Skill(s) required | Strategy, tactics, negotiation |
RisiKo! is an exciting strategy board game from Italy. It's a special Italian version of the popular game Risk. The main goal of RisiKo! is to complete a secret mission. Each player has a different mission. This mission might be to conquer a certain number of territories. It could also be to take over two or more continents. Sometimes, the goal is to defeat another player's armies completely.
Contents
Game Features in RisiKo!
RisiKo! has several cool features that make it fun to play. These include the game board, different types of armies, secret missions, and special cards.
The Game Board: World Map
The RisiKo! game board shows a map of the world. This map is divided into 42 different territories. These territories are grouped into 6 continents.
| Continents | N° territories |
Territories |
|---|---|---|
| North America | 9 | Alaska, Northwest Territories, Greenland, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, West United States, East United States, Central America |
| South America | 4 | Venezuela, Peru, Brazil, Argentina |
| Europe | 7 | Iceland, Scandinavia, Great Britain, North Europe, West Europe, South Europe, Ukraine |
| Africa | 6 | North Africa, Egypt, Congo, East Africa, Southern Africa, Madagascar |
| Asia | 12 | Urals, Siberia, Yacutia, Chita, Kamchatka, Japan, Mongolia, Afghanistan, Middle East, India, China, Siam |
| Oceania | 4 | Indonesia, New Guinea, East Australia, West Australia |
Each of the 42 territories has its own special card. At the start of the game, these cards are given out to players. Players then place their armies on the territories they received. During the game, you can attack and conquer new territories. You can only attack a territory if it is next to one of your own territories.
Armies and Tanks
Each player controls groups of armies. These armies are identified by their color. They are used to occupy territories, attack enemies, and defend your own land.
In RisiKo!, each army is shown by a small tank piece. Every player starts with a certain number of tanks. The number of tanks you get depends on how many players are in the game. You can also get more tanks at the start of your turn.
Here's how many tanks each player starts with:
- If there are 3 players, each gets 35 tanks.
- If there are 4 players, each gets 30 tanks.
- If there are 5 players, each gets 25 tanks.
- If there are 6 players, each gets 20 tanks.
Secret Targets to Win
At the beginning of the game, each player gets a secret Targets card. This card tells you what you need to do to win the game. You must keep your target secret from other players. This is important for your game strategy.
Here are some examples of possible winning targets from the original game:
- Conquer 18 territories and have at least two armies on each.
- Conquer a total of 24 territories.
- Take over all of North America and all of Africa.
- Control all of North America and all of Oceania.
- Conquer all of Asia and all of Oceania.
- Take over all of Asia and all of Africa.
- Control all of Europe, South America, and one more continent.
- Conquer all of Europe, Oceania, and one more continent.
- Completely destroy all the armies of a specific color. If you can't do this (for example, if that player is already defeated), your new goal becomes to conquer 24 territories.
In official tournaments, there are 16 different Targets cards. These cards often show pictures of the territories you need to conquer.
Territory Cards and Bonuses
There are 42 Territories cards in the game. Each card shows a territory and a symbol. The symbols are cavalry (horseman), infantry (soldier), or artillery (cannon). There are also two joker cards in the deck. Jokers can represent any of the three symbols.
You can combine three cards to get extra armies at the start of your turn. Here's how many armies you get:
- 3 cannon cards = 4 armies (or 8 in tournament rules).
- 3 soldier cards = 6 armies (or 8 in tournament rules).
- 3 horseman cards = 8 armies.
- 1 cannon, 1 soldier, and 1 horseman card = 10 armies.
- 1 Joker card plus any 2 matching symbol cards (like 2 cannons) = 12 armies.
If you use cards that show territories you control, you get even more armies. You get two extra armies for each territory on your cards that you own. You must announce your card combination at the very beginning of your turn.
Game Rules: Italian Style
The rules for RisiKo! are different from other versions of Risk played around the world. Most Risk games follow either European or American rules. However, the Italian RisiKo! has its own unique rules.
One big difference is how battles work. In RisiKo!, the defending player can roll up to 3 dice. This gives the defender a good advantage in battles. In contrast, the American Risk rules, even back in 1959, said that the most dice used in a battle was 5: 3 for the attacker and only 2 for the defender.
