Joraku Deluxe — by Moaideas Game Design | Strategy and Tactics in Feudal Japan | Includes 40 Wooden Samurai Meeples | Trick-Taking Meets Area Control | 2-4 Players | 20-40 Minutes

This deluxe area control trick taking game is brillant

Joraku Deluxe is a board game that combines juggling mechanics with space control, set against a feudal Japanese backdrop. Players in this game each take on the role of a daimyo. To do this, players drive a samurai soldier and fight for control of space with card game technology. Interesting tactical decisions will be made because different players decide when and where to emphasize their strengths. The Deluxe Edition comes with many high-class, highly detailed features that give an extra layer of immersion to the experience.This game is designed for 2 to 4 players and will take about 60 to 90 minutes, so it should be long enough for game nights or small groups. Joraku Deluxe presents another challenge. In order to win the game, one has to think about each of his or her moves in advance to anticipate how his opponent will behave. It may take a session or two in order to master the mechanics of the game. But the reward is an in-depth interactive experience throughout.Joraku Deluxe fits very well with the lovers of a bit of strategy, especially through the repetition and depth of tactics. Beautifully designed, it also has historical themes merged with interesting mechanics. It therefore is an excellent choice for players who enjoy strategy and interactive and competitive play.

Solid area control game using a unique trick taking mechanic. This game should be more widely known.

This is a fantastic version of one of my favorite games! The bigger board and upgraded meeples look fantastic! Beautiful art and quality cards make this edition the best version of this game to date!

Joraku is a simple, fun tactical game where players battle for control of different regions. Players assume the role of feudal warlords – the Daimyo – as they try to rule over and unify Japan. Each player starts with a random Daimyo card who controls one starting region. Players will play out three phases across three rounds: the Recruit Phase, Skirmish Phase, and Prestige Phase. During these phases, players will battle it out with Skirmish cards. Then, they will place Samurai tokens, move their Daimyo token and Samurai tokens, or remove enemy Samurai tokens in order to gain influence over different areas. The game is simple to understand, but there’s a great level of depth in strategizing which cards to play to win Skirmishes and how to best control the board. Each round, the preferred areas of influence changes. This forces players to adapt and move or place their pieces accordingly.The more successful a player is at controlling specific areas and winning Skirmishes, the more Reputation Points (RP) they gain. Each player’s RP is tracked around the outside of the board. The player with the most RP after three rounds wins. I love the Japanese artwork done in a watercolor style, the gold foil title on the front of the box, and the use of Japanese characters. The Japanese influence is well represented with this game in its artwork, cards, and tokens. The tokens are colored pieces represent different samurai figure and are made of lightweight wood that may not be durable. Unfortunately, one of my Samurai tokens had a piece broken off. The rulebook does a poor job at explaining the rules since it’s full of spelling and grammatical errors, which makes reading it a bit confusing. Thankfully, there are reference cards and gameplay examples which helped tremendously.Another downside is the game does not have proper 2-player play either, which was disappointing. The options for two players include adding a neutral player or both players controlling two armies each. My partner and I opted for the 2v2 mode where we controlled two armies each. While we had fun, it was hard to keep track of both armies during the Skirmish Phase. Eventually, we figured out how to play and were able to keep track of everything which made for a decent experience. However, I would have preferred either a proper 2-player mode or playing this with more players. I wouldn’t recommend this for 2 players. If you’re playing with 3 or 4 players, then I would recommend this game because it’s simple to play, confusing rules aside, and it’s highly enjoyable coming up with different tactics to try and outwit your enemies. Once players know how to play, the game is excellent for subsequent playthroughs since it’s quick to play and easy to set-up.The more successful a player is at controlling specific areas and winning Skirmishes, the more Reputation Points (RP) they gain. Each player’s RP is tracked around the outside of the board. The player with the most RP after three rounds wins. I love the Japanese artwork done in a watercolor style, the gold foil title on the front of the box, and the use of Japanese characters. The Japanese influence is well represented with this game in its artwork, cards, and tokens. The tokens are colored pieces of lightweight wood that may not be durable. Unfortunately, one of my Samurai tokens had a piece broken off. The rulebook does a poor job at explaining the rules since it’s full of spelling and grammatical errors, which makes reading it a bit confusing. Thankfully, there are reference cards and gameplay examples which helped tremendously.Another downside is the game does not have proper 2-player play either, which was disappointing. The options for two players includes adding a neutral player or both players controlling two armies each. My partner and I opted for the 2v2 mode where we controlled two armies each. While we had fun, it was hard to keep track of both armies during the Skirmish Phase. Eventually, we figured out how to play and were able to keep track of everything which made for a decent experience. However, I would have preferred either a proper 2-player mode or playing this with more players. I wouldn’t recommend this for 2 players. If you’re playing with 3 or 4 players, then I would recommend this game because it’s simple to play, confusing rules aside, and it’s highly enjoyable coming up with different tactics to try and outwit your enemies. Once players know how to play, the game is excellent for subsequent playthroughs since it’s quick to play and easy to set-up.

Joraku Deluxe is a beautiful game with great components and oozing theme. The art is excellent. The meeples are great. The game is very thematic for the time period and is worked in well to the game as you try to move your Daimyo and Samurai closer to Kyoto. The instructions are easy to follow. The issue is despite the great art and theme and even some area control it is ultimately a trick taking game and their are better options for trick taking. Attempting to make this game a bit different than other trick taking games, there is an element of area control. So when you play a card you can move meeples, or place meeples or take away meeples and then you also have to consider who won the trick and who has area control of where their Daimyo is. So there is a lot to think about and this adds a bit of a brain burner element to the trick taking. But in the end it is trick taking and there are many other trick taking games. If you do not have many trick taking games or have not played many, then you may like this more. However, if you have played a number of different trick taking games already, despite the art and theme and area control it simply does not stand out enough. Also, there are two two player variants in this addition, most trick taking games don't work at lower player counts. This works, but it just does not stand out like say Fox in the Forrest which is a much better trick taking game for two players. Not a bad game. Also, if you do not have similar trick taking games then this might be more enjoyable, however if you have played a lot of Diamonds or Skull King or similar games, this just does not stand out enough.