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- BGG #15,803
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- 6.8
Gold Nugget
- 2–5 players
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- 2024
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Himizu
2026
Rules assistance for Himizu
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 20 min
- 10+
- Complexity 2.0/5
Rules assistant for Himizu
For 2 players
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Himizu is a board game released in 2026 for 2 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Carles Carreras and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Tile Placement, and Square Grid.
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About the game
Himizu is a game of strategy and cunning where the spirits of Fire 火 (hi in Japanese) and Water 水 (mizu in Japanese) face off in an unprecedented duel that will determine the fate of a clearing in the forest. Objective of the game: Fire 火: Have all 16 burning/charred terrain tiles on the board. Water 水: Have no flame figures on the board. If no one has achieved their goal by the end of round 10, Water wins. Therefore, Water can simply play to negate the objective of Fire. On each turn, the player can move their pieces on the board and use their spirit's abilities. Movement: Each spirit has 3 movements per turn, that can be distributed among their pieces as they see fit. Some spirit powers add more movements per turn. Each piece has effects when moving; for instance, each time a flame piece leaves a square, you put a burnt terrai tile on that square. Powers: Each spirit has a unique set of 4 powers, and each power has a cost in spirit stones. Once you spend spirit stones to pay for those costs, your pass them on the opposing player. Your own spirit stones have a value of 2 when performing your powers, and the other player's spirit stones are worth just 1. You can only regain your spirit stones when the other player spends them. Thus, you need to balance the need of performing powers with the need of not giving too much power to the other player.
Editions
- Himizuen2Tomatoes Games2026
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- 2Tomatoes Games
Questions and answers
Himizu supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Himizu is 20 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 Himizu 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.
Himizu has a complexity rating of 2.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light 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.
Himizu belongs to these categories: Abstract Strategy and Environmental. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Tile Placement, and Square Grid. 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 Himizu are: Carles Carreras. 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 Himizu 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.