Kon'nichiwa! East meets West in these board games. It doesn't really matter whether you've been to, lived in, are from, dream of or know nothing about Asia! Our list of 10 board games that incorporate Asian culture, history and traditions has something for every player, whatever kind of game you like--co-operative board games, ​two-player board games, strategy, cards, battle, group, tiles, or even if you don't know what you like and are just getting started. Our 10 favourites may not jive with yours, so if we're missing one of your favourites, let us know! There are so many out there to play. Now, onto the games... 

King of Tokyo and King of New York are quite similar, so if you know one, you'll be able to pick up the other. In this 2-6 player game, everyone chooses a monster and scoring board with the goal to reach 20 points first. On every turn, players roll the six dice, resolve them, enter Tokyo and buy cards. Similar to Yahtzee, you have three rolls to try for the dice options you want. Dice can grant points, heal your damage, give you energy and attack other players.  Players move their monsters in and out of Tokyo, both making themselves vulnerable and stepping out of the attack zone (and thus, losing out on the potential to score more points). Players can also buy cards which can help you or hurt others.

King of Tokyo is a fun, battle royale-style game that's suitable for the whole family. It has fun illustrations and great artwork, and the pieces are made well so they stand up to use. This game is a combination of taking chances, a little bit of luck, and a bit strategy. Players need to find the line between attacking others and taking risks, and healing themselves so they don't lose their health points and get eliminated from the game. We prefer King of Tokyo to King of New York, and if you're looking to have some fun and be the last monster standing, this game will be right up your alley.

Hanabi is a cooperative card game for 2-5 players. Players work together to create an over-the-top fireworks show, impress the judges and win the game--but there's a bit of a twist: you can't see your own cards.

== See our list of other Cooperative BoardGames here ==

The deck contains cards numbered one through five in five colours. Each player gets five cards that face your teammates. On every turn, players have three choices: discard a card from his hand, play a card from his hand, or use one of eight tokens and give a teammate a piece of information. The information can only be about numbers or colours of the cards your teammate is holding (for example, pointing at similar cards and stating their colour or number). When favour tokens run out, players have to discard a card to earn a token back. If you think you have the right information, play a card but be sure it's the right one! Cards must be played in order from one through five in the same colour. Make a mistake, and you remove one of three fuse tokens. When all three tokens are gone, your fireworks explode and you lose!

Hanabi is a tough game, and it takes good communication, memory, logic and teamwork to get a decent score. We like the twist of only having partial information and deducing what's what. It can take a long time to play, depending on the number of players, but it's a compact game, easy to pack and travels well. 

Lanterns is a slick little tile-laying strategy game. Players create a beautiful lake of lanterns together by laying coloured tiles. Whoever has the most points at the end loses. (Just kidding. They win. We wanted to check whether you're paying attention!)

Each player has a hand of three lake tiles kept secret from others. When laying a tile, you get the matching lantern card of the colour on the tile facing you. (So, if the tile you lay is orange facing you and white facing your opponent, you get orange and he gets white). As a bonus, if you lay the tile in a way that the colour matches the tile next to it, you also get the matching lantern card of that colour, too. You can exchange these cards for dedications (point cards). Dedications are of varying value and each value requires a different combination of coloured lantern cards to claim it). If your tile is next to a dock, you can get a favour token and exchange these tokens for a lantern card of any colour.

It's quite simple to learn and easy to play, though strategy is big in this game as you don't want to give your opponents the colours they need to get points! You're all racing to collect the appropriate lantern cards to exchange them for the different style dedication tokens, and it isn't always easy to get what the cards. You need to consider what's best for you, and sometimes that means you help others. Lanterns is a fun game for both families and board game enthusiasts alike, and we enjoy it best with three or four people for the added challenge. It has an expansion now as well, The Emperor's Gift, for more challenges and different gameplay.

Tokaido is another beautifully-illustrated game for 2-5 players, suitable for older children as it requires more strategy. There are no dice in this game. Rather, the player in last position goes first. Players become travelers, making their way from Edo to Kyoto or Kyoto to Edo, seeking the richest experience along their journey.  Along the way, players may have encounters (this is like meeting a fellow traveller who may gift you with an experience, money or a view). Souvenirs and food cards give you points, as do panoramas (but these are collected in order and only give a bonus for the first to complete it). If you have the most of each type of card at the end of the game, you get a bonus achievement. 

You can definitely learn this game in under five minutes, though it takes a couple of play-throughs to figure out good strategies and what to focus on. Tokaido can be a longer game as there are many stops along the journey, and some (inns) are enforced, but it's also a nice change as it's a slower zen-like game that scales back on frenetic energy that can come with dice-based games. We love the artwork, the theme, the options, and the strategy--it isn't intense but it's still present, making this a challenging and fun game.

Sushi Go! is a fun and quick card drafting game for 2-5 players. Sushi Go! Party plays up to eight people. Both are great for newbies and seasoned players alike as it's easy to learn but still strategic and competitive. If you're a fan of card drafting and games like 7 Wonders, Sushi Go is an enjoyable, fun and lighter change of pace. It's a great intro for people intimidated by weightier games.

Players are dealt a hand of cards and everyone simultaneously selects and reveals one before passing that hand to the next player. This is repeated until all cards are played, and repeated for two more rounds, calculating score after each round. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins. But! Every card is a bit different: some stack, some are punishments, some are bonuses and so on, so players have to pay attention to their cards and to what others are playing. The cards all tell you what they do and what they need so it makes it easier than having to refer constantly to rule books or ask questions. There are more rules and a greater ability to modify the game in Sushi Go! Party. The illustrations are adorable in both versions, and whether you love or hate sushi, this is a fun game to play with friends and family alike.

Hanamikoji is a crafty little set collecting game where players become restaurant owners, trying to collect the favourite items of seven geishas in order to win their favour and win the game. 

Seven geisha cards are laid face up between the players. When players collect related items to that geisha, they're laid face up in a line in front of the scoring player. Each round consists of four actions per player and each player gets six cards in hand, plus a draw pile. To add to the challenge, one card is secretly removed from the deck.

The four player actions include: save a card from their hand to place at the end of the round, get rid of two cards that won't be scored the current round, sort four cards into two piles and let the opponent choose (then both players score their piles), or show three cards and allow your opponent to score one with you scoring the remaining two. When all four actions have been performed by each player, the round is over. The game ends when one player has scored 11 points or won the favour of four or more geishas.

It sounds confusing, but play it once and the game becomes clear. It's quite simple to learn, and for such a small game, there are complex decisions to be made. What will help you most may also help your opponent. How do you offer them cards while still benefiting from choice? It's a thinker and highly enjoyable. We love the strategy and beautiful illustrations, and it's a great game to play again and again because every game is challenging in a different way.

Shadows in Kyoto is set in the same world as Hanamikoji with the same card play, hand management, beautiful artwork aspects. In Shadows, one player becomes the government, protecting the shogun, and the other is a gang. Each player is trying to infiltrate the other's group. Players each have six agents, some marked real intelligence and some are some decoy agents. The game ends when one of three things happen: capture both your opponent's agents with real intelligence, allow your opponent to capture three of your decoy agents or infiltrate the other's group.

There are two decks of cards: site cards move your agents and the tactics deck gives your agents special actions and movements. Players use four site cards and two tactics cards to help their game play, collect intel and plan their strategy. Players have to be adaptable, too, though, as cards and actions can change the game quickly and your current path may not be the best. Each game takes about 15-20 minutes, but its speed doesn't take away from the complexities and strategy that permeate it. Setting up is fast, too, so it makes playing and re-playing an easy choice. Shadows in Kyoto is a quick and fun game that's lighter and easier in play but still demands critical thinking and strategy, making it ideal for experienced and new players alike.

Lotus is a beautiful and quick card game where players build flowers with petal cards to get the most points and win the game. Each player has an individual deck of cards and shares a central wildflower deck with four face-up cards that can be used. The game ends when one of the players draws the last card from their individual deck. On their turn, players can take two of three available options: play two petal cards on one matching flower, put two cards from their hand on the bottom of their deck and draw two new cards from the top, or take a wooden bug meeple and place it on a flower. When the flower is complete, the player with the most bugs on the flower gets the points. There are even bonuses players can collect which give them special powers.

Lotus is quick and easy to learn and play. It's also small and compact so it's easy to pack when you're travelling. While it's a lighter game, it still provides a lot of choices on each turn so players have strategy and future planning to consider. Its lighter game play and strategic choices make it a good game for beginners and a quick filler for the more experienced players. Lotus is a good go-to for the start and end of your game night.

In Kanagawa, you are a painting disciple, learning from the master, trying to paint the most beautiful panorama and increase your knowledge in order to be the most successful. To start, a stack of cards, bonus tiles and a bamboo mat are laid out between the players. The starting player lays cards on the bamboo mat. Some are face up and some are face down, depending on their position in the columns. Players then in order choose to take the card and exit the round, or pass and stay in hopes of getting more cards they want. Player one chooses first, and so on. It's a tough choice to stay or go: stay and you  get more but you may lose the cards you want, go and you may get the cards you want but miss out on an opportunity.

With the cards you have, you can either add them to your panorama or your knowledge. Some cards need specific paint colours, so you have to choose wisely what goes where, and where you lay your cards. Bonuses are awarded for specific layouts and types of cards.

Kanagawa is beautiful and more strategic so suitable for older game players. We like how challenging it can be and how strategic you have to think to help your game and hinder others', while being mindful of where you place cards and in what order you draft.  We do wish we could play with more than four players, though! If you like deck building or drafting games, Kanagawa would be a good addition to your collection. 

Takenoko is set in Imperial Japan, and puts you in the role of a farmer and panda keeper. You need to grow bamboo, expand your farm, cultivate and irrigate crops and feed your panda. If you're first to meet your objectives, you win! Made for 2-4 players, there's a decent amount of interaction and strategy for seasoned players, but it's easy enough to pick up and play for the novices.

On their turn, players determine the weather, perform actions and complete objectives. The weather dictates certain events or actions a player can do, and then the player takes two actions out of five options (take and place a plot, take and/or play an irrigation channel, move the gardener or move the panda). If the player can complete objectives, they don't count against their actions. The game ends when a specific number of objectives is completed (the number depends on the number of people). 

Takenoko has some neat aspects that keep it fresh and different every time you play. It isn't a heavy game and is relatively quick for four players--45 minutes or less.  We love the cute figurines and fantastic theme throughout the game. It's a fun one to play with kids as they'll learn about different skills and develop their tactics, but don't discount it if you don't have kids--strategy, planning and adapting are important for success, making it a good game for beginners and board game lovers alike.

Yamatai is a gorgeous game for 2-4 players made with durable, heavier cardboard pieces. Players are working to be the best builder in the land. The board game and tiles are laid out between players and everyone takes their meeple(s), money and buildings.
Meeples are randomly set out on the board to determine order, and each turn consists of five actions (choose a fleet tile, trade, place ships, store ships and recruit a specialist), though some are not mandatory. Fleet tiles grant special powers and also dictate player order for the next round. Ships move in continuous lines throughout the map, allowing players access to islands and the ability to take tokens and build on the islands. The game can end if a player builds all their buildings, if the ships of one colour run out, if the building tiles are gone or if the specialist tiles run out.
There's a lot going on in Yamatai so it can be a longer game. There's also a lot to keep track of, a lot of options and many strategic moves to consider. Novices can play Yamatai, but its strategy, depth and weight don't make it ideal for a gateway or intro game for beginners. It's a truly beautiful game and we love how the designers worked hard to make options balanced and adapt the game for different numbers of players. Yamatai is a great addition to the collection and its replayability is great as every layout will be different with different challenges.

Conclusion

There are so many games that incorporate Asian culture, traditions, language, art and history, and the list is continually growing. Each game on this list is beautiful and challenging in its own unique way. Whatever kind of board game you're looking for, however much time you have, whether you're a diehard fan of Asian culture or not, there is a game for you on this list. We know we've just scratched the surface, too, so if we've missed your favourite, let us know in the comments!