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Did you know... Board games originated in ancient Egypt during the contruction of the pyramids. Workers would draw simple boards in the sand and use stone for their playing pieces.

Online Risk If you're looking for a great free web game, try online risk. In the 1950's, a French movie producer designed a board game based on a map of the world. The object of the game was to use your armies to conquer all the countries. It was such a popular game that it quickly became the most well known online game world wide. Now you can play this fantastic game online through your browser for free. General Game Play Although there are many maps to choose from, the most popular remains the original world map based on a rough estimation of modern political boundaries. The map is divided into 5 continents. Each continent contains at least 4 countries, each with a different name and color scheme. The countries are divided up evenly among all the players, and each player starts with 3 armies per country. In Online Risk, a turn is broken down into several phases. The first phase is for army placement. Bonus armies are awarded to players based on the number of countries and continents controlled. One army for every 3 continents is awarded initially. Continent bonuses can added an extra 2, 3, 5, or 7 armies per turn. After placing bonus armies, the attack phase begins. A player can continue attacking as many times as he wants until he declares that his attack phase is over. Any time a player ends a turn after capturing at least one country, he earns a card. The fortification phase allows a player to move armies from one country to another. This reinforcement move can only be performed once per round. Additionally, the units being moved can only be used to fortify an adjacent country. Luck is a factor throughout the game because dice determine the outcome of each attack. This is where the element of risk truly comes into play. Although it is possible to estimate the odds of a roll, the uncertainty of the actual outcome necessitates weighing the odds to make only calculated risks. Controlling Continents The image to the right shows complete control over a single continent. This is because the same player owns the countries of Indonesia, New Guinea, Western Australia, and Eastern Australia. The color coded background make it easy to identify which countries belong to which continents. At the beginning of the next turn, the red player will receive a bonus. Playing Online The best way to play Risk is online. There are many web sites that offer Online Risk, and most of them are free. Online versions offer many advantages over traditional boards. First, you don't have to worry about setup or cleanup. There are no tiny pieces to keep track of. Second, you can find opponents easily. Players from around the world congregate on gaming web sites to play Risk. Finally, you do not have the play the game all at once. By taking one turn whenever you have time, it's easy to play while at work or when you only have a few minutes to spare.