- BGG rating
- 7.2
Kanagawa: Yokai
- 2–4 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 1.7/5
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #970
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Kanagawa
2016
Rules assistance for Kanagawa
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 45 min
- 10+
- Complexity 2.0/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Kanagawa
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Kanagawa is a board game released in 2016 for 2–4 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Bruno Cathala and Charles Chevallier and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Push Your Luck.
Expansions
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About the game
1840: In Kanagawa, the great bay of Tokyo, the Master Hokusai decided to open a painting school to share his art with his disciples. You are one of these disciples, and more than anything, you want to prove yourself worthy of the “crazy, old artist”. Follow his teachings to expand your studio and paint your preferred subjects (Trees, Animals, Characters, Buildings), all while paying attention to the changing of the seasons in order to make the most harmonious print - the one that will become the work of your lifetime! Each player randomly draws a starting tile that provides you with a landscape you've already mastered (Forest, Mountain, Plain, or Ocean), two brush pawns, one movement, and a plains Print with a season. Each round, the first player draws the same amount of Lesson Cards as there are players, and places them on the first row of the board. They are face up or face down based on how the mat tells you to lay them. The choice is then immediately made to either Broaden Your Knowledge (pass your turn and wait for more cards) or Put it into Practice (choose a column of Lesson cards, play the cards, take the appropriate Diploma. Anyway, the game continues until one of two conditions is met: The deck is empty or when one or more players have 11 cards in their Print. Points are awarded based on the point symbols in your Print and studio, total number of cards in your Print, longest sequence of identical Seasons, completed Diploma tiles, and ending with the Grand Master pawn. The player with the most points wins.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Devir
- Bureau de Juegos
- GoKids 玩樂小子
- Korea Boardgames
- Redbox Editora (Redbox)
- Reflexshop
- Albi
- Portal Games
- Lavka Games
- IELLO
- Mancalamaro
- Ігрова Майстерня
- 2 Pionki
Questions and answers
Kanagawa 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 Kanagawa is 45 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 Kanagawa 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.
Kanagawa has a complexity rating of 2.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a 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.
Kanagawa belongs to these categories: Card Game and Animals. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Push Your Luck. 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 Kanagawa are: Bruno Cathala and Charles Chevallier. 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 Kanagawa 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.