Nekojima

Nekojima is a Japanese term that means “cat islands,” referring to islands in Japan where the number of feral cats is greater than the number of human residents. This game is equally as bonkers and as cute as a Japanese kawaii kitty!

Let me tell you a tail…

Nekojima is a game that requires dexterity and ingenuity to develop the electric network for four districts of the island. You need to install the Denchuu (electric poles) of different heights and lengths, without the cables touching one another, and occasionally deal with cats hanging from the cables as well! The Denchuu must be fully on the board and the cables cannot be wrapped around the poles. It involves some creative thinking and patience (or you can easily sabotage your opponent by sneezing at the wrong moment).

Components are a catnip of delight:

Nekojima is a really well-made game. The box is eye-catching, with comic book-esque colours on the island illustration, and everything inside feels quality to touch and made to last. The board is sturdy – good for a balancing game – and the Denchuus are solid wood; care has been taken at every step to make sure the pieces stand and balance well, so playing the game is an enjoyable experience. Everything you need is included, so no need to search around for dice or a playmat from another box. The instruction booklet is clear and concise over just 4 pages, including core rules with illustrations and a page of game variations.

Mee-how to play:

The game is for 1-5 players (though you can play with up to 8 people in one of the variant modes) and usually lasts around 15 minutes, meaning plenty of time for rematches.

Setup is easy; place the board and Denchuus on a stable table (a wobbly table is Nekojima’s kryptonite), put the coloured cubes in the bag, and you’re ready to go! Now, decide who is the clumsiest in your group and they start the game. (You can tell the game developers clearly wanted it to last at least one round!)

Roll the 2 dice to select your district colours – red, purple, blue or green. (There are also 2 other faces, which mean you or an opponent choose the colour.) Then choose a random cube from the bag – this is your Denchuu; pink is the shortest length, white is medium, and blue is the longest. A black cube means someone else must hang a cat on their turn – give them the cube, laugh at them, and continue your turn. Place your Denchuu – checking it’s valid by the description in the booklet – and place your cube on the round tracker.

The next player rolls the dice, picks their cube and places their Denchuu, and so on. The more Denchuus on the board, the more challenging the game becomes. Be prepared to build upwards, slide wooden poles under strings, and hold your breath without even realising you’re doing so (usually around round 4 in a 2-player game).

Oh, and let’s not forget…the cats! If you’ve been lovingly gifted a black cube (or more than one, haha), you also need to hang a cat on your turn. This step happens after you’ve legally installed your Denchuu and the cat must hang on the matching coloured cable to the one you’ve just placed. These characterful kitties come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and dangle from their legs or tails. They must not touch another cable or the floor, and you can only have one on any cable.

The game ends when everything comes inevitably crashing down, along with the pride of whoever caused the demolition. They lose the game and everyone else is declared a winner (taking note of who will start the game next time).

Paws for thought:

Nekojima is a fun game for all the family; the inevitable chaos guarantees laughter and everyone wanting another go. Due to the random mechanics of the dice rolls and drafting cubes, you’ll never play the same game twice, which ensures replayability.

There are also variant game modes for an added challenge. In “Urban Jungle,” you can only build 2 stacked poles before placing a bird’s nest token on top. This means you end up playing Denchuu twister trying to fit them on the board, under and around each other. In “Skyscrapers,” you can only place 2 supporting poles per district, so you’re forced to build higher and higher and higher.

This game has quickly become a favourite of ours and is a great choice if you want to play a game but are short of time. It definitely wouldn’t be a cat-astrophe if you purr-chased this game!