Risk 2210 A.D.

Risk 2210 A.D. is a 2–5 player board game by Avalon Hill that is a futuristic variant of the classic board game Risk. Risk 2210 A.D. was designed by Rob Daviau and Craig Van Ness and first released in 2001. In 2002, it won the Origins Award for "Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Board Game of 2001".

Components

The boxed set includes:

1 Earth Game Board, including land territories and water colonies.
1 Moon Game Board
5 different colored sets of playing pieces:
MODs (Machines of Destruction) in denomination sizes of 1, 3, and 5.
4 Space Stations
The 5 commanders
Energy in denominations of 1s and 5s
5 command card decks (1 for each type of commander)
3 territory card decks, 1 for each type of territory (land, water, moon)
5 Turn Order Markers
4 Devastation Markers
1 Score Chart
6 and 8 sided dice, three of each black (attack dice), and two of each white (defense dice), 10 total dice

Box redesign

2210 A.D. originally came packaged in a rectangular boxed set with a playing board that folded into fourths. At some point the design changed to a square, like the packaging for Risk Godstorm. The board in the square box folds into sixths, the cardboard playing pieces are one-sided as opposed to being printed on both sides as they were for the rectangular box, and the Moon was printed on much thinner cardstock.

Gameplay

Setup

Before the game, 4 cards are randomly selected from the land territory deck. Each of the 4 territory cards drawn will have a "devastation marker" placed on its corresponding territory on the earth game board. These territories are impassable for the rest of the game.

Each player is allocated 3 energy chips before the game begins. The number of armies allocated to each player and the process of claiming territories is identical to the Standard Risk board game, but the armies are called MODs; therefore, number of MODs allocated to each player at the beginning of the game depends on the number of players. If three people are playing, each player counts out 35 MODs; four players, 30 MODs; five players, 25 MODs. Players then take turns claiming land territories by placing a 1.0 MOD on an unoccupied land territory until all the land territories are occupied. Players then take turns placing their remaining armies on their claimed land territories. Following MOD placement, each player places a space station, a land commander, and a diplomat on any of their claimed territories.

Water and Lunar territories may not be claimed at the beginning of the game. Devastated land territories can not be claimed or occupied at any point during the game.

Determining turn order

The game is limited to five rounds called years. At the beginning of each year, players use energy chips they have accumulated to bid for turn order through a first-price sealed-bid auction format. Players secretly bid energy by placing the corresponding energy chips they would bid into a closed hand. Players open their hands containing their bids simultaneously. The highest bidder selects which turn order they want, then the next highest bidder, and so on. The highest bidder may select any turn the player wants; the player is not limited to "first."

Ending game

After each player has completed their turn, a year is considered to have passed. At the end of year 5, each player's score is calculated based on the number of territories the player owns, colonies the player holds, and the number of colony influence cards the player has the commanders to activate. The player with the highest score wins.

Player turn

Turn order overview

At the beginning of each player's turn, based on the number of countries the player owns and whole continents the player holds, the player gains additional MODs and energy. The player places the MODs and then has the opportunity to buy additional commanders, cards, and space stations. Then the player may play command cards that they have sufficient energy to activate. Next comes the attack phase in which, if the player successfully takes three contested territories, the player receives one bonus energy and one bonus command card. After the attack phase, the player may move one group of units from any one of the player's territories to any other territory the player occupies, so long as both territories are connected by a path of their own territories.

Collection of energy and deployment of MODs

Similar to the obtaining reinforcements in classic Risk, players receive additional MODs and Energy at the beginning of their turn. The number of MODs received is a function of the number of territories a player owns, a player's colony bonuses, and the number of space stations a player controls. Players divide their total number of territories, regardless of type, by three and receive that number of MODs rounded down to the nearest integer. If this result is less than three, round up to three MODs. The Score Chart is designed to aide players in this task. Additionally, players receive colony bonuses by occupying all the territories in a land, water, or lunar colony at the beginning of their turn. This is similar to continental bonuses in classic Risk. These MODs are dispersed among the player's controlled territories as they choose. A number of unofficial expansions have also been created by fans, covering such themes as terrorism, aerial assault, zombies, Antarctica and Godstorm-style relics

List of official Expansions:

Frontline season one, Mars Expansion: The Mars Expansion introduces a newly terraformed Mars as a playable battlefield, featuring its own territories and unique strategic opportunities. Players can deploy forces to Mars, gaining access to new routes and resources that influence the global conflict.
Frontline season two, Tech Commander: The Tech Commander Expansion adds a sixth commander type, the Tech Commander, alongside a new 20-card deck. This expansion enhances technological advancements, providing powerful upgrades and special abilities that can alter the course of battle.
Frontline season three, Factions: The Factions Expansion introduces six distinct factions, each with unique abilities and starting conditions. This addition increases replayability and strategic depth, as players must adapt to their faction’s strengths and weaknesses.
Frontline season four, Invasion of the Giant Amoebas: The Invasion of the Giant Amoebas expansion adds a new threat to the battlefield. Giant amoebas act as a neutral force, spreading across the map and disrupting player plans. This unpredictable element forces players to adapt their strategies to survive and conquer.

Video game version

A video game version of Risk 2210 A.D. called Invade Earth was created by Jonathan Crosmer using Java. It also allowed users to play the original Risk, Risk: Godstorm and a few other variations of the game. Players could also network across the Internet to play with others. Invade Earth ceased to function in February 2018 due to security updates to Java.

Reception

The game has been reviewed in an entry for The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, with the reviewer noting that it is "an excellent example of a game that is easy to learn and hard to master" and that the game is "more fluid than the original Risk; no position is impregnable, and no strategy is optimal".