UTSUROI IKI

Japanese style board game: Master the art of trade on the streets of ancient Japan.

IKI is a medium weight strategy game for 2-4 players, ages 13+, with a playing time of 60-90 minutes. It bases itself in the city of Edo, or what we now know today as Tokyo, Japan.

Edo was a thriving city with an estimated population of one million, half townspeople and half samurai. With a huge shopping culture, Edo’s main district, Nihonbashi, was lined with shops, selling kimonos, rice, and so much more.

Nihonbashi will be the focus of this game. IKI: A Game of EDO Artisans will bring you on a journey through the famed street of old Tokyo. Hear the voices of Nihonbashi Bridge’s great fish market. Meet the professionals, classing from 700­-800 different jobs. Enter the interactivity of the shoppers and vendors. Become one with the townspeople.

One of the main professions in the world of Edo is the artisan. Each of the Edo artisans use their own skill of trade to support the townspeople’s lives. In this game, not only are there artisans, but street vendors, sellers at the shops, and professions unique to this time and age. Meet the puppet masters, putting on a show. Meet the ear cleaners that people would line up for. This game just got a whole lot more exciting.

The goal of this game is to become the annual Edoite, best personifying what is known as “IKI.” What is “IKI,” you ask? “IKI” is an ancient philosophy, believed to be the ideal way of living among people in Edo. Knowing the subtleties of human nature, being refined and attractive… These are all elements of a true IKI master.