First Strike: Nuclear World Domination With Twists

First Strike is a strategic Risk-like game – without the dice, with more resources, and with nuclear warheads.

The game is played over 10 turns, with 7 rounds per turn (this can take several hours). Players start the game by assigning neutral countries and then their opponent’s countries. Resources (especially oil) are scarce compared to demand, and combat is simple and Chess-like. Eventually you can acquire nuclear capability and wipe out an area, stopping its production and making it impassable for four turns.

Reviews indicate that the plastic pieces are cheap, but that the game itself is quite good. A classic case where a higher-priced game with better bits is warranted.