Sukimono

About this board game

Sukimono is a real-time stock market and card-collecting game for 2–6 players, playable in about 30 minutes. Set in Edo-period Japan, it casts players as collectors seeking valuable pots and plates while demand constantly changes.

At the start of each round, every player receives 5 ryo, an old Japanese currency unit. The board is then filled with wanted objects. Newly placed objects begin at particular price values, while objects that remain in demand rise one step on the price chart.

Players choose a deck of object cards representing a location in Japan. Everyone searches through their deck at the same time, pulling out items they want to buy and can afford. The process is a tense real-time hunt: at any moment, a player can stop searching and take the lowest available number card.

• Collect pots and plates represented by object cards.
• Search simultaneously for goods in demand.
• Buy items you can afford, then sell them in number order.
• Watch prices fall as wanted objects are sold.

After the buying phase, players sell their wares from low number to high number. They may sell as many items as they wish at the current prices, keeping anything else they purchased. Every sale lowers the matching wanted card by one level; when demand is fulfilled, that card falls off the board.

Timing is crucial in Sukimono. Selling too late can leave part of your collection worthless, while stopping at the right moment may secure a better number and a more profitable opportunity. If a player reaches 50 or more ryo, the player with the most ryo wins; otherwise, another round begins and the search for goods in demand continues.