Some of the oldest games in the world – many of which we still play today! – originated in Asia, the Continent of Contrasts. Over the centuries, Asian creators have unleashed their creativity, offering exploration of their cultures, their interests, and the beauty of unique gameplay through many board games that everyone can enjoy. You’ll find a wide range of unique topics, themes, and mechanics across the board, coming from Japan, China, India, Taiwan, and other countries throughout the continent. Be sure to check out as many as you can to explore the world just a bit more through the incredible art and storylines of these stunning games.
Introduction to Asian Board Games
Asian board games have a rich and diverse history, with many classic games that are still popular today. From the ancient game of Go to the strategic game of Xiangqi, Asian board games offer a unique experience and carry significant cultural value. In this section, we will explore the world of Asian board games, including their history, rules, and cultural significance.
The Top Ten Asian Board Games
The Isle of Cats
Age: 8+ Players: 1-4 Time: 60-90 minutes
If you love cats and don’t know this already about Japan, there are literally islands where feral cats roam happily free. And so the creators of this delightful game thought, why not? And here we are! The Isle of Cats welcomes anywhere from two players to four players to engage with Squalls End, a rescue mission for cats on this incredible island. Your goal as you play? Rescue as many cats as possible before the evil Lord Vesh arrives.
Every cat has its own unique tile and belongs to a particular family – and you must figure out how to get them into your boat, together with each other. You’ll also have to manage resources as you draft cards to explore the island, find and rescue the cats, discover treasures, study ancient wisdom, and befriend Oshax.
Every lesson you collect in-game gives you special, unique ways of scoring points as the game continues. As you complete the lessons, fill your boat, and rescue those cats, your score increases. The player who scores the most points after five rounds of play wins the game.
Tokyo Highway
Age: 8+ Players: 2-4 Time: 30 minutes
One of the best-known Asian games, Tokyo Highway offers players a unique look at the famous road in Japan. Players compete to place their cars along the road first, but they’ve first got to build the highway itself. You’ll construct columns using the 88 pillars, connect those columns to create the roadways and construct them over and under each other to make enough space for your cars. The first player to successfully build the Tokyo Highway and place all 10 of their cars wins. Tokyo Highway is a race game where players compete to navigate their cars along the road first.
Taiwan Night Market
Age: 10+ Players: 2-5 Time: 60-80 minutes
Become a vendor in one of the most exciting places around the Taiwan Night Market! Here you’re looking to sell as much of your delicious street fare as possible by attracting customers with your glorious offerings. But there’s strong competition – the rest of the players are trying to do the same. Can you outdo each other? Can you compete fairly? Well, bid on the right locations on the map, serve up the right food and drink, and who knows? Taiwan Night Market is a game played by vendors competing to attract the most customers with their delicious offerings.
Try to connect stalls of the same type to cut out competition and earn more. Plan your placements carefully, though – aiming for entry points where folks will find your offerings first so you can pull in the customers before the others get to them. Bidding the proper amount to win those spots, though, is crucial and could definitely win or lose you the game. Ultimately, whoever sells the most food for the right price and garners the most profit wins.
Lanterns: The Harvest Festival
Age: 8+ Players: 2-4 Time: 30 minutes
As the season ends and the harvest is brought in, all the artisans are hard at work preparing for the lantern festival to celebrate. Your job in the game of Lanterns: The Harvest Festival is to prepare and decorate the palace lake with your gorgeous lanterns. Compete with each other to become the favored artisan by the time the festival begins.
The game starts out with players collecting a handful of tiles depicting color arrangements of floating lanterns. Additionally, every player collects cards that include individual lantern cards of varying colors. As you place your tiles, all players receive a lantern card corresponding to the color of the portion of the tile facing them. Pay close attention as you play to avoid giving your opponents too many color tiles of the same kind or you may hand them the win! You’ll also want to place the cards intentionally to garner bonuses for yourself and gain the sacred honor of three pairs of lanterns or a collection of all seven colors. Be strategic in your placement to prevent your opponents from capturing your opponent’s stones. Whoever earns the most honor by the end of the game wins.
Chaturanga, an Ancient Game
Age: 8+ Players: 2-4 Time: 30 minutes
When you look at a Chaturanga board, you may think you’re looking at a variant of western chess. You’re not far off the mark on that. Chaturanga is actually kinda the first form of chess ever recorded, though it has different mechanics than the modern game we know today. Instead, Chaturanga, which comes from India, uses an 8 x 8 grid, engages 2 to 4 players, and has no castling, no En Passant captures, and pawns do not move that initial two spaces as found in Chess. The way the game pieces move also varies, with the Elephant or Ganji (Bishop) jumping 2 spaces diagonally, the Mantri (Queen) moving only one space diagonally, along with other differences. Of course, being a literally ancient game, there are some rules and shifts that fall under debate, but the copy you purchase should have fairly clear directions for its iteration of this challenging game.
Cats vs. Aliens
Age: 7+ Players: 2-4 Time: 15 minutes
If you’re looking for a quick bout of world domination + cats (because, of course!), then Cats Vs Aliens might just be the thing you’re dreaming of. The silly, fun, and fast strategic game pits cats against aliens in a match for planet domination. Get four of your tiles in a row before your enemy does and you’ve won at least a chunk of the world for your dominion. If you run out of tiles, pick up your discarded pile and play through again. There’s no such thing as a draw in this quick-paced game. You’ll pick your team as the game begins (Aats? Aliens?) and attempt to conquer this quick-to-learn but hard to master 15-minute game for 2 to 4 players aged 7 and older. Cats Vs Aliens is a war game where players strategically place their tiles to dominate the board.
Yokohama
Age: 14+ (Community 12+) Players: 2-4 Time: 90 minutes
The beautiful city of Yokohama once existed as a small fishing village. But when the Meiji era began, its location turned it into a critical shipping harbor, ideal for silk and copper traders to call home. Now a major merchant port, the city claimed components of foreign tech and culture and expanded even more. In the game of Yokohama, players take on the role of merchants settled into this now thriving modern city, trying to gain fame and success through building new stores, expanding their sales reach, and learning new techniques in trade. Your goal is to successfully grow your business through worker placement, fulfilling orders, and ultimately earning the most cash of all the players. Yokohama’s complexity and depth make it a favorite among professional players who enjoy strategic planning and resource management.
Go Goa: A Game of Strategic Thinking
Age: 14+ (Community 8+) Players: 1-6 Time: 25-30 minutes
Dreaming of a beautiful vacation where you sit back, relax, and soak in the sun? Why not Go Goa to India, where you’ll find thrilling tourist traps, stunning beauty, forts, and, of course, stunning beaches where you can laze in the sun. You can do all this – and more when you grab your copy of the relaxing solo-to-six-player game of Go Goa, a roll-and-write game.
Each game starts with players setting out on a twelve-day tour of the Indian state of Goa. Along the way, players must visit different tourist destinations and collect souvenirs. Each day of the journey, players select three dice to determine their distance, direction, and detours from the route to the next destination. That is, one player rolls three dice and reserves one as the direction that only they can use that turn. The other players use the dice to figure out where they’re headed by the number of steps to take and the detours along their route. Players then draft out their route along their player sheets, mapping their way through to the destinations in the gorgeous state. If a player lands on a tourist destination, they score a point. Players must plan their routes in such a way as to maximize their points and reach their destinations efficiently.
In addition, players may earn bonus points for collecting five destination types, three repeats of the same destination, or completing the tour they’ve chosen. After all players take their turn rolling the dice, the next round begins and the play starts over again as players continue to determine their routes and destinations. After 12 rounds of play, however, whoever has the most points wins.
Iki, a Game of Edo Artisans
Age: 14+ (Community 12+) Players: 2-4 Time: 60-90 minutes
Head to the Land of the Rising Sun, where Edo – now known as Tokyo, Japan – thrived with something like one million people. Half the people were samurai, and the other half were townspeople. The huge shopping culture, as witnessed in the main district of Nihonbashi, was loaded with kimonos, food, and other shops that attracted shoppers from miles around.
In Iki, a Game of Edo Artisans, or just Iki for short, your focus isn’t so much on samurai fighting but rather on competition among the artists of the city. Every artisan has their own skills, appropriate to the Edo period when the game takes place, with sellers of clothing and food, puppet masters and performers, and even ear cleaners busy at work.
Your goal in this marvelously appointed game is to become the annual Edoite, or the person most capable of personifying the very essence of Iki, the ancient Japanese philosophy of life in Edo. The true Iki reflects the subtleties of human nature, honor, and kindness all within their art. Iki, a Game of Edo Artisans, is often considered a royal game due to its historical and cultural significance in Japan.
Two to four players become the artisans, shopping their wares to customers strolling through Edo. Twelve rounds represent the months of the year, with four seasons breaking up the periods, with real-life disasters that may hit, from fires to floods and everything in between. As the game progresses, players seek to train their employees, sell their goods, and ultimately erect new buildings as they accumulate wealth.
Bruhaha
Age: 9+ Players: 2-6 Time: 5-15 minutes
For a fast, fight-your-way-to-the-top friendly game between pas, grab your copy of this hilariously silly Asian board game: Bruhaha. The fast-paced card game uses its quirky fighting techniques to pit players against each other in evenly uneven matches, largely based on chance. Slam your rivals with hammers or dance away from the impending punches. Unlock your power by collecting matching sets of 3 to heal yourself or go on a rampage of silly violence. You can play this outrageous game as individuals pitted against one another or form teams to duke it out. Of course, even teams get a bit competitive, so you might find yourself the victim of friendly fire… For those who enjoy strategic games, Chinese chess offers a different kind of challenge with its unique pieces and gameplay.
You’ll need at least two people to play and as many as six total, with kids 9 and up for quick action games of 5 to 15 minutes. The game comes with 100 cards to help you punch your way to the top.
Traditional Chinese Board Games
Traditional Chinese board games have been a cornerstone of Chinese culture for centuries. Games such as Mahjong, Xiangqi, and Go have been played for generations, and are still popular today. These games offer a unique blend of strategy, skill, and luck, and are a great way to learn about Chinese history and culture.
The Cultural Significance of Board Games
Board games have played a significant role in many Asian cultures, including Chinese, Japanese, and Korean cultures. They have been used as a tool for education, socialization, and self-improvement, and have been a popular form of entertainment for centuries. In this section, we will explore the cultural significance of board games in Asia, including their role in traditional ceremonies, their use as a tool for teaching strategy and critical thinking, and their impact on social relationships.
Also Read: Best Board Games for Adults: Our Top Ten Picks
Conclusion
Whether you’re already a huge fan of Japanese games or want to try out old (or ancient!) Indian or Chinese games, this collection of the best Asian board games will help. For short, fast-paced games with the family and friends, try Tokyo Highway, Lanterns: The Harvest Festival, Cats vs. Aliens, Chaturanga, Go Goa, and Bruhaha. For longer gameplay commitments, check out Taiwan Night Market, The Isle of Cats, Yokohama, and Iki, a Game of Edo Artisans. You’ll get a taste of the Continent of Contrasts in all its wonder, even if just for a few hours.
FAQ
1. What are some of the best Asian board games mentioned in the article?
The article highlights several popular Asian board games, including The Isle of Cats, Tokyo Highway, Taiwan Night Market, Lanterns: The Harvest Festival, Chaturanga, Cats vs. Aliens, Yokohama, Go Goa, Iki, a Game of Edo Artisans, and Bruhaha. Each game offers unique themes and mechanics, reflecting the diverse cultures and histories of Asia.
2. What is the objective of The Isle of Cats board game?
In The Isle of Cats, players engage in a rescue mission on Squalls End, aiming to save as many cats as possible before the evil Lord Vesh arrives. Players must manage resources, draft cards, and strategically place cat tiles on their boats to score points and win the game.
3. How do players win in Tokyo Highway?
In Tokyo Highway, players compete to construct and place their cars on a highway. The objective is to build the highway using pillars and roadways, placing all 10 of their cars before their opponents. The first player to do so wins the game.
4. What is the historical significance of Chaturanga?
Chaturanga is considered one of the earliest forms of chess, originating from India. It features an 8 x 8 grid and engages 2 to 4 players. The game has different mechanics from modern chess, with unique movement rules for pieces like the Elephant (Bishop) and Mantri (Queen).
5. What makes Iki, a Game of Edo Artisans unique?
Iki, a Game of Edo Artisans is set in Edo, Japan, and focuses on competition among artisans rather than samurai battles. Players aim to embody the essence of Iki, an ancient Japanese philosophy, by training employees, selling goods, and erecting buildings. The game reflects the cultural and historical context of Edo during the Edo period.