Gunkimono is a tile-laying game with area control elements, dressed in some Japanese styling. This style is really a dressing to the tile-laying main course, but they do look pretty!

The actual gameplay is incredibly simple, on your turn you will place one of three double tiles or five single tiles on to the board. Double tiles have two colours, while single… well you can do the math. You start with five single tiles, one of each colour, and these won’t refresh once used. Whereas doubles will be redrawn until the end game.

As well as colours, tiles will have 0-2 flags on that colour segment. When you place a tile you choose to either score points or move up on a related colour track which can unlock points and temples. To score points you simply count up the group of orthogonal touching spaces of the same colour. These spaces are always changing colours and being built up during the game which creates a moving field of colours to attempt to control.

Temples, once earned, are put onto the board and score points at the end of every one of your turns - so they are well worth investing in, but they stop that section from scoring in any other way, although it can be grown and shrunk by yourself and others.

What results is a game of tug and war between you and the other players as you attempt to score big while keeping everyone else opportunities small, but score too many points and you are painting a massive target on your back.

Gunkimono feels different at different player counts, two players gives you the space to do your own thing to a degree whereas adding more players turns the game into a knife fight in a phone box. Though you will only take one action per turn the action is considered, and the choices feel tough without being overwhelming, so much so that even my eight-year-old loves destroying me in it!

Player Count: 2-5
Time: 45-60 Minutes
Age: 10+