Tanbo

HARVEST YOUR RICE... JUST DON’T GET BITTEN!

Tanbo is a two-player strategy board game about rice farming in Niigata, Japan, published by Musoka Studio in Paris. Designed by Ikumo Tasaka and illustrated by Wanjin Gill, it plays in 5 to 15 minutes from age 10, and it won the Rakuichi Fresh Dragon Award in 2023.

Discover the beauty and challenge of rice farming in Niigata Prefecture, Japan, with Tanbo, an original board game that blends strategy, resource management, and nature.
As a rice farmer, your goal is to cultivate the most successful harvest. The more snakes appear, the richer your paddies become… but beware: let them spread too far, and your fields will spiral out of control!

Plan your moves, strike the right balance, and collect as much rice as possible to win the game.
Easy to learn yet full of depth, Tanbo is perfect for families as well as fans of clever strategic games.

Your new life as a rice farmer begins now—will you master the paddies?

Key Features

🌾 Unique theme: rice farming in Japan’s famous Niigata region.

🐍 Clever mechanics: snakes bring bigger harvests, but also greater risks.

🎲 Family-friendly strategy: simple to learn, rewarding to master.

🔄 High replayability with multiple paths to victory.

🎨 Immersive artwork that brings Japanese rice paddies to life.

Designer : Ikumo Tasaka

Artist : Wanjin Gill

Winner of the Rakuichi Fresh Dragon Award in 2023

Frequently asked questions

How many players is Tanbo for, and how long does it take?

Tanbo is a game for exactly 2 players, and a game takes 5 to 15 minutes.

What age is Tanbo suitable for?

From age 10.

What is in the Tanbo box?

62 meeples and two rulebooks, one in English and one in French. The box measures 13 x 13 cm.

Has Tanbo won an award?

Yes. Tanbo won the Rakuichi Fresh Dragon Award in 2023.

More about the game on BoardGameGeek (Tanbo).

Rules — read the full Tanbo rules online: components, setup, how to play and end of the game.