Gunkimono Review, A look at the tile laying board game Gunkimono War Tales from Renegade Games
Channel: Tabletop Bellhop
Date: 2022-08-04

I love discovering new abstract strategy games that are simple to learn and teach, yet feature deep engaging gameplay. Gunkimono is one of those games.

The board game Gunkimono is a tile placing game with a feudal Japan theme that has obvious roots in the classic game of Dominos. 

Correction: Early in the video Sean notes a potential concern of cultural appropriation in the theme and artwork for this game. We have since learned that this is not the case here. A diverse cultural team worked on this game and the graphic design in particular was done by a Japanese artist. Our apologies to Renegade Game Studios and the team that worked on Gunkimono for that incorrect insinuation. 

This review is one segment of episode 180 of The Tabletop Bellhop Gaming Podcast, Vay-K AMA.  You can watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/BuIjtF_-TJ0

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Disclosure: This was not a review copy, I picked this one up myself. 

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Timestamps:

00:00 INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW
02:25 THE COMPONENTS IN GUNKIMONO
03:42 HOW TO PLAY GUNKIMONO
07:51 WHAT DID WE THINK OF GUNKIMONO?
14:24 WHO WOULD LIKE GUNKIMONO?
15:58 A QUICK LOOK AT THE DOUBLE ARMY TILES EXPANSION FOR GUNKIMONO
17:28 CLOSING

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From the publisher:

In war-torn feudal Japan, the soldiers are restless. The endless battles, betrayals, and broken promises have the soldiers questioning where their loyalties lie. Meanwhile, the daimyo are strategizing, marshaling their troops, and erecting strongholds to bolster the strength of their armies, all in pursuit of honor and ultimate victory.

In Gunkimono, players take on the roles of these daimyo, plotting their military advances across the countryside. Each new squad of troops yields victory points, but you may decide to forgo these points and save up for your stronghold instead. All the while, you need to keep an eye on your opponents so that their forces do not grow too large and expand at your expense.

Contents:
* 25 Small Army Tiles (1 troop each) (infantry, samurai, cavalry, spearman, archer)
* 60 Large Army Tiles (2 troops each)
* 15 War Banner Tiles (dragon, crane, lotus)
* 10 Strongholds
* 5 Daimyo Figures
* 5 Daimyo Tiles
* 25 Honor Markers
* Start Player Sword
* End-of-Game Tile
* Cover Tile
* Rulebook

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Links:

Head over to the Tabletop Bellhop blog where you'll find more tabletop gaming content, including game and game night advice, reviews, and more: https://tabletopbellhop.com 

Check out our written review of Gunkimono filled with lots of pictures from our plays:
https://tabletopbellhop.com/game-reviews/gunkimono/

Pick up your own copy of Gunkimono (affiliate links)
US: https://amzn.to/3zx0VPo
Canada: https://amzn.to/3JzepP1

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