Joraku is an ancient Japanese word commonly used before the Edo period which means “Going to Kyoto”.
Specifically, during the Sengoku period, Joraku refers to the act of local warlords, the Daimyo, marching their armies toward Kyoto to "protect the Shogun and Emperor from other rogue lords" and ultimately rule in their place.
Onward to Kyoto! Take command of your army, and defeat every Daimyo blocking the way! March on! To victory! March on! Kachidoki!
Joraku is a trick-taking area control game. Outwit your opponents with tactical card play, use your loyal Samurais to bid control of areas and build prestige. Only the Daimyo with the highest reputation and the biggest stick can rule Japan!
Round Overview
Recruit Phase
Draw new hand of 5(6) skirmish cards in a 4(3) player game.
Pass 2 cards to the left simultaneously.
Skirmish Phase
Each player plays 1 card and resolves it.
Check who wins this skirmish.
Pass the Kachidoki card to winner. All players rank influence where the winner's Daimyo token is to gain RP.
Repeat 1~3 until all cards in hand are played.
Prestige Phase:
Rank influence of players in each area, earn Reputation Points based on the score charts on the map.
The game lasts for 3 rounds, and the player with the highest RP wins.
The points given in each area will be different for every round.
Your Samurai cubes will stay on the map between rounds, so plan for the future when you place them.
Kohaku Board Game Unboxing | DaniCha
- Beautiful artwork and fish imagery
- Pleasant and approachable gameplay feel
- Compact package with clear components and rules
- A lot of punch-out components to separate
- Sticker/print alignment not perfectly seamless on some copies
- Original acrylic version reportedly had tape issues that could irritate fingers
- Array
- Koi pond / water-inspired environment
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Compound Scoring — Scoring is guided by scoring cards and a scoring board to track progress.
- scoring — Scoring is guided by scoring cards and a scoring board to track progress.
- set collection — Tiles are collected in groups to achieve scoring and complete patterns.
- tile placement — Tiles are placed onto a main board to form configurations or patterns.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- this artwork is amazing
- it's such a pleasant game I'm excited to play this again
- look at this it's really nice
- the main board that the tiles will be placed on
References (from this video)
- Innovative integration of card play with board actions
- Appealing art and thematic feel
- Complexity can be intimidating for newcomers
- Rules clarity needed for first plays
- area control through card play
- board-driven trick-taking with action placement
- mixed euro/ameritrash feel
- Libertalia
- area-control trick-takers
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — Played cards influence board control and movement, affecting scoring.
- area control / modifier actions — Played cards influence board control and movement, affecting scoring.
- Trick-taking — Cards feed actions on a board (e.g., moving warriors) in addition to tricks.
- trick-taking with board actions — Cards feed actions on a board (e.g., moving warriors) in addition to tricks.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Everything Ever is the party game that you've been preparing for your entire life.
- Time Chase is a really interesting take on a trick taking game.
- Gap is easy to play so easy to learn; plays up to six.
References (from this video)
- intriguing queue-based bidding mechanic
- engine + set collection potential
- may not be as highly regarded as Feld's most acclaimed titles
- Market & resource acquisition with queues
- Bidding/queue-based acquisition in a historical-themed setting
- Structured economic competition
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Auction / Bidding — Players bid to acquire cards/assets
- bidding — Players bid to acquire cards/assets
- queueing — Players place meeples behind cards; the queue determines cost reductions
- Resource management — A balance of money and card acquisition
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- hidden movement games are something that I I'm kind of interested in but I've not really found the one for me
- I love bidding games
- the more people in this queues the more money you have to spend
- this is one of my most anticipated games from last year
- this is basically a game within a game
- it's lightning quick too it only takes around 15 minutes to play
- you can get a three-player game of this done in about an hour
- it's a passion project with some good historical context
References (from this video)
- Deep, multi-layered design with lots of nuance
- Rich strategic depth and elegant systems
- Underrated by many; may be challenging for newcomers
- influence and damio pieces in a shifting board
- area control with six to seven regions
- deeply strategic, layered systems
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Action point management and timing — Choose actions and move troops; scoring peaks shift across the board.
- Action points — Choose actions and move troops; scoring peaks shift across the board.
- Area control with trick-taking elements — Compete for regions; higher cards influence scoring and positioning.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I think out of all of these videos that I've done this is probably the highest quality list that I've done in terms of game recommendations
- gorgeous production I mean the pieces here are absolutely lovely on the table
- one of my favorite deduction games of all time if not my favorite game
- I like how pure and simple it is
- it's criminally underrated
- this one is an absolute absolute belter
- I could not recommend it enough
References (from this video)
- Tight bidding mechanics with meaningful choices
- Scales well from 3 to 5 players
- Requires careful money management and knowledge of car valuations
- Car auction/bid with strategic planning
- Stefan Feld bid-and-collect bidding game
- Tense, negotiation-driven
- Sperium
- Ra
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Queuing/bidding system — Players place meeples to bid on cars; demand drives price, early bids give first pick
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- this is one of many games i'm talking about here that i did purchase at the uk games expo
- i think i can give it a 7 out of 10
- it's a very neat game
- it's multiplayer solitaire with a race aspect
- one of the all-time classics
- this is a very well-rounded game