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促织 (Cuzhi)
2024
Rules assistance for 促织 (Cuzhi)
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 60–90 min
- 10+
- Complexity 3.2/5
Rules assistant for 促织 (Cuzhi)
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
促织 (Cuzhi) is a board game released in 2024 for 2–4 players, 60–90 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Xuchenou(徐晨鸥) and Zhangtianyi(张天翼) and its main mechanics are Income, Dice Rolling, and Contracts.
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About the game
促织 (Cuzhi) is a competitive game that transports players back to the Xuande period of the Ming Dynasty of China, where a palace entertainment named Cuzhi (cricket fighting) was popular among the royal family. Every year, the cabinet collected crickets from the provinces, a time when generals would crouch on the ground shouting the names of crickets, merchants would focus on appreciating the jars, and farmers, while busy harvesting grain, would not forget to bring along some dogtails for cricket fighting. Players will take on the role of a town mayor, the subordinate of officials in various counties and townships, and in this era where the emperor's interests influenced the country, they must find their own way to survive and thrive, while also finding entertainment for themselves. 促织 (Cuzhi) is a board game that combines the ancient Chinese cricket fighting culture with the German worker placement mechanism. In the game, players need to use their own workers to work in different areas to obtain various effects. You can do a series of interesting activities in this board game: collecting crickets, harvesting fodder, manipulating the market, hiring village heads, cultivating crickets, etc. In addition, you can also pay tribute to the dignitaries in different regions to obtain salaries and other rewards, and strive to become the most respected player in this game after five rounds of games. —description from the publisher 《促织》是一款德式策略竞争游戏。它将玩家带回明朝宣德年间，皇室里盛行名为促织的宫廷娱乐（斗蛐蛐）。内阁每年都要向年间征收，彼时将军趴在地上喊着蛐蛐的名号，商人顾着鉴赏罐子，农民忙着收割粮食时还不忘带些斗蛐蛐用的狗尾草；而玩家将要扮演各乡县官手下的里正，在这个被皇帝兴趣影响社稷的年代，找到自己安身立命的方法，也给自己找到乐子。 —description from the publisher (Chinese)
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- YOKA Games
Questions and answers
促织 (Cuzhi) supports 2–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for 促织 (Cuzhi) is 60–90 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists 促织 (Cuzhi) for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
促织 (Cuzhi) has a complexity rating of 3.2 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
促织 (Cuzhi) belongs to these categories: Fighting. Its main mechanics are Income, Dice Rolling, and Contracts. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of 促织 (Cuzhi) are: Xuchenou(徐晨鸥) and Zhangtianyi(张天翼). These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists 促织 (Cuzhi) as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.