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Makoto
2025
Rules assistance for Makoto
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 20 min
- 8+
- Complexity 2.5/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Makoto
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Makoto is a board game released in 2025 for 2–6 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Simon Weinberg and its main mechanics are Hand Management and Ladder Climbing.
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About the game
Makoto, which means “sincerity" in Japanese, is a climbing card game with hidden depths and beautiful illustrations that show the journey of a Ronin through the countryside of Japan. Each player starts a round with a hand of cards that range from 1-16, and a number of cards are dealt face up in the center of the table as a "blind". The lead player of a round plays a combination — a set of one or more cards of the same value or a run of at least three cards — then players in turn either play the same combination (with at least one higher card) or pass, which does not remove you from the round. A four-of-a-kind — a Kensei — can be played over any combination and is beaten only by a higher Kensei. When all players pass in turn, the round ends, and whoever played last collects the played cards and leads the next round. After playing on your turn, you can discard to the blind one card from your hand that's lower than anything you played, or you can pick up cards from the blind as long as they're the same value, lower than what you played, and at most the same number of cards you played. When you've emptied your hand, you receive a bonus, with the bonus diminishing for those who go out later. After all but one person has gone out, players score for the cards they've collected — but only for 2s, 5s, and 10s. After a certain number of rounds, whoever has the highest score wins. Makoto is all about cleverly improving your hand cards and weighing when to continue playing versus when to pass.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- HUCH!
- Mayfair Games
- Egmont Polska
- Don't Panic Games
Questions and answers
Makoto supports 2–6 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 Makoto 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 Makoto for ages 8 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.
Makoto has a complexity rating of 2.5 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.
Makoto belongs to these categories: Card Game. Its main mechanics are Hand Management and Ladder Climbing. 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 Makoto are: Simon Weinberg. 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 Makoto 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.