Play atWar, a game like the popular board game Risk, and be treated to large scale warfare while going up against players around the world.

Use various strategies to capture enemy cities and decimate your opponent’s armies.

Wisely use resources, unit varieties, and numerous other strategies to give yourself a huge advantage.

Board games have somehow fallen out of fashion today, but thankfully, they have video game counterparts. If you have played the world war board game called Risk before, then you would be happy that it has a browser game loosely based on it, called atWar. In a nutshell, it’s a war strategy game, wherein you get to control various units, produce and move them around the map, conquer nearby cities, and finally, defeat enemy countries. It was made by a two man team, Ivan and Amok, and they’ve overdone themselves by creating a strategic masterpiece. So, should you play atWar? Let’s find out.

atWar is free-to-play and is immensely accessible. You can easily get into the game by playing as a guest, or by logging in through various social networking accounts or via Steam. By creating an account, you will have easy access to your combat record, medals, and other awards. Moreover, you will notice that the game’s user interface is simple yet aesthetically pleasing. The experience is further enhanced once you enter a game.

There are two game modes in atWar: Quick and Casual. Basically, Quick, as its name suggests, is fast-paced and games usually last at 30 minutes to two hours on average, while you can perform your turn for 1-12 minutes. This is perfect for people who will be sitting on their computers playing it. Meanwhile, Casual mode is mainly for people who can only log in for a few minutes a day. Turns last 12-24 hours, and games usually last for days, if not weeks.

Once you login and proceed to the games interface, you will be given a choice between the two modes and once you do, you will then pick a list of game lobbies. Some games may already be ongoing, while others are waiting for more players to fill-in the 20-player limit. In any case, before you start commanding armies, it’s highly recommended to go through the intensive tutorial first.

Considering that it’s a strategy game, atWar has a lot of gameplay elements and other aspects to take note of. Once you drop into the tutorial, you may feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of menus and other elements on the map. Thankfully, the user interface is pretty intuitive: just click on the points depicting the cities to move your units. These points also show how many you have on the cities. However, instead of showing you what you should do, the game simply tells you. It may take a while to find the menus you need to access and perform the tasks you need to work on. Once you get a hold of the concepts though, you will discover that it provides an astonishingly satisfying experience.

Unlike Risk, you don’t roll the dice in atWar: everything is done methodically, and luck is replaced by calculated moves. There are numerous unit types in atWar, ranging from ships like destroyers, regular infantry, tanks, and even planes like bombers. While performing a turn, you can recruit or manufacture units - just be sure to look at your menu to see if you have enough resources. After you pick a nation to play as, you’ll immediately dive into the action, set up troop movements, and wage war. Considering that it’s an online MMORTS, atWar’s social aspects are pretty outstanding. Click on a fellow player’s profile and you will be able to see their combat record.

Unfortunately, since atWar is a freemium game, the premium aspects can give paying players a noticeable advantage over their free counterparts. For example, premium players can purchase more items and unlock more unit abilities. Furthermore, they can access more strategies, giving them more troop movement and formation options.

Overall, atWar is a game recommended for those who love modern war-themed strategy games. However, it’s interface and gameplay elements are overwhelming to new players, and the tutorial itself can be a little confusing. Nevertheless, it will be an engaging and satisfying experience once you master the basics.