This little Japanese game doesn’t fit into any single category. The publisher of Concept is releasing a new Unidentified Gaming Object. You don’t realize how rich The Number is while playing. Over the course of several games, you’ll get to know its depth and mechanics, making you want to play again. It’s this magic that Repos Production wants to share with players around the world. A new hit!
The Number is an expert mix of mechanics: Bluffing, Risk-taking, but also Guessing (a mechanic that involves anticipating your opponent’s next moves and adapting your strategy accordingly).
- 3-5 players
- Ages 8+
- 15 minutes
- Suggested retail price: £14.99
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Release date: May 5, 2023
The phenomenon of Japanese games
Japan is often considered to be a creative hub, and this is especially true for board games. Japan is unique in that there are many fans who are overflowing with ideas and try to implement them as board games. Japanese designers are also well known for their minimalistic designs. This phenomenon can be explained in part by the typically small size of housing, but also because in Japan people play at venues other than their homes more often, so games need to be pocket-sized. Furthermore, a contest is held each year during Game Market called “500 Yen Games” where participants are challenged to create a game and sell it for ¥500 (around $5) during the convention. All of these elements create a perfect environment for the tiny games of Japan.
How to play?
A game of The Number plays over 2 rounds of 5 turns each during which everyone plays simultaneously.
Each turn, everyone secretly writes a number from 000 to 999 on their boards, then reveals them at the same time.
It is approved if it doesn’t share digits with any of the numbers below it.
However, if it has at least one digit in common with any of the numbers below it, it is eliminated. Writing a big number will get you more points, but it’s also a risk... since if you share any digits with smaller numbers, you don’t gain any points!
3. Resolve!
If your number is approved, gain as many points as the first digit of your number. Then, you must cross off the digits you used in your number from your board. You will not be able to use them for the rest of the round.
After several turns, your options are reduced, making each decision even more strategic. After 2 rounds, the player with the highest score wins the game.
The Number is:
• A bluffing and risk-taking game
• A never-before-seen concept
• A minimalistic Japanese game
• A replayable experience at an affordable price
• A love-at first-sight design from Repos Production
It takes 5 minutes to learn, but you won’t have it all figured out yet!
An overwhelmingly imaginative designer
Hisashi Hayashi is the prolific Japanese designer credited with several games such as Trains, Rolling Japan, Yokohama, or Metro X. He has over sixty designs under his belt and is never afraid of trying different mechanics.
About Repos Production