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Sometimes game themes can feel tacked on and unrelated to game play. Even so, these can still be fantastic games. In the game Dominion, the medieval theme has little to do with the mechanics of the game, yet it is a fantastic game. However, there is something lovely about a game which manages to blend both theme and mechanics into a seamless whole. Tokaido is such a game.
In Tokaido, participants take an aristocratic journey between medieval Edo and Kyoto in Japan. In this competitive board game, the goal of their journey isn't simply to travel between one great city and another. Instead, participants seek to create a memorable journey filled with a variety of unique and esthetically pleasing experiences. This is not simply a trip; it is to be a journey.
Tokaido is as gorgeous as it should be to fit with the theme. Artist Naïade has provided a lush yet precise atmosphere for the game. She blends Japanese esthetics with an illustrator's sensibility to create characters and places which look both beautiful and yet exaggerated without veering into the wide eyed innocence of anime. I appreciated that she plays it straight and avoids adding too much humor. It is art designed for an esthete's journey.
The mechanics of Tokaido provide the kind of light strategy I appreciate. This game won't reward a deep thinker with any more benefit than someone who can make a reasonable decision in a short amount of time. The game should flow. This isn't a sauerbraten and spätzel kind of game. It's more like a well-prepared plate of nigiri— perhaps less filling, but often more satisfying. Simple enough that I wouldn't hesitate to involve an eight year old, yet interesting enough to keep me playing with him.
Players all start out in Edo with the player in last place moving first. The movement mechanic is simple. The person in last place moves forward to any open space on the board. Depending on the play of their opponents, a player may move several times in a row to open spaces until they are no longer in last place. Tokaido is a set-collecting game. Each space represents a different kind of experience a player may choose on their way, and each experience offers a different kind of reward. For instance, a player may choose to stop at the temple and donate money. At the end of the game, the player with the most money donated receives ten points, and the second place player receives seven points, etc. Players may also purchase souvenirs at the village. These are collected in sets of four with a larger reward given for having a greater variety of souvenirs in a set. There are six different ways to collect points toward winning the game.
Before play begins, each player draws a character card which gives them a bonus toward one of the means of earning points. These characters make certain moves more advantageous for each player. Every once in a while, players are forced to stop at an inn and wait until all their fellow players are gathered together, and then the last person to enter is the first person out, reversing the order of play. The game ends when the last person reaches the final stop on their journey. Bonuses are then awarded, and the player who has collected the most points along the way wins the game. Once players understand the rules, game play seems to be right around a half-an-hour for a four person game.
Tokaido isn't the kind of game which will offer tremendous replay value. The journey always remains the same. The learning curve will come in how to deal with the other players in the game. In the end, the game will end up being as much about blocking the other player's advantages as it will be about using your own.
That said, Tokaido is a beautiful and satisfying addition to the family board game market and will be a great addition to any game night.
Tokaido is available from Passport Game Studios in North America and Fun Forge elsewhere.
A review copy of this game was provided by Passport Game Studios
