Is Conqora like Risk or Hearts of Iron?

Conqora comparison · updated 2026-10-16

If you grew up on Risk, or lost weekends to Hearts of Iron, Europa Universalis or Civilization, Conqora will feel like a familiar dream played at a different speed.

What it shares with Risk

• A map of the world divided into the land you own and the land you want.
• Armies that you move against neighbours.
• Alliances that hold until they don't.
• World domination as the goal.

What's different

And grand strategy?

Grand strategy games simulate decades with hundreds of systems. Conqora keeps the handful that create the best decisions (where to expand, what to build, who to trust, when to nuke) and lets you play a whole war in a lunch break.

Is there a "Risk online free" mode?

Private lobbies come close: pick a map, choose teams or free-for-all, invite friends with a link, and play with the same group again after the match. See playing with friends.

Who will enjoy Conqora?

• Risk players who love the map. Conqora plays on real geography: the World map with 61 nations, Europe with 49, Africa, Asia, the Americas, Oceania, the Black Sea, Britannia and more.
• Players who like the table talk. Alliances, betrayals and embargoes are the social heart of every match, even though chat is limited to quick phrases and emojis.
• Grand strategy fans short on time. You get the arc of a whole war, from first border to nuclear endgame, in 10–30 minutes.
• Groups of friends. Private lobbies let you set up the same game night every week, on any map, with your own rules.

If you love long, deliberate turns where you can think for as long as you like, Conqora will feel fast at first. Single player is a good place to start: press P to pause whenever you need a moment.

Switching from Risk: what will feel familiar

What to learn first

1. Everyone moves at once. There are no turns. While you plan, your neighbour is already attacking, so make decisions in small steps.
2. Don't hoard troops. A Risk player's instinct is to stack armies. In Conqora a full army barely grows; send waves and keep your troops near 40% of the cap.
3. Gold is your second army. Spend it the moment you have it: a City (125K) for troops, a Port (125K) for trade income.
4. The sea is open. Click land across water and a boat sails there. Boats land on any coast and follow rivers inland.
5. Nukes end stalemates. When every border is fortified, a 750K atom bomb or a 5M hydrogen bomb breaks through. See how nukes work.

Your first match, Risk-player edition

1. Start in single player on the World map so you can pause with P while you learn.
2. Spawn somewhere a Risk player would love: Australia or southern Africa, with empty land and one direction to defend.
3. Expand at a 30–50% ratio until you meet a nation (the AI countries at real locations).
4. Build a City, then a Port, then a Defense Post facing your biggest neighbour.
5. Right click that neighbour and offer an alliance. With a safe flank you can push the other way.
6. When expansion stops, switch to economy: more ports, a Factory, a Missile Silo deep inside your land.
7. When you feel ready, press Join game on the main menu for a public match with other players.

Setting up a Risk-style game night

Make a private lobby and choose:

• The map. World or Europe for a classic feel, or the Giant World Map with 97 nations.
• Free for all or teams. Teams of 2–4 are permanent allies and win together at 95% of the land.
• Nations and territories on or off, to decide how crowded the map is.
• Rules. No alliances for a pure fight, No nukes for a conventional war, or a 30-minute limit so the night ends on time.

Share the invite link or six-letter code; guests can join without an account, and everyone returns to the lobby after the match so you can play again. The guide to playing with friends covers the details.

More questions

Is Conqora a free Risk game online?

Conqora is its own game, not a version of Risk, but it shares the world-domination idea and it's free in the browser with no download. Risk is a trademark of its respective owner, and Conqora is not affiliated with it.

Is there a turn-based mode?

No, Conqora is always real time. Single player lets you pause with P, which gives you time to think.

How many people can play?

Up to 30 players in a public quick game, plus the map's nations. Private lobbies let you play with just your group.

Is it a good world conquest game for beginners?

Yes. The first minute is just clicking to grow, and the rest comes gradually. Start with the beginner's guide or the world conquest game page.

Can I play against the computer?

Yes. Single player puts you on any map against the nations, the AI countries placed at real locations: 61 on the World map and 97 on the Giant World Map. They defend themselves, build and attack weak neighbours, which makes them good practice before you face other players.

Is there luck involved?

There are no dice. Fights are decided by troops, terrain, defense posts and fallout. The main element of chance is air defence: a SAM hits a nuke 80% of the time and a bomber 85% of the time.

Related questions

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More answers in the Conqora FAQ and the guides. Updated 2026-10-16.