Namiji Review - with Mike DiLisio

Mike DiLisio takes a look at Namiji, a game where you take to the sea and discover the hidden marvels of the Japanese coast!
0:00 Intro
0:54 Overview
11:26 Review
11:51 Art & Components
15:11 Benchmarks
16:23 Overall Game Impressions
21:57 Final Review Score
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BGG Link: boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2...

[@Redbeard013]

Having played this and Tokeido I love both. Very similar, but with enough changes to feel unique. I think in terms of BASE game I might like this one a bit more. With the Crossroads expansion for Tokeido I think it edges Namiji out. I've only played base game Namiji though. It was a joy to play this with you Mike at DTW. My gf and I had a wonderful time playing with you.

[@gdcadad]

I'm so glad to now have a full review to get the insights I didn't when I passed by Mike and others as they were playing it at DTW. It is a game I'll be adding to my wish list! :)

[@advillan]

I'm glad you covered this game. I kickstarted it and am still waiting for it

[@ekconley6429]

Thanks so much for the video! Especially the aquamarine expansion since I've seen no other content for. I didn't back the KS due to price, though we love Tokaido and fishing games, so I recently pre-ordered... for much less than I'd have paid for the KS pledge. I bought the expansion basically blind, the online retailer didn't even have a description (just found the KS say they boxed the stretch goals as an expansion I think). Anyway, thanks to your video, I'm now quite pleased I went for it, thanks again!

[@adamholt5395]

Thanks for the breakdown and comparison of this with Tokaido! I like Tokaido and I would probably just end up keeping it instead of replacing it with Namiji.

[@ericnewell2275]

The push your luck is fantastic. It's fishing! Cast your nets and hope for a good bounty

[@MerrillWhiteKalEl]

Excited to get my game.

[@lilyblanco9525]

Great review Mike! I've played Tokaido and think I'd like this one better literally just because of the fish 🐟🐠

[@dwnvwdjvn]

I really enjoyed Tokaido, however I also enjoy push your luck. I am looking forward to Namiji arriving in stores but there appears to be no information available as to when it will be available in UK stores.

[@dddmmm21]

Enjoyed Tokaido but sold it quickly... I am keeping this one.

[@UnimatrixOne]

Beautiful game - but I don't like push your luck because I rarely get lucky. :P Thanks for the review!

[@Captnbrock]

I have freinds who are color blind. Does this work for that, dealing with fish color sets?

[@scrooge-mcduck]

thin cards: thematic rice stock?

[@aarond.8586]

I don’t know how I missed this campaign, but I’m sad I did. This game looks gorgeous and I love Tokaido.

[@spiraken]

the kickstarter for this was a complete mess. 3 years later and i finally get it

[@SmidgetPIU]

Thanks for the review. I passed on this when it was on KS after watching some previews and I'm still glad I did after watching here. I just don't think it would be a very interesting gaming experience.

[@davidw3281]

Just got our KS edition. Namiji feels cleaner to me. Tokaido with expansions seems more bloated. I do love both.

[@esmeraldadevries9182]

Please always show the box. I like to know how big the box is. The smaller, the better.

[@gargk999]

It's a big square box - same size as Tokaido - that board folds into only one-quarter of its total size. Not too deep though.

[@kerim8666]

Mille Fiori in the background. Looking forward to that review. God knows if or when Namiji will hit retail. This review is currently for ~9000 kickstarter backers and people who want to pay $200 for their copy.

[@gargk999]

The deluxe version of the game solves your scoring pieces problem - you have a smaller ship of your colour instead.

[@StevenStJohn-kj9eb]

I think the Tokaido board pops - it's really gorgeous. The Namiji board though seems half-finished. Why the all-white background? Why not a raging sea with rocky shores where the docks are? Also, the board seems to conflict a bit in style with that expansion board. Then too, there's something about having the board spaces in a circular arrangement rather than the linear one of Takaido that makes it look just a bit like a kid's game - Sorry or Parchesi or something like that.

[@ConeDefense]

The amount of downtime added with some of the new mechanisms (push your luck) gives this game just enough heft to feel slower, less friendly, approachable and zen than Tokaido. (But not enough to be a “medium” weight game”) I’d also argue the panorama cards feel like PnP. They feel out of place amongst otherwise solid components. We also found fishing to be unbalanced and slightly wonky rules. Still love the art though.

[@xshadowscreamx]

Board looks overcrowded

[@EfrainRiveraJunior]

Too much luck? I'm out.

[@RedTheCrimson]

Bought a copy from a backer. The game is good, but not great, and certainly not worth its price tag. We much prefer Tokaido base to namiji base. The game is not particularly efficient on the last route to the end. You will have a lot of spaces you just can't use, and you will only take to block the opponent. At its core is fishing, and that is okay. Without that mini expansion (which should never have been an expansion, it should have been in the base game as a feature), you will have no way to alter your boat, meaning you have to over prepare in a game that should be way more peaceful than it actually is lol. The game also suffers from a lack of variety. Tokaido had farms, shops, wanderers, temples, things to make the journey interesting, and the expansions only added more. Namiji, on the other hand, is lacking substantial actions to take. There is only one option outside of panoramas, fishing. Fishing, which you can't alter, nor can you sell what you've caught to make points and clear up space. You land on spots to get end game scoring, or a spot to get rid of the paper boats..really not helpful, particularly as some things in the game can help you get rid of those paper boats anyways. Truly, the game is lacking. From where the company came from with Tokaido and all its expansions, I can't understand how this is the final product. The game is severely needing a proper expansion, with new actions to take, new journeys to have. I truly hope they do, otherwise...Namiji just isn't worth it.

[@ConeDefense]

Agreed. That said, I already feel like Namiji slows down too much because of the press your luck and puzzling component. Expansions will only exacerbate that. For our group Tokaido was clearly superior.

[@jfdez3150]

We don’t all have the expansion, so having just got it not really a great review...

[@JLX5]

Your scores are simply too high all the time.

[@thedicetower]

Being that they're my scores, I respectfully disagree.