We played Tokaido at Compulsory Merriment yesterday. It was Jacob’s idea because he wanted to try something that doesn’t break out in a fight. Tokaido is a beautiful game with a very Zen vibe… and the board isn’t anywhere near as complicated as it looks!
Each player is a traveler on a magnificent road in Japan. While traveling, you’ll meet people, taste regional cuisine, collect beautiful items, discover great panoramas, visit temples and work on the farm to make money… if you’re lucky. Everybody kinda hogged the farm jobs in our game.
The general idea is to collect the most interesting and varied items & experiences. The winner of the game is the traveler with the best collection. Tokaido can be the chill sort of game you play while chatting or a strategy battle involving–let’s say– keeping all the other players off the farm.
45 minutes playtime, 2-5 players, ages 8+