- BGG rank
- BGG #1,483
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Risk: Star Wars Edition
- 2–4 players
- 30–45 min
- Complexity 1.9/5
- 2015
- BGG rank
- BGG #22,562
- BGG rating
- 6.0
Risk: Shadow Forces
2022
Rules assistance for Risk: Shadow Forces
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–5 players
- 13+
- Complexity 3.5/5
For 3 players
Rules assistant for Risk: Shadow Forces
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Risk: Shadow Forces is a board game released in 2022 for 3–5 players and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Craig Van Ness and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers and Legacy Game.
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About the game
It is the year 2050, and the world is not as it should be. Tides lash the shorelines, smashing everything in their reach. Hurricanes whip down out of nowhere and destroy entire cities while uncontrollable firestorms tear across nearly every continent. Viruses rage out of control. Within this chaos, nefarious factions work from the shadows conducting disinformation campaigns and mobilizing mercenaries to collect a new mysterious energy resource of incalculable power. These factions, led by ruthless warlords, are fighting for power and control, but they are also simply battling for the destiny of humanity. The shadow conflict begins. Risk: Shadow Forces is a legacy-style game. You will write on your game, mark it, put stickers on it, and even throw away parts of it. Every game played will change every future game. All players shape how their world evolves: its history, its cities, even its factions and how they fight. Cards and stickers will come into play. Unlock new rules and watch events unfold with each game. No two games will ever be the same. More specifically, the game includes four sealed envelopes and one sealed container. You will be directed to open these envelopes as you play your campaign missions in order. Warlords have emerged to not only lead the various factions, but to also go on covert missions. Each of these covert missions is a squad-level skirmish game that will have a direct effect on the world map in certain undetermined secret locations.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Avalon Hill
Questions and answers
Risk: Shadow Forces supports 3–5 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The catalogue lists Risk: Shadow Forces for ages 13 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Risk: Shadow Forces has a complexity rating of 3.5 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Risk: Shadow Forces belongs to these categories: Wargame, Negotiation, and Modern Warfare. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers and Legacy Game. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Risk: Shadow Forces are: Craig Van Ness. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Risk: Shadow Forces as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.