Risk was the first game that taught us the deliciousness of world domination and crushing our enemies. It was only a matter of time before some genius decided to stretch the boundaries and change the game (pun intended)....with an edition based on a series that just so happens to be a global phenomenon centered around world domination and crushing our enemies. Okay, so maybe it's not much of a creative leap, but it IS much easier now than it was when you were a child playing boring ole "normal" Risk because you know the geography of Westeros and Essos better than you do South America and Eastern Europe.
# of Freeloaders Eating All Your Snacks:
It's 2-7 players, so hide the name-brand stuff and bust out the RC Cola and the J. Higgs Cheezies Puffs.
Game Piece Radness: 6.5/10
While the Dragon, Harpy, Stag, and Sunspear get us feeling that House pride, the mascots of Houses Lannister, Stark and Tyrell leave us wanting. The Lion looks like a yellow koala head coming out of a piece of chewed gum, the Wolf looks like he's sleeping with a mouth guard on a pillow made of his own neck fat, and we've never seen anything so equal parts phallic and vaginal as the Rose of House Tyrell.
In all seriousness though, we swooned when we saw all of these teeny tiny toys.
Why It's Worth Staying in on a Saturday Night:
We thought it was obvious by now....world domination and crushing our enemies. Doing so behind the name and sigil of your favorite House is even better.
Maester cards are dope. They provide endless opportunities to screw over your friends (enemies).
There are cards that allow you to use special abilities belonging to some of your favorite characters. And most* of the names are even spelled right.
What We Could've Done Without:
You can't use the map of Essos unless you are playing a 2 person game or a 6-7 person game. Essos holds the seats of power of the Targaryens and the Ghiscari, so if you've got more than 1 friend but less than 5, say goodbye to your dragon-riding dreams.
Likelihood of Destroyed Friendships and/or Marriages: 9.2/10
This game is entirely based on attacking those around you, sometimes several times in a row. Every attack is done by a roll of the dice, and you never know what special abilities the peasant family you're invading might have up their peasant sleeves. So it is absolutely possible that an army of twelve could be wiped out by an army of four. Words will be had. Loyalties will be decimated. Pieces WILL be thrown (Game of Throwns? Anyone?... Anyone?)
How Drunk You Can Get (And Still Play Well) (Er...Well-ish):
You can go ahead and bust out that third bottle of wine, because while strategy in this game IS important, it's mainly just your dumb luck at throwing some numbered cubes at the same time that someone else is throwing numbered cubes. Maybe just wait to take shots til after you've read the instructions.
*: Not all.