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Zaibatsu: Shadowraiders
- 1–4 players
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- 2017
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- BGG #15,677
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Zaibatsu
2010
Rules assistance for Zaibatsu
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 120 min
- 14+
- Complexity 2.7/5
Rules assistant for Zaibatsu
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Zaibatsu is a board game released in 2010 for 2–4 players, 120 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Froylan Rutiaga and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Tile Placement, and Modular Board.
Expansions
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About the game
The game is set in a cyberpunk future, players represent supercorporations rivals, the Zaibatsu, who struggle to obtain the domain and control of the global network of information, Cybernet and for this we serve a large number of agents, mercenaries pawns they use to achieve their targets. Zaibatsu is a print and play cyberpunk-themed game, each player in game can move pawns, attack the pawns controlled by other players, put new hexagonal blocks to expand the modular board or gain control of the existing blocks to dominate the board and win the game The game consists of cards, which allows variety of actions to choose, dice that add random and uncertainty to the game, and a modular board which adds replay value to the game, also each player have the opportunity to control simultaneously multiple pawns each one of them with special abilities and restrictions. In the game will alternate turns until one player obtain a certain number of control counters over the board.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- (Web published)
Questions and answers
Zaibatsu 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 Zaibatsu is 120 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 Zaibatsu for ages 14 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.
Zaibatsu has a complexity rating of 2.7 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.
Zaibatsu belongs to these categories: Print & Play and Science Fiction. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Tile Placement, and Modular Board. 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 Zaibatsu are: Froylan Rutiaga. 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 Zaibatsu 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.