Nekojima

About this board game

Nekojima is a 1–5 player wooden game of skill and dexterity that plays in about 30 minutes. Set on Japan’s “Island of Cats,” it challenges players to develop an electricity network for the island’s lively districts.

The narrow territory makes installing electrical poles increasingly complex, while cats stroll along the cables. Players take turns placing or stacking denchuu—電柱, or electrical poles—while respecting the locations and ensuring that no hanging cables touch.

Every move requires reflection, concentration, and skill. The entire installation must remain balanced, so careful decisions and steady handling are essential. A single mistake can bring down the structure and decide the outcome.

• Competitive mode: the player who knocks down the structure loses.
• Cooperative mode: work together to go as far as possible.

Nekojima combines a distinctive wooden construction challenge with a playful setting full of curious cats. Its two modes support direct competition or a shared attempt to extend the installation as far as possible.

The game received several awards and honors, including the 2023 Swiss Gamers Award Family and Major Fun Award, as well as first prizes at Alchimie in Toulouse and Pari Ludique in Paris in 2022. It also received the 2022 Special Jury Prize at the FLIP in Parthenay.