Taking over the world has always been a lofty aspiration, yet one that many people secretly dream of. There're few people who haven't made a declaration of, "When I rule the world..." or secretly thought about what changes they might make if they did. Very few people in history have ever actually gained control of the known world, and by today's standards, it would probably be impossible to fully control the world due to others in it with power. However, that doesn't stop people from living out buried fantasies and playing games to live them out.
There are a number of games available which help players express their desires on a global level. Risk is one of the most popular world domination games, as it has one of the largest canvasses and some of the loftiest goals. With Risk, between 2 to 6 players compete for control of the entire map of the world. With this particular board game, the map of the world has been divided into 42 different territories. Through the usage of strategic maneuvers, careful planning, and a little luck, a player launches campaigns and goes into battle against all other players. The game is over when one player controls all of these territories, ensuring total world domination. While the game can be long, most players find it to be extremely satisfying, for the level of strategy needed to succeed is high, meaning that players largely control their own fates.
Straight out war games are not the only options available for gamers interested in world domination games, however. There is quite a popular game called Diplomacy which many find enjoyable. The game first became marketed in 1959 and grew to such heights that it has been acknowledged as both John F. Kennedy and Henry Kissinger's favorite game.
The board is set on a map of the European nations, with each of the players controlling the armed forces of one of the major European powers. Game play is centered around players building alliances with each other and then the subsequent honoring or betraying of those alliances. Each player aims to own certain strategic cities and territories on the map which are designated as "Supply Centers." These supply centers provide the player with more units, giving them more power as the game continues. However, they also determine the fate of the game. Any player which loses control of a supply center is removed from the game, and once any one player controls 18 of the 34 supply centers, they are declared to be the winner of the game.
Diplomacy offers players with an alternate take to Risk, however, for much of the game relies on communicating with the other players and building a strategy out of that. It is also not turn-based, the game proceeds in phases. After a negotiation phase between each of the players, a movement phase occurs in which each player secretly writes down the movements they wish to enact. All movements are then revealed and simultaneously performed. This allows a more open, cooperative format of play which many players enjoy. Either type of game, Risk or Diplomacy, offers players the chance to experience a form of world domination, but through vastly different means.
