NAMIJI
From road to sea
Designer: Antoine Bauza | Publisher: Funforge
Namiji is the next instalment in the Tokaido universe and a standalone game in its own right. Players need not have played Tokaido before – handy, as there’s likely to be a wash of first-time gamers, what with it being a relatively elderly ten years old. If anything, it’s possibly an advantage to come to Namiji fresh – if only to appreciate the game’s impeccable aesthetic.
Rather than a journey by land, Namiji sets sail across an archipelago geographically shy of the Tokaido road. Using boat meeples, players travel on a circular path broken up by several docks where they must take a rest, collect special ability cards and determine turn order for the next part of the voyage. Within each section, players decide how far ahead they move each turn but they’ll need to remember that the person in last position gets to go first. And there is no going back either. Racing ahead may initially sound like an advantage, but it actually results in long waits for your next turn, as well as missing out on a multitude of ways to score points.
Indeed, the net is cast wide for catching points. Games are effectively won by balancing each opportunity. Fill up your fish rack by stopping at the angling station to reel in a whopper (get them in the same kind and colour for even more points). Make an offering at the whirlpool station to offset negative points. Push your luck by deep-diving into the blind bag of crustaceans – just don’t get crabs...
Probably the most intriguing endeavour is set-collecting panorama cards. In Tokaido, these were breathtaking snapshots of the Edo-era landscape. Here it’s sea creatures – dolphins, an octopus and a whale – captured in such a way that would mesmerise even David Attenborough. These are also a profitable way to score (each section of the panorama creature has an ascending value) so competition is fierce – especially as the first player to complete them gets a bonus. Such images are beguiling, but be warned: it takes a lot of effort to complete all three animals, and they are by no means enough to win the game. It’s a clever, siren-like device to lure players off-course.
Beauty is obviously subjective but surely most people will agree this is a very attractive game. Crisp whites and pale shades go easy on the eye, providing a powerful backdrop for intense bursts of colour. It could even be argued that Namiji is more beautiful than the mother game. Card backs are equally as attractive as card fronts, the meeple boats are perfectly cut, while illustrated waves pay homage to Hokusai’s woodblock art. And although it’s more traditional in shape, Namiji improves upon Tokaido’s awkwardly long-but-thin board (complete with a path that’s one dodgy print-run away from being lost). Sadly, the points tracker has not been rethought, and remains confusingly zigzaggy.
A larger board shape is something that will be comfortably familiar to newcomer or casual gamers, who are likely to be the target market. It makes a particularly strong crossover title for those testing the waters of hobby games, without leaving behind familiar elements such as path trails. Super-simple to teach and learn, players can be competitive even on the first run-through and its plausible that smart kids younger than 8 could even get involved. Just as Tokaido was praised for being zen, Namiji offers similar thoughtful moments of contemplation – something parents and carers will no doubt appreciate over other more confrontational titles.
Because it only takes one or two plays to crack, Namiji isn’t really a heavy-weight game for seasoned players. Yet its lightness of touch, quick set-up and picturesque design make it refreshing to dip in and out of.
JENNY COX
WE SAY
An undeniable looker. Namiji works best as a gateway from mainstream titles into the hobby, whilst doubling as a quick-play palette cleanser for the more experienced.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX?
◗ Game board
◗5 Boat boards
◗
5 Boat tokens
◗5 Score counters
◗60 Panorama cards
◗3 Panorama bonus cards
◗20 Dock cards
◗20 Sacred Rock cards
◗20 Offering tokens
◗50 Crustacean tokens
◗48 Fish tokens
◗12 Net tokens
◗5 Early Bird tokens
◗ Cloth bag
TRY THIS IF YOU LIKED TOKAIDO...
Stating the obvious, but fans of Namiji’s predecessor will be intrigued to carry out a compare-and-contrast – and may end up preferring the spin-off.