by W. Eric Martin At the Tokyo Game Market that took place December 9-10, 2023, a new publisher debuted with a nostalgic approach to its game packaging. Taple Games / ??????????? describes itself as "an experimental board game label...
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Taple Games / ??????????? describes itself as "an experimental board game label that uses cassette tape cases in place of board game boxes", and it promises to deliver "the unique experimental works of creators along with their excellent artwork". Designer Saashi, for example, normally works with his wife Takako Takarai for the look of his self-published games, but for his Taple Games release he explains that he drew the illustrations himself, but he "borrowed Takako's pens, etc., so the touches are somewhat similar".
Taple Games released eight titles in limited quantities at Game Market, and it's not clear whether they'll ever be sold again, but I thought I'd write about half of the titles since I dig the creativity of the format and want to encourage others to release playful works along these lines.
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• Kotobani Naranai Mojiha Iranai Game comes from Asa the Game Designer, who's part of the TANSANFABRIK design group and who's featured on the game cover holding 6 nimmt! cards, the relevance of which will become clear once you read about the game:
"Kotobani Naranai Mojiha Iranai" roughly translates to "I can't put it into words; I don't need letters", and that conveys the essence of the game: Try to avoid taking letters, especially when you can't put them into words.
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Read the warning label closely...
In the game, each player has a hand of cards and four cards are placed into a column on the table. Each card features a number and one of the 48 characters in the Hiragana syllabary.
On a turn, each player chooses and reveals a card from their hand. In numerical order, each player places their card at the end of any row in which the character on their card comes later in the Hiragana syllabary than the character at the end of the row.
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Gameplay example
If you can't place your card in any row, then you must take all of the cards in a row, making your played card the first card in a new row. The cards you take are worth negative points equal to the number of red Xs on them — but if you can create a word from some or all of these cards, you discard the used cards instead of placing them in your score pile.
The player with the lowest score at the end of the game wins.
In the game, each player has a hand of cards and four cards are placed into a column on the table. Each card features a number and one of the 48 characters in the Hiragana syllabary.
On a turn, each player chooses and reveals a card from their hand. In numerical order, each player places their card at the end of any row in which the character on their card comes later in the Hiragana syllabary than the character at the end of the row.
If you can't place your card in any row, then you must take all of the cards in a row, making your played card the first card in a new row. The cards you take are worth negative points equal to the number of red Xs on them — but if you can create a word from some or all of these cards, you discard the used cards instead of placing them in your score pile.
The player with the lowest score at the end of the game wins.
Thanks to James Nathan for providing additional details about how to play this game.
The designer's commitment to his look and inspiration is impressive:
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• Speaking of Saashi, his Taple Games design is Alliance Correspondence: Battle Swayers, a two-player roll-and-write game in which players use dice to develop military formations:
Alliance Correspondence: Battle Swayers bears the Japanese subtitle ?????? ("Letter Before the Battle"), and by sending letters, you can invite or prevent betrayal to affect the course of battle.
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Players are divided into eastern and western armies and aim to win the battle at Sekigahara, a strategic location where the Tokaido and Hokkoku side roads intersect. Each turn, you take three of the six rolled dice, then use their numbers to check your faction sheet and arrange the military commanders.
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One player sheet, which shows betrayal possibilities in the right-hand column
The game ends when a certain number of military commanders have lined up in their formations, and you earn victory points by comparing the strength values of each area, but you must also send letters in advance and be on the lookout for betrayal by your friends and enemies that can reverse an outcome you thought was certain.
Players are divided into eastern and western armies and aim to win the battle at Sekigahara, a strategic location where the Tokaido and Hokkoku side roads intersect. Each turn, you take three of the six rolled dice, then use their numbers to check your faction sheet and arrange the military commanders.
The game ends when a certain number of military commanders have lined up in their formations, and you earn victory points by comparing the strength values of each area, but you must also send letters in advance and be on the lookout for betrayal by your friends and enemies that can reverse an outcome you thought was certain.
• Zombie Sniper / ???????? is a design from Jun Sasaki of Oink Games that pits 2-5 players against one another in a game akin to a reverse "Red Light, Green Light":
In Zombie Sniper, a crowd of dead people approach through the fog. You have only five bullets on hand to protect yourself. Will the zombies or humans survive?
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In this game, players are divided into zombies and snipers. Each turn, all but one of the zombies approach the sniper. The sniper and the crowd must work together to identify the stationary zombies and shoot them with bullets.
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If an advancing zombie reaches the final line, the zombie side wins; if the sniper can defeat three zombies before then, the sniper wins. Unfortunately, some among the crowd might be on the side of the zombies, so as a sniper, you need to think carefully about whose opinion you should listen to before acting. Your last shot can also be fired into the crowd. Will the outcome be tragedy or victory?
In this game, players are divided into zombies and snipers. Each turn, all but one of the zombies approach the sniper. The sniper and the crowd must work together to identify the stationary zombies and shoot them with bullets.
If an advancing zombie reaches the final line, the zombie side wins; if the sniper can defeat three zombies before then, the sniper wins. Unfortunately, some among the crowd might be on the side of the zombies, so as a sniper, you need to think carefully about whose opinion you should listen to before acting. Your last shot can also be fired into the crowd. Will the outcome be tragedy or victory?
• MOMOJAN is a two-player card game from Takashi Hashiguchi that combines elements of Mahjong and Hanafuda.
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Details are minimal, but as I understand it, players are challenged to collect sets. The more sets you play, the more your hand is revealed — and the more your sets overlap, the more points you'll score if you win.
The opponent can steal your point sticks, however, and whoever holds the most point sticks at game's end wins.
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