Risk is one of my favorite board games. While there are many new games on the market and some of them do reach and maybe even surpass the elegance and subdued complexity of the original Risk design, I find that somehow my gaming group and family always comes back to the good old "game of global domination."

For sheer dice-rolling face-smashing fun, Risk is still a hard game to beat. And you get to crush your enemies and conquer the whole world as well!

However, I found that there is a flaw in the Risk original ruleset, at least for me and my gaming buddies - the dreaded endgame. Let's be honest about it, Risk endgame sucks more often than not. If you're playing for goals then it usually ends with someone suddenly declaring "I win!" leaving everybody else feeling sheepish and slightly frustrated... the element of luck might be too strong. On the other hand, if you're playing for domination you are usually in for an agonizing slugfest with players gradually dropping off until there are just two crazed superpowers rolling masses of dice while the rest of the party watches on disinterestedly. Additionally it can be really hard to estimate how long a given game is going to last, which obviously presents a whole new set of problems when trying to organize a cozy gaming house party.

Luckily, there is a solution. The magnificent Paranoia Risk! (Which is also known as "Assassin" Risk, just so you know where all of this is heading)

After first encountering this simple variant rule I was struck by its' amazing simplicity and the way it revitalizes the game by making it almost poker-like in psychological intensity it generates among players. Be warned: political machinations and psychological warfare can get pretty intense with this one... But, without further ado, here are the rules for Paranoia Risk.