Hanamikoji Review

You own a restaurant located on Hanamikoji Street in one of Japan’s most famous Geisha districts. As a way to drum up business, you have begun to hire Geishas as entertainment for your patrons. Skilled in traditional music, dance, and art, Geishas are highly respected entertainers in Japan. However, a rival restaurateur is trying to hire the same Geishas as you! In an attempt to win the favor (and talents) of these elegant women, you begin collecting items related to their chosen art forms with the hope that these gifts will keep them at your establishment!

Hanamikoji is a 2-player game where players are competing to win the favor of the 7 Geishas. In a game of literal give-and-take played over several rounds, you and your opponent will alternate taking 4 actions to play and trade cards. The first player to win the favor of 4 Geishas, or to earn at least 11 Charm points, is the winner!

For as simple as it seems, Hanamikoji requires a lot of strategy. The cards in your hand are hidden from your opponent, but half of the actions taken each round require you to reveal cards from your hand and allow your opponent to take a certain number to their side – a traditional “I split, you choose” mechanic. You have to strategize which cards you can afford to give up, at the risk of letting your opponent win a Geisha, with the goal of winning a higher-valued Geisha instead. At the same time, your opponent will be revealing cards from their hand for you to take to your side. Your strategy is always changing based on not only the cards in your hand, but the cards that your opponent reveals to you.

One thing I really like about this game is that winning the favor of a Geisha in one round is not final. If I win a Geisha in one round, but in the next round my opponent has the majority for that specific Geisha, I lose her favor and she goes back to neutral. So not only am I trying to win over more Geishas each round, I have to actively be protecting those I have already won. The same can be said for the reverse – even if my opponent wins a Geisha in one round, I can negate that in the next round. The favor of the Geishas does not reset at the end of each round, nor is it unchangeable in future rounds. Anything can happen, and that makes for a surprisingly exciting game.

Although this is a competitive game, I find it to be kind of calming to play. It is simple, yet strategic, and the artwork is beautiful. In my experience, once you understand the gameplay and actions, it plays quickly and quietly. If you’re looking for a quality 2-player game, give Hanamikoji a try! Purple Phoenix Games rates it a graceful 10 / 12.