I don’t know if this is the right forum, but this IS technically a game. Besides, I never really reviewed a full website/online game before, so here goes.
It’s basically Risk online, only with a shitload of maps, many with a fuckton of gimmicky rules and special spaces. You have more or less the same rules as the board game (albeit simplified in scope), with the emphasis being on racking up bonus armies, conquering territory, and using cards to bolster your ranks.
NOTE: You might want to skip the rambling review below. You have been warned.
There is a nice degree of house rules. You can have card bonuses escalate (bonus armies increase with every set cashed in) or stay at a flat rate. You can turn on or off a fog of war. You can change the rules regarding reinforcements. Probably the coolest option is between sequential or freestyle turns. In the former, everyone takes their turn, and then the next player takes theirs, and so on. In freestyle, everyone gets a turn at any time, turning the whole game into a bloodsport of sorts. The only rule is that the last person to finish their turn cannot start the next round.
The maps range from straight examples to downright quirky/stupid. The closest thing on the site right now to the original board is this. Beyond that, they have maps for specific continents and countries (including a shitload of USA maps), as well as a few historical maps (such as Ancient Greece and Pearl Harbor).
After that, things go nuts. Other targets for conquest include the downright merciless Circus Maximus, the infuritatingly convoluted King of the Mountains, and best of all, fucking DISCWORLD! And if those weren’t bad enough, you can take over crossword puzzels, a Pac-Man ripoff, and many more.
For the most part, the rules are pretty consistent. You start by playing any cards you can and/or placing your alloted armies. Then, you start taking over other territories. As long as you take over at least one space on the board, you get a new card at the end of your turn. Once you’re done, you can reinforce any spaces you own, and then end your turn for the round. Attacking is resolved via dice rolls, three for the attacker and up to two for the defender. The game randomly generates the rolls, decreases armies accordingly, and so on.
The real issues come with the gimmicks. A lot of maps come with special rules regarding troop placement, attack directions, etc. For some, this is simply a minor hinderance. (USApocalypse has radioactive spaces that hurt you initially, but if enough are held you get a massive army bonus.) A few special rules actually add to the tension. (Oasis requires you to hold three spaces in the center…which are surrounded by death regions, and the spaces themselves kill off your armies each turn.) But then you have some so downright confusing that you’ll lose your first time, just because you didn’t understand some minor nuiance. (The Battle for Iraq map is a perfect example of this.)
REVIEW END.
Overall, if you like Risk, it’s worth checking out. If not, you might want to just take a peek at least. It doesn’t take long to play (set the game to sequential, and you’ll have plenty of time to make a move), quite a few maps are genuinely good, and like the actual game, there’s a lot of strategy and luck involved in every step.
And so I waste more of your time. This thread shall soon wither and die. Farewell.