New Risk Legacy game announced 10 years after the original release
Step into the shadows.
Ten years after the release of the original Risk Legacy - the first legacy board game published - an upcoming tabletop title based in the same universe has been announced.
Called Risk Shadow Forces, the new legacy board game will take place in the near future of 2050 and will have players taking control of one of several rival factions battling in a “shadow conflict” happening across the globe. In the world of Risk Shadow Forces, humanity is facing a dark future threatened by the effects of intense climate change - from whipping hurricanes to crashing waves - as well as diseases spread by nefarious organisations. Hiding behind these disasters are a series of groups looking to obtain an energy source which, if controlled, will grant the owner immense power.
As a warlord of one of these factions, the players will need to fight against the opposing factions also seeking this mysterious source of energy in order to come out on top and save humanity, or potentially doom it even further. Players will have the opportunity to choose between different factions throughout the game, combining their selected warlord with whichever faction they think is the best option for the next scenario. Factions in Risk Shadow Forces include the Yellow Faction - which dabbles in modern technologies such as drone strikes - and the White Faction, which uses toxic materials to deliver random critical damage to opponents.
Each player will have control over their chosen faction within global battles, as well as the chance to embark on covert missions which will take place as skirmish games whose consequences will have a direct impact on the state of the world map. During these covert missions, a player’s chosen warlord will have their own unique approach to the fight, with one of the warlords, Kai Weller, having access to more defensive abilities, whilst others like Angus Smith having more offensive capabilities.
The legacy aspects of Risk Shadow Forces will see three to five players opening sealed envelopes as and when they’re directed by the game’s narrative. As players progress through the campaign they’ll be writing over, placing stickers on and ripping up various components found in Risk Shadow Forces, with the tabletop title also introducing new rules and gameplay mechanics as events unfold and players’ decisions take effect. Throughout the game, players will be able to change and customise their decks to suit different scenarios and work together with their warlord’s abilities.
It is not confirmed whether Rob Daviau and Chris Dupuis - the co-creators behind the original Risk Legacy - have returned to co-design Risk Shadow Forces, with a video overview of the new game being presented by Chris Nadeau, design and development lead at Avalon Hill, a co-publisher of Risk Shadow Forces, and fellow development team member Craig Van Ness.
Besides Avalon Hill - the studio also responsible for releasing horror board game Betrayal at House on the Hill - Risk Shadow Forces is being co-published by Hasbro, owner of studios such as Dungeons & Dragons’ publisher Wizards of the Coast.
The original Risk Legacy introduced the concept of campaign board gaming to tabletop players, having competitors attempt to take control of different countries and areas across the world through a series of connecting scenarios which are altered by the result of the last game played. As rival factions, players can make decisions that will have lasting effects on the future of the campaign and can lead to components being physically altered or scrapped. If the original sounds like something you want to play, check out our page that shows you how to play Risk.
Risk Shadow Forces is set to be released in Autumn 2022 at a retail price of £58.99 ($81).