Last night I played a game with Trick (who needs a profile on the site) and Monty called Risk Legacy. I told Trick I hadn’t played Risk in about 20 years and he asked, “How old are you?” “I’m 37.” “Okay, that’s what I thought but when you said you hadn’t played in 20 years I suddenly pictured that you were in your 60s or something.” XD
So anyway, Risk Legacy.
It starts off as a very slight variant of regular Risk, where you begin with all your mens in one location, which is your home base, and then you spread out from there. There are a few smaller nuances, though, that are different. For one, each of the five factions has a special ability that you can choose from between two different options (which you apply to the faction’s ability card with a sticker, and then you DESTROY the other sticker). Another small difference: none of the continents are named. Also, your group gets to pick which of the different territories are worth more moneys if you capture them and get their resource card.
In other words, it’s a customizable experience.
It’s a really clever idea, too, and also one that makes sense from a profit-driven perspective. You can play the game fifteen times with that single board and then it’s used up. You have to buy an all-new board if you wan to keep playing.
Over time, as you play, you get to customize the board further with the rules provided. There are a number of little envelopes inside the box that you get to open when you “unlock” them. So, for example, once you’ve created all nine cities that come in the game you open up one of the envelopes. Or the first time someone’s army is eliminated. Or the first time… &c.
And at the bottom of the box is one that says “Never open.”
So anyway, I love the idea. Trick described it as being sort of a cross between normal Risk and an RPG, and I feel that to be a fitting description.
From a consumer-driven point of view, like our nation is, it’s great. You can play it fifteen times and then you are done. You have to buy a new one. The sometimes-anti-consumer/pro-greener part of me cringes at that, but the gamer and idea-lover in me squees.
Every board comes with its own serial number, which is cool, but I wish there was a way you could upload your board to the Interwoobles when you’ve used it up. That would be fun and cool. ^_^