Together with the designers, we set an ambitious goal: this expansion isn’t just an optional extra content. It’s meant to enhance every aspect of the experience without changing the core game mechanics. 

In the base game, all Zaibatsu act solely in their own interests, without any oversight from the state. Of course, this would not have been the case in reality. All the conglomerates were regulated and stimulated by the government. The Genro figures played an important role in this interaction.

Who were the Genro? A small circle of powerful elder statesmen who advised the Emperor and helped steer Japan’s rapid industrialization and economic transformation during the Meiji era. In our game, the term is used more broadly to represent influential advisors, rather than specific historical figures. Their presence in the game adds both greater internal logic and variability.

There will be five different advisors, each with their own set of components. Each will have an individual set of rules and a distinct playstyle. For each game you will have to choose two of them. This means that you will have 10 possible initial setup variations, giving each game a different feel.

What will be the role of those advisors, and what components and abilities will they bring to the game? We’ll be introducing each of them in a series of articles leading up to the launch of the Kickstarter campaign. Stay tuned!

Pre-launch page on Kickstarter

The Genro expansion comes with a powerful new layer of strategy, enhanced with stunning premium components created for our awesome Kickstarter backers.