Goro-Goro Dōbutsu Shōgi

About this board game

Goro-Goro Dōbutsu Shōgi is a two-player shogi game played in about 30 minutes on a 5×6 board, offering a natural next step for players who have outgrown Dōbutsu Shōgi.

Each player commands eight illustrated animal pieces: three chicks, two cats, two dogs, and one lion. The objective is to capture the opponent’s lion. Unlike Dōbutsu Shōgi, simply reaching the far side of the board with your lion does not win the game.

The larger board creates room for more strategic decisions while keeping the game shorter and more approachable than regular Shogi. Goro-Goro Dōbutsu Shōgi also introduces additional rules associated with full Shogi, making it a useful way to explore important concepts without committing to a full-sized game.

• Each player has three chicks, two cats, two dogs, and one lion.
• The 5×6 board provides a compact battlefield for quick two-player games.
• Captured pieces can support successive piece drops, an important Shogi concept.
• A player cannot have two of their own chicks in the same column.
• A chick cannot be dropped to deliver checkmate.
• Each player’s promotion zone is the two rows farthest away from them.

The design encourages players to handle their generals effectively, recognize the value of promoting a chick, and look for mating sequences supported by piece drops. These ideas give the game more depth than introductory animal shogi while preserving its welcoming visual style.

With cats and dogs moving across a small board, Goro-Goro Dōbutsu Shōgi combines accessible animal illustrations with a focused introduction to Shogi strategy. It is a compact, engaging choice for families and anyone ready for a more advanced animal-shogi experience.