Alderac Entertainment Group (AEG), known for titles such as Legend of the Five Rings, 7th Seaand Spycraft and their most recent games, Mystic Vale, Valley of Kings, and Dice City is letting us have a trip around the Land of the Rising Sun, with a new game called Let’s Go! To Japan AEG announced that the game is scheduled to come to Kickstarter in March 2023. The company is not new to fundraising either, having many successful projects behind its back.
Inspired by True Story, Sharing Its Love for Japan
Josh Woods is the creator and mastermind behind Let’s Go! To Japan, working as a full-time developer at AEG and also a designer for games like Cat Lady and Santa Monica. The game is based on true experience, which probably many of us can relate to.
Having been saving up for a trip to Japan for 3 years, Josh and his girlfriend Kathleen were very disappointed when the pandemic hit, and their plans were ultimately canceled. “I spent a lot of time working on the trip: writing notes, figuring out the train system, and watching countless travel influencers. I was even learning Japanese,” Woods said.
But the pair would be disappointed as, after they had everything sorted – flights, hotels, and restaurants, the pandemic began and pretty much disrupted their plans.
Instead of sulking over something which was out of his control, Woods focused his efforts on combining all of the pre-trip research he did to produce a board game in which players can vicariously experience his dream tour around Japan. He could have given up altogether but instead decided to let everyone else travel around Japan through his upcoming project.
What to Expect in Let’s Go! To Japan
Let’s Go! To Japan is a relatively quick and simple game, taking from 45 to 60 minutes to complete. One to four players can take part in the fun, with everyone above age 10 being more than welcome to give it a try.
The goal is quite simple, players start as tourists, traveling between Tokyo and Kyoto, visiting famous spots and different attractions, navigating through the cities and winning victory points. Planning wisely is essential to the game, using the over 160 activity cards provided to schedule your weekly plans and visit as many spots as possible. The game consists of 13 rounds and whoever has the most points at the end, by completing their personal goals, is the winner.