Koinobori

About this board game

Koinobori is a Japanese kite-themed board game for 2–5 players, with games lasting about 40 minutes. Players build personal masts, influence shared festival masts, and compete to create the most rewarding combination of colorful koinobori cards.

Each player has a personal mast, while the center of the table holds one more festival mast than the number of players. A row of koinobori cards is also available for players to draw from. On every turn, choose one of three actions to develop your strategy.

• Place a card on a festival mast: Add a koinobori to one of the shared masts and help determine which color will dominate it.
• Place a card on your personal mast: Play a card face down. These cards improve your abilities, but the koinobori placed on your mast also determine your scoring potential.
• Draw koinobori cards: Take a card from an end of the tabled row. Improved abilities can let you draw two cards or choose cards from places other than the ends.

The festival masts gradually fill as players add cards. The game ends when they are completed, leading to the scoring phase. On each festival mast, players determine which color of koinobori has the greatest presence; only that color scores on the mast.

Each player then earns points based on the multiplication of the number of koinobori on their personal mast by the number of koinobori on the festival mast. The player with the highest score wins. With its combination of shared objectives, personal development, and tactical card choices, Koinobori invites players to raise their ambitions like colorful kites in the sky.