Board Games and Card Games

The game Risk has come a long way and has attracted a large following. Many Risk players will tell you categorically that their best game really is Risk. While this might be disputable, the bottom line here is that Risk is a game that is thoroughly enjoyed by a lot of people, not just for the concept and strategy, but also for the fun.

People have been known to eke out a weekend from their precious time in this time and age just to relax and play Risk. However, for a game that popular, it is surprising to note that there aren’t many books on Risk.

In fact after trolling tons of websites online and looking through other bookstores offline, I have come to the conclusion that there might just be ONE book worth mentioning or reviewing at all.

The book, Total Diplomacy: The Art of Winning Risk was written by Ehsan Honary. Risk players who really want to take their games to the next level would do well to get this book.

Total Diplomacy isn’t just a one-off book filled with “Tips” and ideas on how to win just Risk, it shows you how you can empower yourself and connect the tactics you use during the play of game with real life situations.

The book is filled with lots of ideas and psychological tips on how to manoeuvre successfully during the game and also when you are going about your normal daily activities.

Most books on board and card games tend to be long, boring and sometimes “fluffy”. However, Ehsan Honary realised this and basically just went straight to the point. The mix or techniques taught in the book and the real life correlation or example makes the book an interesting read.

Tips on how to broker deals and alliances during the play of game are also broken down in the book. Things like what to say, when to say it and how to say it, things you should avoid saying if you really want to get the stated results.

Typical scenarios are a common occurrence in the book. So you have an easy understanding of the book without getting the feeling that you have to troll and labour through a lot of information.

It also talks about focuses and its relationship with a player’s success in the course of any game. More importantly, it teaches and breaks down methods that can help a player appear focused while seeming detached, staying in control of his emotions so that even when it seems like the game is going against him, he can still focus on the most important techniques.

Containing 10 chapters, each of the chapters focuses on different topics such as why you need to play Risk, The three layers (Strategy, Diplomacy, Tactics and Logistics), Temet Nosce (this focuses on the psychological state of an opponent’s mind thus equipping you with an edge.

This single ability can dramatically increase your chances of winning each and every game. Questions such as playing successfully with an aggressive player were addressed in this section, how to deal with the isolationist and use him for your own benefit. Other topics in this chapter detail how you can follow your opponent’s thinking pattern and use it against him in a game).

Finally, it also goes on to state the various ways you can play the game online and how to do it well. The book also comes with an accompanying website where the tactics are discussed in groups.