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"How do you make Risk fun for younger kids" Topic


15 Posts

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915 hits since 18 Aug 2014
©1994-2024 Bill Armintrout
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Black Cavalier18 Aug 2014 7:56 p.m. PST

My daughter played Risk at her day care, & had so much fun she asked for it for her birthday. We unfortunately didn't think to ask WHY she had so much fun. Turns out she only played once, & she was winning until everyone else quit.

Skip forward to today. The family's playing the brand new Classic Risk game she got for her birthday. & because of my lucky rolls, I've taken all 3 southern continents, my wife is glaring at me, & my daughter has just walked off to her room & closed the door.

So, is there a "lighter" version of Risk that's more kid friendly? Maybe play to be the 1st person to capture a whole continent (at least makes for a quicker game)? Or have an adult pair up with the kid, so they can help guide them?

Any other idea?

John the OFM18 Aug 2014 8:23 p.m. PST

Look at it as a Life Lesson. Kids have to win EVERY TIME? I think not.

If you want her to win, try playing like you are an imbecile, to counter the "bad" die rolls.
In other words, do not play like you know how to play it.
In my experience, though, kids know when you are tanking it, and resent it. They would rather win because of their own brilliance, rather than your stupidity. They know. It's a fine line.

coryfromMissoula18 Aug 2014 8:42 p.m. PST

Replace all the pieces with M&Ms. Even when losing you get a treat.

Streitax18 Aug 2014 9:20 p.m. PST

That only works if you get to 'Eat your dead', sooooooo World War Z Risk????

Personal logo Inari7 Supporting Member of TMP18 Aug 2014 9:31 p.m. PST

8 Min. Empire is a light version of risk.
link

The newer versions of Risk have a faster play time where you have to capture a few key cities.

I like Nexus Ops. its a fun game that has lots of combat with objectives so all players play until someone wins. No player elimination.
link

Personal logo etotheipi Sponsoring Member of TMP19 Aug 2014 2:11 a.m. PST

Snacks works. Also, cool party favor pieces (ponies, robots, etc.).

Also, limit the game to two players with a dummy player. It changes the dynamic (faster play) and gives each player an opportunity to attack people who don't attack back.

There is also the 5 turn limit (which came out with Risk 2210), which is really nice. Then the game becomes a quick grab.

When playing any game with younger kids, generally, I like to talk through the reasons for my move and ask the kids leading questions, but leave the decisions up to them. Never correct them for a bad move during the game. Talk about it in the general sense a day later.

Ron W DuBray19 Aug 2014 5:59 a.m. PST

put a candy on each zone and you get to eat them when you win it. :)

RavenscraftCybernetics19 Aug 2014 6:10 a.m. PST

attacker wins ties. makes for a very fastpaced Risk game.

Tommy2019 Aug 2014 6:35 a.m. PST

There's a (non-collectible) card version called Risk Express that my 9yo loves, and beats me at regularly. It's a bit hard to find, but well worth the effort.

Personal logo Parzival Supporting Member of TMP19 Aug 2014 7:54 a.m. PST

Ditto on the time limit. Set it by "years" (each year equals everybody taking a turn). For variety, you can have a new player start each "year."

Then, award points as follows:

First person to capture any continent gets points equal to the bonus value of that continent. They keep these points even if they lose the continent.

First person to hold two continents at the end of their turn gets points equal to the bonus value of those continents. Again, these points are not lost even if they lose either or both continents.

When you turn in, you score points equal to the troops awarded for your cards. Include bonuses for territories you hold.

When the game ends, total all territories held, all troops on the board, and all cards held, plus the next level of bonus for any three card combos, and the territory bonus for cards if the territory is owned by the player, and all continent bonuses held. Add to these the previous bonuses. Highest score wins.

John the OFM19 Aug 2014 8:55 a.m. PST

You cannot control dice rolls, you can't control how she plays. You can only control how YOU play.
As I said above, it sounds like your daughter HAS to win. And it seems like everybody else seems to want this, including your wife.
She loves the game because she won and everybody else quit. Think about that.
None of the above suggestions can guarantee that she will win.

The only way to guarantee that a kid wins is for you to play badly. Even that is no real guarantee, as your "bad" die rolling can screw that up. And she will know that you are playing badly. As her level of play improves and she is actually playing a "valid" strategy, then you can increase your level of play.
As soon as she plays with a cousin a little bit older who is not in on the "let her win" ploy, she will lose again.

So…
what is better for a kid? Winning all the time or learning you can't always get what you want?
And if this means that she will not want to take the Westphalianburgers when you play Napoleonics, did you really think she would?

Expecting a kid to act like an adult is as unrealistic as expecting an adult to act like an adult. grin

Mithmee19 Aug 2014 12:59 p.m. PST

Okay enough with Risk it is time to get her

Case Blue

Militia Pete19 Aug 2014 5:23 p.m. PST

Well, you would not like the way we played in college. Drinking hard and punching cheaters. Eat my Kamchatka!

Personal logo Saber6 Supporting Member of TMP Fezian19 Aug 2014 5:34 p.m. PST

Get a copy of Risk: Legacy. Then she can name Continents, cites and help change the rules

Andy Skinner Supporting Member of TMP26 Aug 2014 1:36 p.m. PST

I only like playing Risk against a computer. While every game has winners and losers, Risk feels like you're rubbing it in.

We used to have a game on a Mac a long time ago, and that was fun. Lots of computer players that didn't care if they lost. But it allowed you to move all your armies instead of leaving one behind, and I forgot that wasn't a real rule, until I played a person who let me do it, then put a piece down on each of the empty locations.

andy

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