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Shogun no Katana box art

Shogun no Katana

Game ID: GID0285888
Collection Status
Description

Feudal Japan, land of mystery, tradition, honor and sharp steel! The katanas have always been fundamental for the outcome of the battles that have elected or overthrown the noble and powerful families that dominate the different regions. But behind these beautiful masterpieces, lies a millenary art made of technique,discipline and sweat poured into the most ancient forges scattered around Japan. The smiths masters, keepers of ancient secrets, have the fate of entire families and the history of their country in their hands. Now it’s up to you, you have been called to carry on this ancient tradition. Will you beable to offer your masterpieces to the most powerful Daimyo in Japan and even tothe Shogun himself?

Shogun no Katana is a strategic Eurogame that will transport you to the magical atmosphere of feudal Japan. Use your workers to choose which swords to make, among those requested by the powerful local Daimyo. Collect resources to improve your craft, and request your artists to create breathtaking decorations. Have your family members admitted to the most strategic rooms of the Shogun’s palace to obtain the privileges of their rank. And finally, create the most beautiful SHOGUN NO KATANA!

You will have to manage your Forge wisely, as crafting Katanas will be the real beating heart of the game. The original and innovative sword-making mechanism allows you to activate an entire row or column to work on different Katanas at the same time. Each player has its own forge where all the katana crafting will take place.

During the game you will obtain resources, either by visiting the market, the palace among other places. By activating a row or column you can add resources to all matching Katanas, moving them accordingly on the grid. But be careful! Having a lot of Katanas on the grid means that you can accomplish more with fewer actions, but it also increases the risk of them hindering each other. You will have to build your engine cleverly to maximize your turns.

Year Published
2023
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 1
This page: 1
Sentiment: pos 1 · mix 0 · neu 0 · neg 0
Mentions per page
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Showing 1–1 of 1
Video A1m0lj1-iQQ Unknown Channel rules_teach at 0:13 sentiment: positive
video_pk 34781 · mention_pk 103681
Unknown Channel - Shogun no Katana video thumbnail
Click to watch at 0:13 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Unique sword crafting puzzle that ties resource placement to a tangible outcome
  • Tight thematic integration with feudal Japan setting
  • Clear progression with forge board upgrades and sword decoration
  • Strategic tension from timing and resource management
Cons
  • Potential for a traffic jam when crafting multiple swords can slow play
  • May be fiddly for players new to heavy resource-management rules
Thematic elements
  • Sword crafting and prestige within rival noble families
  • Feudal Japan
  • expository/guide-like
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • card crafting — Your forge board is where your main sword crafting occurs and the crux of the puzzle; each sword has a list of different resources and uses four rows to track progress.
  • Forge board sword crafting — Your forge board is where your main sword crafting occurs and the crux of the puzzle; each sword has a list of different resources and uses four rows to track progress.
  • Progression and upgrades — As you add resources to sword tiles, they move within their row and you can upgrade materials to improve the sword.
  • Resource gathering at the market — Going to the market allows you to buy important resources and materials for crafting your sword and gain cards that increase income potential.
  • Resource tile acquisition — Sending a worker to one of the four houses allows you to take a sword tile of your choice and place it on your forge board.
  • Temple access/unlock — Going to the temple allows you to unlock a monk for a small fee.
  • Trade for prestige — Trading in your swords earns you prestige.
  • Traffic jam/sword jam — Crafting multiple swords at the same time can create traffic jams; the presentation even jokes about it as a potential 'sword jam'.
  • Witsu board and unlocks — When you finish a sword, it goes into your witsu board, which allows you to unlock other workers.
  • worker placement — On your turn, you’ll be placing workers or monks into the different game areas and activating the actions around the main game board.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • It's a really unique game, and I adore it.
  • Or is it a sword jam?
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
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