Nippon: Zaibatsu

What this is

In Nippon: Zaibatsu, players control conglomerates of companies driving Japan’s economy. Rail development changes the value of shared companies, forcing players to think as both operators and investors. It is designed for 1–4 players, with a typical session listed at 60–120 minutes.

At a glance

Players: 1–4
Listed play time: 60–120 minutes
Minimum age: 12 and up
First published: 2026
Designers: Nuno Bizarro Sentieiro, Paulo Soledade
Publishers: CrowD Games, Cranio Creations
Mechanisms: area majority
Photographs: 1

Publisher

CrowD GamesOfficial site
Cranio CreationsOfficial site

8.3out of 10158 ratings

How players rate Nippon: Zaibatsu

Every dimension is rated on its own. The left column judges the game and higher is better; the right column describes it, where neither end of the scale is the good end.

Player-count fit

How well it plays at each count. Best at 3 or 4.

1p7.440 ratings
2p7.940 ratings
3p8.339 ratings
4p8.139 ratings

Every dimension

15 measures. Some judge the game; the rest simply describe it.

How good it is

Judgements, rated out of 10. Higher is better.

Longevity and replayability6.8/10
Ease of teach5.4/10
Gateway friendliness6.1/10
Component quality8.2/10
Table presence7.0/10
Travel friendliness6.9/10

What it's like

Descriptions, not verdicts. Neither end is better.

Player interactionHigh7.3SolitaireConstant
CutthroatnessSharp6.9FriendlyRuthless
Role of luckBalanced6.1Chance-drivenPlayer-driven
Theme integrationPresent5.8Pasted onWoven in
Rules complexityModerate2.8LightHeavy
Decision complexityLight2.3SimpleDemanding
Language dependencyNone1.7No textText-heavy
Table spaceKitchen table4.8Lap trayTwo tables

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Rules & files

Rulebooks, FAQs and reference sheets

rulebookNippon: Zaibatsu Emperor's Edition English RulebookEN · 24 pagesAwaiting publisher permission
errataNippon: Zaibatsu Official July 2026 ErrataEN · 1 pagesAwaiting publisher permission

Box & shelf

Box dimensions are not recorded for this edition yet. Once a publisher supplies them, or an owner measures them, this shows shelf volume, spine width and how many copies fit in a 33 cm cube.