How to Play Borderfall

Master the turn, then master the map.

Borderfall is played in turns, and every turn has a rhythm: reinforce, attack, then fortify. Learn that loop and you can play any era on any map. This guide covers the essentials so you can win your first game and grow from there.

The goal

Control territory. Eliminate rivals by taking their last region, complete your objective, or outlast the field. Holding whole continents earns bonus reinforcements each turn, so the map is a constant trade-off between expanding and defending what you already hold.

Reinforce

At the start of your turn you receive new troops based on how many territories you control, plus bonuses for any continents you fully own. Place them where you intend to attack — or where you expect to be attacked.

Attack

Attack from a territory you own into an adjacent enemy territory. Combat is resolved with dice: the attacker and defender each roll, the highest dice are compared, and the loser removes troops. Keep attacking while you have the advantage, and stop before you overextend.

Fortify

End your turn by moving troops along a connected path of your own territories to shore up a threatened border. Good fortification turns a sprawling, fragile empire into a defensible one.

Advance through the ages

As the game progresses you can advance to the next era, unlocking new technologies, units, and even naval and orbital theaters. Timing your advance — and reacting when a rival advances first — is its own layer of strategy. See the eras overview for the full nine-era arc.

Frequently asked questions

What is Borderfall?

Borderfall is a free, browser-based turn-based strategy game you play at borderfall.gg, with nothing to download. You command armies on a world map, take territory from your neighbors, and try to be the last one standing. As a game runs on, your civilization climbs through the historical eras, from ancient legions to a galactic age. (If you searched the name and found a town from another game, that is something else. This one is a standalone game.)

Is Borderfall free to play?

It is free in your browser, and you can jump straight into a game as a guest without making an account.

Do I need to download or install anything?

Nothing to install. It runs in any modern browser on desktop or mobile; open borderfall.gg and you are playing.

How is Borderfall different from Risk?

It keeps the dice-and-territory core Risk players know, but one game advances through nine historical eras, from ancient kingdoms to a galactic age, each adding new units, technologies, and theaters of war. Optional layers like economy, tech trees, naval warfare, and asymmetric factions add depth without touching the core rules.

Can I play solo against AI, or is it multiplayer only?

You can do either. Play instantly against AI opponents (Easy to Expert), or take on real people, whether friends in a private lobby or matched opponents, in real-time or asynchronous games of 2 to 8 players.

What do I need to play Borderfall?

Any modern browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge) on a phone, tablet, or computer. Nothing to install, no console, no app.