Area Control, Dudes on a map, whatever you want to call them are a type of game where you are trying to control either the most areas or the ones with the most points. They are often looked at as cruel and unforgiving where only one player wins and the rest are left defeated. Most of them are considered wargames. The most famous one and the one most of us likely started with is Risk. The classic game of global domination. It has been the brunt of several jokes, (always get Australia) and the center of a classic Seinfeld episode, (Kramer and Norman battling it out to hysterical results)
These are some of my favorite games. I love the strategy and tactics needed to be a successful player. You are trying to outthink and outmaneuver your opponents, hoping the path you carved will lead to victory. As with all games, there are elements that are solely determined by luck, especially when rolling dice.
Risk is unforgiving; you roll bad and you will lose. More modern games have come up with mechanics to minimize the luck factors that plague Risk and other dice-based games like it. I hope that some mentioned here may pique your interest. There is a whole world of games beyond Risk that are worthy of your consideration.
Cry Havoc is about the polar opposite of Risk you can get. It is a fantastic experience every time I play it. 4 asymmetrical factions have come to battle it out to control the most resource-rich areas of a planet ; 3 invaders and the natives. There are no dice. Combat is determined solely on player decisions and modified by card play.
If there was a perfect wargame that is deeply strategic with very little risk, it would be Kemet. Kemet uses no dice; all your actions are made by you and in the order, you choose to make them. You determine where to move, when to build your pyramids, what power tiles you want, and what cards you play in combat. It is a brilliantly designed game of outthinking your opponents and choosing your path to victory. The game is determined by achieving a certain number of victory points, not eliminating the other players. Maintaining control of specific areas is crucial to victory.
Inis is another brilliant game where there are several paths to victory. Players use the same set of action cards so the game is one of determining what cards each player has and what you can do with yours. Since cards are drafted, players can deduct who chose what card to use. The luck element is from using the epic tale cards since the other players have no idea which ones a player has. Knowing when to play your cards and in what order is where the challenge lies. Once a player has met one of the victory conditions, it’s a race to stop them before the round ends.
Another game that has many ways to win is Lords of Hellas. Similar to Kemet, each player has the same set of actions to use, it is deciding when to use them is where the game lives. Combat is determined with cards and the only use of dice is to determine the actions of the monsters roaming about. Players can win by controlling territory, defeating monsters, erecting temples, or building monuments to the Gods. The choice to victory is up to them.
While I could name several more and not all wargames, I close with one very special to me. In the late 80s, Milton Bradley came out with their Gamemaster series, Fortress America, Axis and Allies, Shogun, and my favorite Conquest of the Empire. Conquest replaced Risk for me and I still own this fantastic game. Players are Caesars vying for dominance of the known world in the 2nd Century. Players, in addition to controlling lands, gain tribute, build roads and cities and build your army and legions to become the one remaining Caesar. The added complexity of different units, collecting tribute, and gaining resources made it an absolute favorite and it still is.
So for those who enjoy moving little men around on a map, rolling dice, and trying to outthink your opponents, I think these are worth considering.
Written by Ed Carter
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