- BGG rank
- BGG #3,200
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Circus Maximus
- 2–10 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 2.6/5
- 1979
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- BGG #6,278
- BGG rating
- 6.6
Tajuto
2019
Rules assistance for Tajuto
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 45–60 min
- 10+
- Complexity 2.1/5
Rules assistant for Tajuto
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Tajuto is a board game released in 2019 for 2–4 players, 45–60 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Reiner Knizia and its main mechanics are Push Your Luck, Betting and Bluffing, and Action Points.
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About the game
In 532, Buddhism arrived in Japan, and took its place alongside Shintoism, which is the official religion. Prince Shotoku, seduced by this new religion, commissioned Buddhist monks to construct a village endowed with an immense garden, in which 8 pagodas (tajuto) would be erected. He announced that once the fourth tajuto was complete, it would make this city an important pilgrimage destination for all Buddhists around the world. The Buddhist monk who has attained the highest level of Spirituality, through deep Meditation and other mental qualities, at this precise moment will be rewarded, and the Prince will name them "Great Guardian of the Sacred Garden of the Eight Pagodas", and this monk will become the overseer of pilgrimage. In Tajuto, players take on the roles of the Buddhist monks, trying to achieve the highest spirituality. On their turn, they can activate their action tiles to draw (and build) pagoda tiles from the bag, make offerings to gain meditation points, and acquire tiles that will help them progress more quickly or earn them spirituality points. Activating more than one action tile or acquiring tiles costs meditation points. The game ends once the fourth pagoda is finished. The player with the most spirituality points wins. The key feature of the game is drawing the pagoda tiles from the bag. The pagoda tiles have a decreasing size per level. Players are welcome to blindly rummage around to try to recognize the floor by its size, but they aren’t likely to be able to detect the color this way, so drawing the floor size they want depends on their tactile recognition, but they have to weigh their odds to draw the color they want. —description from the publisher
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- Buró
- ABACUSSPIELE
- Geronimo Games
- GateOnGames
- Super Meeple
Questions and answers
Tajuto 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 Tajuto is 45–60 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 Tajuto 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.
Tajuto has a complexity rating of 2.1 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.
Tajuto belongs to these categories: Religious. Its main mechanics are Push Your Luck, Betting and Bluffing, and Action Points. 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 Tajuto are: Reiner Knizia. 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 Tajuto 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.