Designer Antoine Bauza has been publishing games for a while, but is best known for his 2011 hit 7 Wonders. That game was the inaugural winner of a new prize given out by the Spiel des Jahres committee, "Kennerspiel des Jahres", awarded to a game more complex than the main, more family-oriented award. With his beautiful and elegant 2012 design Tokaido (just now widely available), Mr. Bauza is a strong contender to win that prime honor again this year.

We often praise games here for their lush illustration and fancy components. Tokaido is equally worthy of praise, but its style is very different from, say, 7 Wonders, Egizia, or Hawaii. The art's style is reminiscent of Japanese woodblock art - large, clean, white areas with simple, bold shapes - but with brighter colors and a watercolor appearance in some places. Unlike other games, the board is not covered edge-to-edge in ink; it feels relaxed, and the bright colors avoid any impression of severity. Every player we've sat down with has found the design of the box, board, and cards to be remarkable.

The Tokaido was the road in Japan connecting the cities of Kyoto and Edo (modern-day Tokyo). Players are travelers on this road, and each is attempting to have a rich, fulfilling set of experiences on the way; the goal is the journey, not the destination. The play is simple: each turn the player farthest back moves forward to any unoccupied station. Each station provides a different benefit to the traveler. Three intermediate stations are inns, where travelers must stop and wait for the others. The first arrivals at inns get first choice of food and can pick the least expensive, but have to wait for the others before they can start the journey again.

As fans of 7 Wonders will recognize, there are several different ways to score points. Hot springs provide a simple point bonus. Stopping to work at a farm earns money. Money can be spent on food at inns; it can also be spent on souvenirs in villages or donated to temples. Temple donations are worth only a few points, but award a large bonus to the most pious player at the end of the game. Souvenirs come in four different types; the first souvenir is worth only a single point, but the last one in a complete set is worth 7. Players can also admire the panoramas of the fields, mountains, and ocean. These also start out worth only a single point and increase in value for travelers who manage to collect more. (The panorama cards also, appropriately, each connect into a single larger polyptych illustration for each type.

The art, theme and gameplay of Tokaido are integrated well. As the art is tranquil, so too is the play; rushing far ahead costs too many opportunities, so each play usually offers a choice mostly between the two or three closest stations; even then, the choice is often clear. Tokaido will be widely-appreciated by many players. As in many Euro-style games, there is no direct conflict with one's opponents, a trait that fits well into the Zen atmosphere. Although there are a few chances for players to choose investments and see them grow over time, Tokaido is largely tactical.  While a player's choice of pilgrim will influence their choices during the game, the options as far as crafting a long-term strategy over the course of the game are minimal.   

Tokaido is particularly appropriate for families and novice gamers for several reasons. First, there is no hidden information. A teacher can freely explain the options and their possible benefits to the other players at any point. Every move offers its own benefits and while it's certainly possible to make mistakes, it's all but impossible to make a catastrophic mistake; on almost every turn the worst thing that can happen is you have to make a move that provides a bit less benefit than the best you could do. Other than a bit of blocking, there's no way to interfere with the other players, so the table talk is more likely to be pleasant chatter than trash talk or arguments. Finally, the unique and striking theme and art are attention-grabbing and worth talking about

At only 45-minutes long, even for a full complement of five players, Tokaido is a journey that does not overstay its welcome. Whether as the opener to a long evening of serious gaming, or a new experience for families or new gamers, almost everyone will find something to like and enjoy their experience with Tokaido.