by giantmike
OverviewI accidentally bought this game when I meant to by Takenoko. But the art was so nice, I decided to keep it, and I’m glad it did. There is so much more game here than you would except from a leisurely walk through Japan.
Gameplay Summary
The whole game takes place linearly. All players walk along the same path, trying to experience as much Japanese culture as possible. Stops on the path include merchants, hot springs, encounters, panoramic painting, farms, temples, and inns to buy some food after a part of the journey.
You are scoring points at nearly each stop you make, assuming you have the money to complete your action. And money management is a big thing. you often have to make a decision based on the money you have if you want points now or later.
But the real clincher to the strategy in this game is that the player in last place along the path always makes the move. So it’s a game of catch up. This causes a lot of decision making, since only 1 player (or 2 in some spots in 4-5 player games) may occupy a stop. And due to the last player moving mechanic, that stop will never be hit again. You really need to map out your turns to maximize points.
The end game adds a few more points. There are some achievements, and the players with the most offerings to the temple will gain extra points. In the end, whomever has the most points (experienced the most culture) wins.
What’s really cool, is how different this game plays at different player levels. We first played with 2 players. This was extremely cutthroat, because there was also a neutral player that the player in front got to move. The sole purpose of this is to block the other player, which is crazy.
Then with three players, it was less cutthroat, as there wasn’t the insane amount of blocking. So a little more chill, and the strategy changes to make the temple more worthwhile. Finally with four players and the extra spots opening up, it became a game more about getting the points during the game then near the end, and trying to not be the first to the inn. It’s really cool how it’s different for each player count, that keeps things interesting.
Likes/Dislikes
I really enjoy how quick this game is to pick up, set up, and play. You can get going fast, turns are quick with very little analysis paralysis, making for a streamlined game.
I don’t mind the immediate scoring, but I know some people dislike it. At least with this game, nearly each turn you score some points, so it’s easy to get in the habit. And it keeps everyone on a level playing field for understanding who needs to be blocked the most.
I do like the insert, it lays out the game nicely. But the downside is it doesn’t leave room for the expansions. So I will either need to keep expansions separate, which I don’t like, or remove the insert, which I also don’t like. I know the deluxe edition contains an insert for all expansions, but I didn’t know that when I bought this.
Final Thoughts
This game has so much more strategy than I expected. It’s a game I see us playing a lot when we have a half hour, or at the end of the night as a closer to heavier games.
In fact, I like it enough that I ordered the expansions after just five plays.