Philosophia: Floating World (2021) Board Game

Philosophia: Floating World is a board game that was released in 2021, designed by Utagawa Hiroshige and Katsushika Hokusai, two renowned Japanese artists. The game takes players on an adventure through the mystical and serene world of medieval Japan, exploring its rich culture and history through gameplay.

Game Components of Philosophia: Floating World

Over 230 tarot-sized cards

12 intricate miniatures representing six unique characters from Edo Japan

Hundreds of tokens

Beautifully restored Ukiyo-e style Japanese art

Six slightly different player boards

Influence track for resolving conflicts

How To Setup Philosophia: Floating World

To set up the game, each player chooses one of the six unique characters, each with a unique power and a mysterious secret. Players start with a basic deck and a player board. The game includes a draw phase, a collect phase, and an action phase, which are all explained in detail during the initial setup. Ensure all components, including cards, tokens, and miniatures, are distributed correctly according to the player’s chosen character.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Mechanics

Simultaneous play

Deck-building

Action selection

Resource collection

Engine building

Hand management

Game Objective

Players aim to achieve one of seven victory conditions, such as collecting all four ganbaru tokens or discovering another player’s secret location and achieving any two of the ganbaru tokens.

The game is divided into three phases:

Draw Phase: Draw six cards, pass them to another player, who discards one and separates the remaining into two piles.

Collect Phase: Collect items and bonuses indicated on the cards in hand; pay time tokens for extra actions.

Action Phase: Simultaneously take actions based on cards in hand; resolve conflicts using the influence track.

Player Experience

Philosophia: Floating World offers a dynamic and immersive experience with its sandbox-style gameplay, allowing players to explore feudal Japan in various ways. The game is quick to learn but contains deep strategy, making it appealing to both new and experienced players. The simultaneous play mechanism ensures zero downtime, keeping all players engaged throughout. However, this mechanism can sometimes lead to chaos, especially with six players, and may require a turn-based variant for beginners.

Pros

Beautiful Ukiyo-e style artwork and intricate miniatures

High replayability with seven different game endings and 36 unique character abilities

Simultaneous play eliminates downtime

Asymmetric play with unique character powers and secrets

Adjustable difficulty in solo mode

Cons

Simultaneous play can be chaotic, especially with multiple players

Potential for deadlocks in action phase if not managed properly

Longer gameplay time with six players compared to the recommended 45-75 minutes

Personal Thoughts on Philosophia: Floating World

Philosophia: Floating World is an excellent choice for those who enjoy deep strategy, beautiful artwork, and dynamic gameplay. It is ideal for groups of players who can handle the simultaneous nature of the game and are looking for a game that offers a blend of combat, building, and wisdom-gathering in a feudal Japanese setting. While it may be more chaotic with a full complement of six players, the game’s flexibility and replayability make it a great addition to any board game collection.

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