Hanamikoji

2013

Immerse yourself in Hanamikoji, a game of strategy and speculation. Compete to earn the favor of seven Geishas by collecting performance items, and outwit your opponent for victory.

15
minutes

2 - 2
player(s)

10+

Medium Light

About the game

Welcome to the fascinating world of Hanamikoji, a beautifully illustrated, strategic two-player board game that is both simple to learn and deeply engaging. Set against the backdrop of Kyoto’s renowned geisha district, the game’s theme and artwork are inspired by traditional Japanese culture and aesthetics.

In Hanamikoji, you and your opponent take on the role of rival restaurant owners, each vying for the favors of seven illustrious geishas. Each geisha is represented by various item cards in the game, and your main objective is to win their services by presenting the most charming and desirable items.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

The game of ‘Hanamikoji’ includes several components, each with its own purpose and role in the gameplay. Here are the components, along with their descriptions and functions:

1. Seven Geisha Cards:

These are beautifully illustrated cards, each representing a different Geisha. Each card has a unique value ranging from 2 to 5. These cards are placed in the center of the table, forming the main area of competition between the two players. The players will be competing to win the favor of the majority of these Geisha by providing them with their preferred items.

2. Twenty-one Item Cards:

These are the cards that players will be using to win the favor of the Geishas. Each type of item is preferred by a specific Geisha, and the number of each type of item matches the value of the corresponding Geisha. For example, the Geisha with a value of 2 prefers a type of item of which there are only 2 in the deck. These cards are drawn by players and used in the four actions they can perform each round.

3. Four Action Markers:

Each player has four action markers. These markers are used to keep track of which actions the player has performed in the current round. The actions are: Secret, Trade-off, Gift, and Competition. Each action allows the player to manipulate their hand and attempt to win the favor of the Geishas. Once a player performs an action, they flip the corresponding marker to indicate that the action has been used for that round.

4. Eight Victory Markers:

These markers are used to keep track of which Geishas a player has won the favor of. When a player wins the favor of a Geisha (by having a majority of that Geisha’s preferred items), they place one of their victory markers on that Geisha card. The player with the most victory markers on Geisha cards at the end of a round wins the game.

5. Rulebook:

The rulebook provides all the necessary information to understand and play the game. It contains detailed explanations of the game rules, the function of each component, and the steps of a game round.

In terms of interaction, the game involves players strategically using their item cards to win the favor of the Geishas. This involves carefully choosing which action to perform at which time, and trying to predict and counter the actions of the other player. Winning the game requires both understanding the value of the different Geishas and items, and being able to outmaneuver your opponent in the constant back-and-forth of actions.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

Hanamikoji is an elegant and engaging two-player card game, set in the fascinating world of traditional Japanese Geisha culture. The aim of the game is to win the favor of the majority of the Geisha or win the favor of Geisha having a total charm value of 11 or more. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to set up the game:

Step 1: Set Up the Playing Area

Place the 7 Geisha cards in a row between the two players. The Geisha cards are the ones with values from 2 to 5.
Each Geisha card has a matching set of Item cards. The number of Item cards matches the value on the corresponding Geisha card.

Step 2: Prepare the Item Deck

Shuffle all 21 Item cards (which include 14 distinct items, each corresponding to a Geisha, and 7 duplicates) together to form the deck.
Place this deck face-down near the row of Geisha cards.

Step 3: Initial Card Draw

Draw 4 cards from the top of the Item deck and place them face-down without looking at them. These cards form the “temporary out-of-play” pile and will not be used this round.
Each player then draws 6 cards from the Item deck to form their hand.

Step 4: Determine Player Roles

The player who last visited a restaurant will be the first to play. This player takes the 4 Action markers.

Step 5: Begin the Game

Now, the game is ready to begin. Each player, starting with the first player, takes an action using their Action markers. They must play all 4 of their Action markers before they can pick them up again.
The 4 actions are: Secret, Trade, Gift, and Competition. Each action allows the player to play Item cards from their hand and try to win the favor of the Geisha.

Note: The game continues over several rounds until one player meets one of the victory conditions – either they have won the favor of 4 or more Geisha, or they have won Geisha with a total charm value of 11 or more.

Game flow Round and round we go

In the game of ‘Hanamikoji’, two players compete to win the favor of seven geisha masters by collecting performance items. The game is divided into rounds, and each round consists of four phases.

Phase 1: Deal Cards

At the beginning of each round, players are dealt six cards from a deck of twenty-one. The remaining cards form the draw pile.

Phase 2: Action Selection

During this phase, players take turns to choose and perform one action. The four possible actions are:

Secret: The player picks one card from their hand and places it face down. This card will be used for scoring at the end of the round.
Trade-off: The player picks two cards from their hand and places them face down. These cards will not be used in the current round.
Gift: The player picks three cards from their hand and places them face up. The opponent chooses one card to keep, and the player keeps the other two.
Competition: The player picks four cards from their hand and divides them into two pairs. The opponent chooses one pair to keep, and the player keeps the other pair.

Phase 3: Draw Cards

After both players have performed all four actions, they draw back up to six cards from the draw pile.

Phase 4: Scoring

At the end of the round, the cards in front of each player are revealed. The player with the most cards of each performance item wins the favor of the corresponding geisha. A player wins the game if they win the favor of four geisha or if the total charm points of the geisha they have won is eleven or more.

If neither player wins, the game proceeds to the next round. The player who goes first in the next round is the player who did not go first in the previous round.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

In the game of Hanamikoji, players compete to win the favor of seven geisha by offering them gifts. Each player’s turn consists of four actions, all of which must be completed before the player’s turn ends.

Action 1: Secret

The first action a player can take is to secretly set aside a card from their hand. This is done face down and is not revealed until the end of the round. The card will count towards winning the favor of the corresponding geisha.

Action 2: Trade

Next, a player can choose to trade two cards from their hand. The player selects two cards and places them face down. The other player then chooses one card they want, and the remaining card goes to the player who made the trade. This action gives you the chance to possibly discard a card that your opponent needs while getting one that you need.

Action 3: Gift

A player can also choose to gift their opponent. The player chooses three cards from their hand and places them face up. The other player then selects one card to keep, and the remaining two cards go to the player who made the gift. This action is a good way to get rid of cards that your opponent needs while keeping the ones you need.

Action 4: Competition

The final action a player can take is to hold a competition. The player selects four cards from their hand and separates them into two pairs. The other player then selects one pair to keep, and the remaining pair goes to the player who initiated the competition. This action can be strategic in forcing your opponent to make a difficult decision.

At the end of a player’s turn, they draw back up to their hand limit. The round ends when all players have used all four actions, and then the favor of the geisha is determined based on the number of cards each player has for each geisha. The player who wins the favor of the majority of the geisha, or the player who wins the favor of geishas with a total charm value of 11 or more, wins the game.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

Hanamikoji is a beautifully crafted strategic card game for two players. Each game takes about 15 minutes to play. The game ends when a player wins the favor of four Geisha, or when a player wins the favor of Geisha with a total charm value of 11 or more.

How to win:

Winning the Favor of Four Geisha: At the end of a round, if a player has successfully won the favor of four Geisha, that player wins the game. Winning the favor of a Geisha means having a majority of that Geisha’s cards on your side of the table.
Winning the Favor of Geisha with Total Charm Value of 11 or More: At the end of a round, if a player has won the favor of Geisha whose total charm value sums up to 11 or more, that player wins the game. Charm values are indicated on the Geisha cards.

End of Round Actions:

At the end of a round, after all actions have been played, players must follow these steps before final scoring:

Count Cards: Count the number of each Geisha’s item cards on your side of the table.
Compare Cards: Compare these numbers with your opponent. The player with more item cards of a Geisha wins the favor of that Geisha.
Resolve Ties: If both players have an equal number of a Geisha’s item cards, the favor of that Geisha remains with the player who had it in the previous round. If it’s the first round, the favor of that Geisha is not assigned to any player.

After these steps, check for any victory conditions fulfilled. If a player fulfills either of the victory conditions, they win the game. If no player fulfills a victory condition, commence a new round.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

‘Hanamikoji’ is a strategic card game where players compete to win the favor of seven Geishas by presenting them with performance items. The scoring system is quite straightforward but requires strategic play to maximize points. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the scoring system:

Each Geisha card has an associated point value, ranging from 2 to 5. The favor of a Geisha is won by presenting more of her performance items than the opponent. At the end of each round, players tally up the point values of the Geishas whose favor they’ve won.

Scoring is as follows:

The player with the highest total points wins the round.
If both players have the same total points, the player who has won the favor of more Geishas wins.
If there’s still a tie after comparing both total points and number of Geishas, the round is deemed a draw and is played again.

The ultimate winner of the game is determined in one of the following ways:

If a player earns 11 or more points in a single round, that player wins the game.
If a player wins the favor of 4 or more Geishas in a single round, that player wins the game.
If neither of these outcomes is reached in a round, the game continues to another round.

It’s important to note that ‘Hanamikoji’ is a game of strategy rather than luck. Understanding the scoring system can help players make strategic decisions about which Geishas to pursue and which performance items to present.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Hanamikoji is a strategic card game that requires players to outwit their opponents in order to win the favor of the majority of the geishas. While the rules are straightforward, there are certain rare or special rules, exceptions, and clarifications that might be important to understand:

Action Cards

Secret: This action allows you to secretly keep a card until the end of the round. While this action sounds simple, it’s important to remember that you cannot use the card you’ve chosen until the round ends. This can influence your strategy significantly.
Trade-off: This action card requires you to discard two cards from your hand. While discarding, remember that these cards will be out of play for the current round and will not count towards winning the favor of any geisha.
Competition: This action card allows you to present three cards, and your opponent chooses one while you keep the other two. Here, it’s important to remember that you must present all three cards at once and your opponent must choose without knowing the other cards in your hand.
Gift: This action card allows you to present two pairs of cards to your opponent and they choose one pair while you keep the other. Like with the Competition card, all cards must be presented at once and the opponent must choose without knowing the other cards in your hand.

Winning the Game

If a player wins the favor of 4 geishas or geishas worth a total charm value of 11 or more at the end of any round, they win the game.
If both players tie in the number of geishas and total charm value, the player who won the previous round wins the game. If it is the first round, then the game continues to another round.

Clarifications

If a player runs out of action markers, they can still play their hand but not perform any actions.
Geisha cards are not shuffled back into the deck after each round, only the item cards are reshuffled and dealt again.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Advanced Strategies in Hanamikoji

Hanamikoji is a deeply strategic game, despite its simple rule set. The key to doing well is to outthink your opponent and remain adaptable. Here are some advanced strategies:

Card Counting: Keep track of the cards that have been played. This helps in predicting the cards your opponent might have.
Use Your Actions Wisely: Carefully plan the sequence of your actions. Sometimes it is better to use the ‘Secret’ action early, sometimes it is better to wait.
Bluff: You can try to bluff your opponent into thinking you have a certain card to manipulate their actions.

Beginner Tips for Hanamikoji

If you’re new to the game, these tips will help you get started:

Learn the Cards: Spend some time familiarizing yourself with the cards and their values. This will help you make more informed decisions.
Start with Basic Strategies: Initially, aim for winning the favor of the majority of Geishas or achieving a total charm value of 11 or more.
Be Flexible: Don’t stick to a single strategy. Adjust your gameplay based on the cards you draw and your opponent’s actions.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Hanamikoji

Here are some common mistakes to avoid when playing Hanamikoji:

Ignoring Your Opponent: Don’t just focus on your own game. Pay attention to your opponent’s actions and try to anticipate their moves.
Wasting High Value Cards: Avoid using high value cards for the ‘Gift’ or ‘Competition’ actions unless necessary. It’s often better to save them for the ‘Secret’ or ‘Trade’ actions.
Forgetting the Objective: Remember, your goal is to win the favor of the Geishas, not to collect the most cards. Always keep the main objective in mind.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay in Hanamikoji

Finally, here are some ways to optimize your gameplay in Hanamikoji:

Practice: Like any game, the more you play, the better you’ll get. Practice will help you understand the game mechanics and develop your own strategies.
Adapt: Be ready to change your strategy based on the game situation. Flexibility is key to winning in Hanamikoji.
Use Your Actions Strategically: Don’t use your actions randomly. Think about the potential outcomes and use your actions to manipulate the game in your favor.