
2015Iori Tsukinami (月並いおり)
Mostly reviews. Joraku is covered on BoardGameVideo.com by 24 reviews, 4 how-to-play guides, 2 recorded sessions, 3 unboxings, and 2 other videos.
From BoardGameGeek
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.
Joraku has 35 videos from 29 creators: 24 reviews, 4 how-to-play guides, 2 playthroughs, 3 unboxings and 2 other videos. They date from 2015 to February 2025.
To learn the rules, start with "JORAKU - How to play and review" by Dave's Tabletop Gaming, which runs 15 min. For a quicker teach, "Joraku - Comment jouer" by Es-Tu Game? runs 6 min.
For an opinion before you buy, start with "Joraku Review - with Zee Garcia" by The Dice Tower. 20 creators have reviewed it. To see it played, watch "Joraku - Live Play" by Down the Vent, one of 2 playthroughs.
If you like it, try Lunar Trick, also by Iori Tsukinami (月並いおり), or Tidal Blades: Banner Festival, Dracula vs Van Helsing and The Battle of Five Armies, which share several of its mechanics. It appears in convention videos from Gen Con 2017 and Spiel Essen 2015.
8 of 29
2022J.B. Howell, Michael Mihealsick
2 - 5 players30 - 45 minLight weight
2023Maxime Rambourg, Théo Rivière
2 players20 - 45 minLight weight
2014Roberto Di Meglio, Marco Maggi, Francesco Nepitello
2 players90 - 240 minHeavy weight
From BoardGameGeek:
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.
Designer
Iori Tsukinami (月並いおり)
Artists
Nariko (ナリコ), Katie Welch
Publisher
Moaideas Game Design
Categories
Mechanics