What can I play instead of Risk, online?

Short answer: The main online alternatives are RISK: Global Domination, the official app; Warzone, free with thousands of community maps; Conquer Club, for slow games against people over days; and Lux Delux, a paid download with a big map library. Borderfall is free in the browser, keeps the dice and the turn order of Risk, and changes the game itself: a match can climb through historical eras, and every faction plays differently.

RISK: Global Domination

The officially licensed Risk game, for phones and for computers through Steam. It follows the board game’s rules, with a long list of maps and modes. It is free to play, with paid extras and a premium upgrade, and it is an app you install.

How Borderfall differs: it runs in a browser tab with nothing to install, and nothing in it is for sale. It is not a copy of Risk: the same reinforce, attack and fortify loop sits under factions with their own strengths and a board that moves on through history as the game is played.

Warzone

A free Risk-style game in the browser and on phones, also listed as War.app. Its strength is scale: thousands of maps made by its community, custom rules, and a large multiplayer scene. Two things play differently from Risk by default: battles are settled without dice rolls, and every player moves at the same time each turn. An optional membership removes ads and unlocks extras.

How Borderfall differs: it keeps the dice and the take-your-turn rhythm of Risk. Its maps are a short list of hand-built historical boards, such as Rome in 117 and Sengoku Japan, rather than a big community library, and each era gives its factions their own abilities.

Conquer Club

A long-running browser site for Risk-style games against other people, usually played a turn at a time over several days, with tournaments and clans. It is free to join, with an optional paid membership. It suits players who want a steady community and do not mind games that take a week.

How Borderfall differs: it does both speeds. A solo game against the computer takes about 10 to 15 minutes, and asynchronous games with friends run over hours or days. The map can be played flat or on a 3D globe.

Lux Delux

A downloadable Risk-style game for Windows, Mac and Linux, with phone versions. It is a one-time purchase on computers, known for a very large map library and capable computer opponents, and it has online play.

How Borderfall differs: there is nothing to buy or download. You open the page and play, as a guest if you like, on a phone or a computer.

The particulars

Price
Free. No purchase required to play any mode.
Install
None. It runs in the browser.
Account
Optional. Guest play starts immediately.
Combat
Dice, rolled by the server, as in Risk.
Players
1–8. Solo against AI, or 2–8 humans.
Pace
Real-time, or asynchronous turns over hours and days.
Typical solo game
About 10–15 minutes.