Jisogi: Anime Studio Tycoon Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• COMPONENTS
• GAME INTRODUCTION
• CENTRAL AREA SETUP
  • WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO ACHIEVE?
• PLAYER STUDIO SETUP
• ACTION SYSTEM INTRODUCTION
• GAME PHASES OVERVIEW
• SCRIPT PARTS
• ART
• PRODUCTION PHASE / ACTION SYSTEM
• CORE GAME ACTIONS
• GENKI STAFF
• STAFFING (HIRE/PROMOTE)
• NETWORK CARDS
• HIGH DEMAND FEE
• MERCHANDISE DEAL
• STRATEGIZE ACTION
• HYPE
• RELEASE PHASE / TREND CARDS
• POPULARITY SCORE
  • HOW TO CALCULATE THE POPULARITY SCORE
  • POPULARITY BONUSES
• OPPORTUNITY CARDS
• DEBT CARDS
• UPKEEP PHASE
  • SALARY
• END OF THE GAME
  • SCORE CAP
• A ROUND EXAMPLE
  • - PRODUCTION PHASE -
  • - RELEASE PHASE -
• PITCH ROOM: ALTERNATIVE GAME MODE
  • NARRATIVE GAME MODE
    • GAME OVERVIEW
  • SETUP
  • BRAINSTORM PHASE
  • PITCH PHASE
  • "WHAT IF" TOKENS
  • SCRIPT PART TYPES
  • TREND CARDS / CORE THEME
• SOLO MODE
• CREDITS

COMPONENTS

• 1x Action board
• 4x Studio boards
• 20x Trend cards
• 4x Player Aid Cards
• 1x Trend board
• 1x 1st Player token
• 4 sets of 6x Studio Action tokens
• 2x Solo Challenge Cards
• 4x Lock tokens
• 3x Popularity Bonus tokens
• 4x Animation Level tokens
• 16x Merchandise Deal tokens
• 18x Hype tokens (value 1)
• 30x Money tokens (value 1)
• 18x Hype tokens (value 3)
• 15x Money tokens (value 3)
• 8x Point trackers
• 5x Money tokens (value 10)
• 12x Opportunity cards
• 16x Dead-Inside Staff cards
• 20x Networking cards
• 52x Genki Staff cards
• 18x Debt cards
• 20x Setting Script Parts
• 20x Plot Script Parts
• 20x Twist Script Parts

The component list of the Edition 1.5 differs slightly from the Founders Edition of the game.

GAME INTRODUCTION

Welcome to JISOGI! Before diving into the rules, let's go over some key concepts to help you navigate this rulebook more easily.

Tycoon-style games aim to simulate the experience of running a business: managing budget, staff, and development strategies. And that is exactly what you will be doing here!

In JISOGI, players run their own anime studio, dealing with a tight budget, traumatized staff, and looming debts. By making smart decisions and following the right trends, you may capitalize on business opportunities, and recruit eager talent to reverse your studio's fortune.

The first zone you will need to get familiar with is the central area, where the Action board and common components pools are located (see Central Area Setup).

The Action board is a shared space where players will constantly interact. It uses a classic worker-placement mechanic, requiring players to think strategically and diversify their actions to avoid being blocked.

All common pools are also found here. These pools contain the cards and tokens available to all players during their turns.

CENTRAL AREA SETUP

The arrangement shown here is just one of many possible setups for the game. You can adjust the layout based on the number of players and the size of your table, arranging the parts as you see fit.

1. Place the Action board on the table.
2. Place all 4 Lock tokens near the left side of the Action board.
3. Place all the Debt cards in a stack next to the Action board.
4. Shuffle all Network cards (blue back + icon) and place them next to the Action board. Leave a space to the side of the deck for the discard pile.
5. Shuffle the Script Parts into 3 face-down stacks of matching types & shapes. Then reveal 3 from each stack into the area below each stack. Leave enough space for more to be revealed later.
6. Separate all Genki Staff cards (those with the icon on their back) into decks according to their colors. Shuffle each deck separately and place them face-down onto the table. Flip the top card of each deck face-up.
7. Shuffle all Trend cards and place the deck on the table. Put the Trend board beside it. Deal 3 cards from it, placing them into the open slots on the top edge of the Trend board. Place a Bonus token on top of each revealed card. Leave a space to the right of the board for the discard.
8. Shuffle the Opportunity cards (red back + icon). Deal 6 cards in the open slots on the lower part of the Trend board. Flip the 3 leftmost cards face-up, and keep the 3 rightmost cards face-down. Return the leftover cards to the box.

The second key area represents each player's Studio, where individual management actions are tracked. Players also manage their staff, budget, and the anime in production here.

On the right side of each Studio board, you'll find a track showing each player's Reputation Score, which starts at 0. The main goal of the game is simple: earn the most Reputation points and prove yourself worthy of the investors' support.

WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO ACHIEVE?

A player's primary goal during each round is to release anime. This is the main way they will earn money and score points throughout the game.

The game is played over 4 rounds. Each player has the option to release one anime per round, representing a year of production.

Players have everything they need to create anime at the very start of the game. They can either focus on improving the conditions of their studio, aiming at big releases that will score big, or start releasing humble productions as soon as possible, rushing to take advantage of limited market opportunities.

PLAYER STUDIO SETUP

1. Give each player a Studio board and 6 matching Studio Action tokens (colored plastic chips).
2. Give each player 2 Point trackers and set each track to 0. Whenever players gain points, move these accordingly.
3. Give each player 4 Dead-Inside Staff cards (those with the icon on their top left side), one of each color. Place 1 Studio Action token on top of each Staff card, leaving 2 Action tokens in reserve.
4. Give each player 1 token. Place it in the location marked.
5. Give the 1st player token to the player who most recently finished a season of an anime (or randomly choose one player).
6. Give the 1st player 3 money, the 2nd player 4 money, the 3rd 5 money, and the 4th 6 money.
7. Give each player a Player Aid card.
8. Optional: Give each player a Debt card (but not the 7 money described on the card).

Create a pool of tokens in an easy to access location for all players.

ACTION SYSTEM INTRODUCTION

The actions players perform each round are taken by their Staff. Players begin with 4 Staff cards, can promote them and acquire more as the game progresses.

Staff cards can either be available or spent. To differentiate between these two states, players use Studio Action tokens placed on the cards. When a player uses a Staff member to perform an action, they move the Studio Action token from the staff card taking the action to one of the action slots on the Action board. A Staff card with no action token on it is considered spent.

There are some restrictions on the actions each Staff member may take, as well as additional costs when action spaces become crowded—but we'll dive into those details in a future chapter!

GAME PHASES OVERVIEW

JISOGI is played over 4 rounds. At the end of the 4th round, the game ends, and the player with the most Reputation points wins.

Each round consists of the following three phases:

1. PRODUCTION PHASE
2. RELEASE PHASE
3. UPKEEP PHASE

The main phase of the game is the Production Phase. Here staff actions are used to hire or promote staff, research, write and animate your next anime release, and more.

Starting with the first player and proceeding clockwise, each player takes turns moving one of their available staff card's studio action tokens to an action space on the board to perform that action. This continues until all players have no more available Staff.

After the Production Phase, players move to the Release Phase. In this phase, players may release one anime each and gain the rewards for it. If they do, they also activate Merchandise Deals (a source of income) and may score Opportunity cards (objectives all players race to complete first).

Finally, the round concludes with the Upkeep Phase, where debts may be repaid or left to accumulate, staff salaries are paid, and several reset triggers occur including replenishing staff cards with studio action tokens.

Money is the most basic resource of the game. But money is tight for anime studios. You need it to pay for a few critical actions, to follow players taking high demand actions, and most importantly to pay your staff's increasing wages.

If you ever need to pay more money than you have, you automatically take a debt card to gain 7 more money. These loans help you get out of trouble, but your debts accumulate, and if unpaid, they will damage your reputation score. Manage your money and debts wisely to win!

SCRIPT PARTS

One core element of every anime are its 3 Script Parts (represented by the script part icon). These uniquely shaped pieces represent the parts of a story and their genres. Each anime must have one of each type of script part in order to be released: Setting, Plot, and Twist.

A Script Part's color and icon represents its genre. There are 5 different genres: Action, Fantasy, Slice of Life, Sci-Fi, and Horror.

• RED — ACTION
• GREEN — FANTASY
• BLUE — SCI-FI
• BROWN — HORROR
• PURPLE — SLICE OF LIFE

Script Parts are picked from the shared central pool of Script Parts divided by their 3 types. When revealing new Script Parts (p.13), players can reveal from any pile (either from the same pile or a mix of them). If one of the 3 revealed pools is ever empty, refill it with 1 new Script Part after the action being taken is complete.

Whenever players acquire a Script Part, they place it to the left of their player boards. The Script Parts in this area are considered to be In Storage (players can have a maximum of 5 Script Parts In Storage, discarding excess Script Parts back to the common pool at the end of each player's turn).

Players can move Script Parts to the In Production slots of their player board, at any time as free action, but once placed, they cannot be swapped out and must be used for their next release.

After an anime is released, move all 3 In Production Script Parts to the right side of the player board. Some cards in the game will refer to your released animes.

ART

The other integral part of any anime is its art. In JISOGI this is represented by the Animation Level Token. The higher the Animation Level, the prettier their anime will be!

Whenever Animation Levels are gained, the Animation Level Token is moved from the level 0 space into the 1st slot of its track, placed at the bottom left of the Studio board. Whenever any new Animation Level is gained, move the token one slot to the right.

Players must have at least 1 Script Part In Production to start gaining levels. In order to acquire their 2nd Animation Level, they must have 2 Script Parts In Production. After they have all 3 Script Parts In Production, they can acquire up to 6 levels (excess levels are ignored).

If an anime has exactly 3 Script Parts and at least 1 Animation Level, that anime can be released. These 2 aspects will be multiplied together to determine your anime release's base popularity during the release phase (p.19).

Once released, the Animation Level token goes back to the level 0 slot, and the Script Part tokens are moved out from the player board and kept to the right side of it (these will be important later to fulfill the conditions of some cards).

Example: 2 levels have been acquired for this release, going from level 0 to 2. This is a valid action since 2 Script Parts are in place. If this player wants to acquire more levels they must first fix a 3rd Script Part.

Example: a player adds 2 levels to an anime that already has 2 levels and 3 Script Parts. With 4 levels in total this anime will be more popular.

In the Animation Level space of the Studio board, there are icons in place to remind players of the requirements to place levels.

PRODUCTION PHASE / ACTION SYSTEM

Now that we know what it takes to make a great anime, let's learn the actions that will help players get there. JISOGI's action system uses 2 components: the Staff cards, and the Studio Action tokens.

Each of your Staff cards begins the round with an action token on it. During the Production Phase of the game, players take turns taking 1 action each, clockwise, moving an action token from a staff card to a valid action space on the board. These each allow you to take specific actions and gain certain resources.

Players can choose to place Action tokens for actions they have already chosen. There are no limits to how many tokens can be in the same stack, but the higher the stack, the more expensive that action will become when taken again (covered on p.16).

A player can choose to finish their round without placing all their Action tokens. Once they decide this, they remove all unused Action tokens on their Staff, indicating they are finished for this phase.

There are some limitations to the placement of your Studio Action tokens, which is where your Staff cards type's come into play.

There are 4 types of Staff cards: Writers, Artists, Producers, and Directors. Each of these types is restricted to performing particular actions. Once a token is removed from a Staff card, the placement restrictions of that card type must be respected (after all, if you ask a Producer to draw your animations you will most certainly fail in that task).

Players start the game with 4 Staff cards, one of each type. Your initial staff are traumatized by their past work conditions and are considered Dead-Inside. They do the minimum work possible, and are incapable of earning action bonuses. As players develop their Studios, they will be able to hire new Genki Staff and even inspire enthusiasm in their Dead-Inside Staff by offering them a promotion.

The maximum amount of Staff cards a player can have is 6.

CORE GAME ACTIONS

There are 7 potential actions a Staff member can perform.

Writers can perform the blue actions, Artists the green actions, and Producers the red actions. The Strategize action can be performed by all types of Staff.

Directors can perform any type of action.

The Write and Research actions allow players to gain Script Parts. The Reveal symbol refers to revealing a number of Script Parts from any of the 3 face down piles and adding them to their associated common pools. The Pick symbol when shown together with a +number refers to picking a number of pieces from any common pool and placing them in your storage.

The Animate action allows players to gain Animation levels and the Outsource action to get money.

The Staffing action allows players to either gain new Staff or Promote existing Staff. 2 money must always be paid to perform this action.

The Networking action allows players to draw Network cards (p.20).

The Strategize action has its own special rules (p.17). 2 money must always be paid to perform this action.

Dead-Inside Staff cards perform only the basic part of each action, without counting the bonus listed inside that action's red box. However, Genki Staff cards perform the basic action, and also the bonus shown of that action's red box.

Players can increase the rewards of these actions by using Staff abilities (p.14) and/or Network cards (p.15). These effects often have different trigger conditions, and multiple effects may be triggered simultaneously. In such cases, the player chooses the order in which to resolve them, activating each effect one by one.

GENKI STAFF

Genki Staff cards can be acquired to improve or increase the number of actions a player may perform each round. These cards are recognized by their more lively illustration, and also by the icon on their top left.

Genki Staff are still restricted by their type (Artist, Producer, Writer) but they also collect the bonus listed inside the red box shown next to the description of each action.

Some Genki Staff also have an activation skill described in the bottom white part of their card. Each skill is activated on 1 of 4 occasions:

• When the listed action is performed by this Staff—and this Staff only (e.g. Write, or Animate);
• Whenever an Anime is released during the Release Phase. Players can collect the rewards before the popularity score is calculated (p.19);
• At any moment during the Production Phase;
• At any moment during the Upkeep Phase.

Some Genki Staff also often have preferred genres that they enjoy working on the most. These are denoted by the genre icons shown at the bottom right of many Genki cards. If no icons are shown here, the Staff does not have a preferred genre.

Players gain money or points bonuses when releasing an anime that contains genres matching their Genki Staff's preferences (p.19).

Note: Genki (元気) has many meanings, but it is mostly used to express a person who is "motivated", "energetic", or simply "feeling good".

STAFFING (HIRE/PROMOTE)

There are 2 ways to gain Genki Staff: Hiring or Promoting.

When Hiring, players may pick any of the face-up Genki Staff cards in the common pool. They place it next to the other Staff but do not place a Studio Action token on them. The new Staff is onboarding and won't be able to take an action until the following round. However, Upkeep, Release skills and genre bonuses do trigger while staff are onboarding.

The other way to acquire Genki Staff is by Promoting. In this case, players replace a Dead-Inside Staff card they own with a Genki Staff from the common pool (place the new card on top of it). A Dead-Inside Staff can only be Promoted to a Genki Staff of the same type. If the promoted Staff still has a Studio Action token on it, it can perform an action in the same round it is promoted.

The Staff decks in the common pool are immediately refilled (flip the top card face-up) when a Staff card is taken from it. Also, during the Upkeep phase, the common pool is refreshed: all face-up Staff cards in the common pool are placed at the bottom of their respective decks and a new batch is turned face-up from the top.

If a player reaches the limit of 6 Staff cards, they may still promote a Genki staff to a different Genki staff of the same type, if they wish. That action is done by performing a Staffing action and follows the same limitations.

NETWORK CARDS

Network cards are powerful one-time-use cards gained through the use of the Networking action. Each lists one or more trigger actions (on the top of the card) that players must take in order to play the card and gain its benefit.

After players finish the base action used to trigger the card, they can then reveal it, collect its benefits, and discard the Network card.

Collected Network cards during a turn are kept face-down in front of the player who collected them until their turn is finished.

Only 1 Network card can be played with each action, and its effects can only be triggered once.

If the deck runs out of cards, shuffle the discard pile and make it the new deck.

HIGH DEMAND FEE

Staff cards represent the core full-time employees of the studios, but their actions are really made possible by the hard work of the freelancers they direct. When the market gets too saturated, the price of hiring freelancers also inevitably increases.

The High Demand Fee triggers when a player places their Studio Action token on an action spot that already contains one or more action tokens. In a 2-3 player game, placing the first Studio action token is free, placing the second costs +1 money, and placing any further Studio Action token costs +2 money. If playing with 4 players, only the 3rd token costs +1 money and the 4th token onwards costs +2 money.

• 1st token: No fee.
• 2nd token: If 2P-3P, the extra fee is +1. If 4P, no extra fee.
• 3rd token: If 2P-3P, the extra fee is +2. If 4P, the extra fee is +1.
• 4th (+) token: The extra fee is always +2.

MERCHANDISE DEAL

Merchandising offers a vital way to gain income during the game. Whenever gaining a Merchandise Deal token, players either acquire a token and place it in their inventory area, or, if they already have a token there, activate it, placing it in the leftmost empty space on their Merchandising Deal Track.

During each Upkeep phase players gain the rewards listed below their rightmost activated token (and not the rewards before it).

Whenever a player gains a Merchandise Deal token, while they already have 4 activated tokens, they instead gain 1 money per token gained.

STRATEGIZE ACTION

On the top of the Action board, there is an action space called Strategize. Whenever a player uses it, they pay 2 money to select one of the four available Leverages boxes and gain what is inside it.

Whenever a player performs this action, place a Lock token on top of the chosen Leverage. For the remainder of the round, no other player can pick that same Leverage.

Here is a breakdown of each Leverage:

• 01: Gain the 1st player token and +4 money. Starting from this round release phase, you are the first player. The 1st player token does not pass automatically between players at the end of the round. It is only passed when a player uses this action.
• 02: Promote a Dead-Inside Staff to a Genki Staff.
• 03: Gain a new Merchandise Deal token or activate a Merchandise Deal token in your inventory.
• 04: Gain 6 Hype minus the number of Dead Inside Staff you currently own.

During each upkeep phase, remove the lock tokens from Leverages.

HYPE

Several actions and cards award players with Hype. Hype is a multi-use resource that players can exchange at any time, as a free action. Hype can be exchanged for money, to gain merchandise, or for popularity. The exchange rate for each is shown on the Studio board.

If there are no more Hype tokens (value 1) in the supply, replace individual Hype tokens in storage for the Hype tokens (value 3), representing 3x Hype. In the rare case there are still no tokens left in the supply, players gain money in exchange for the Hype.

RELEASE PHASE / TREND CARDS

During the Release Phase each player will have the chance to release 1 anime each, in turn order. Releasing an anime gains you money, points, a Merchandise Deal, and a chance to score an opportunity card.

Whenever releasing an anime, players will check the genre icons on their 3 Script Parts In Production, and may choose 1 of the 3 face up Trend Cards to follow (to compare their release with). Each genre on their anime's Script Parts can match with 1 icon on the Trend card, in any desired order.

Players can only choose a Trend card to follow if they have at least 1 genre match with it—if they have 0 matches with all 3 Trend cards, they release it as a Cult Release (p.19).

In the example to the right, there are 2 genre matches between the player's Script Parts and the Trend card - Action and Horror (the order of the icons does not matter). Having more matches raises the Popularity Score of this release (p.19).

The 3 Trend cards displayed on the trend board each also provide a bonus when followed. The leftmost Upcoming Trend earns you 2 Hype; the center Active trend earns you 3 Popularity this release; and the rightmost Fading trend earns you 3 Money.

At the end of the Release Phase (even if no one released this round), move all the Trend cards one space to the right, discarding the Fading Trend and revealing a new Upcoming Trend. When a new Trend card is revealed, place a Bonus token on top of it.

POPULARITY SCORE

Every time a player releases an anime, no matter how small, they will be rewarded with money and points. However, if their anime is impressive visually and aligns with the trends, they can gain a bigger reward. To determine the reward level, players must first calculate the released anime's Popularity Score (p.19).

After calculating an anime's total Popularity Score, consult the Release Reward table on your player board to determine how much money and points you earned.

HOW TO CALCULATE THE POPULARITY SCORE

First, determine the number of genre icon matches the anime has with the Trend Card being followed. Then multiply that number by the Animation Level.

Let's say a player's anime has 2 genre matches, and they have reached level 4 for their release. 2 genre matches x4 level = 8 Popularity Score.

If a player has 0 matches with all 3 Trends cards, they release it as a Cult Release and multiply their Popularity Score by 4 (as if they had 4 genre matches).

After finding the base Popularity Score, players proceed to add the bonuses listed below.

POPULARITY BONUSES

The first way to improve an anime's Popularity Score is the Genki Staff bonuses. Whenever releasing an anime, check if any of the Genki Staff preferred genres (icons on the bottom right of the card) match any of your anime release's Script Parts In Production. If so, check the bonus above the genre icons and immediately gain those.

Some Staff cards have the "x" symbol in their genre bonus. When scoring those gain the listed bonus for each Script Part in the player's anime that match the Staff preferred genre (bonus levels are gained immediately, and the base Popularity Score must be calculated again).

Some Genki Staff also have an "Anime Release" activation skills. Whenever the owner of the card releases an anime during the Release Phase, gain the bonuses listed.

The third way to gain more Popularity Score bonus is to spend Hype. For each Hype spent, players add +1 to their anime's total Popularity Score.

Finally, if a player is the first to match all 3 Script Part genres to the trend card they are following, they add that Trend's Bonus token bonus to their release's total Popularity Score. Remove the Bonus token from the Trend card and keep it in the supply until a new trend is revealed.

Cult releases do not gain the Bonus token and do not trigger any other bonus that refer to a specific Trend card position.

OPPORTUNITY CARDS

Opportunity cards represent shared objectives that all players can try to fulfill after releasing an anime. After a player releases an anime and calculates their rewards, they may fulfill 1 of the face-up available Opportunity cards they meet the conditions for.

Each face-up Opportunity card has a condition displayed at the top, detailing the requirement to score it, and a reward at the bottom, indicating the Reputation points gained by scoring it.

Whenever you fulfill an Opportunity card, gain the indicated points on the card, plus any bonus points listed on the Trend board above the card.

Return fulfilled Opportunity cards by any player to the box, without replacing it with new ones.

At the end of the first round, flip the 4th card in the Trend board face-up. At the end of the 2nd round, flip the 5th card face-up, and at the end of the 3rd round, flip the last face-down Opportunity card face up.

If more than one player can fulfill the conditions of an Opportunity card during the same Release phase, only the player who releases first gets to score it. Player order is crucial to this step.

DEBT CARDS

Any time a player needs to pay money for something (whether an action or salaries), but doesn't have enough for it, they must immediately take a Debt card in order to cover the cost.

A Debt card provides players with 7 money, and many reduces their final score by -2 if not paid off. Players may pay back Debt cards during the Upkeep phase by paying 8 money to the supply. Paying debts is not mandatory, even if players have enough money to do so.

Also during the Upkeep phase, Interest hits and the cost to pay back Debts increases. Place an Interest token on top of each Debt card in a player's possession, effectively increasing each payback cost by 1 money. This happens every round.

Players may not take Debt cards to pay off other Debt cards.

UPKEEP PHASE

During the Upkeep Phase complete the following steps in order. To help you stay on track, the player aid also includes this list - be sure to reference it during the game!

1. Gain the rewards listed below your rightmost Active Merchandise Deal token (p.16).
2. Pay off Debt cards (optional).
3. Raise the interest on each of your Debt cards.
4. Pay Salaries (see below).
5. Recover all Studio Action Tokens (p.12), placing them on top of all Staff cards.
6. Refill the Genki Staff common pool, moving the top card of each deck to its bottom, and flipping face-up the top card of the deck (p.14).
7. Reset Strategize leverage's (p.17).
8. Flip the leftmost face down Opportunity card face up.

Note: Steps 5-8 can be ignored in the last round of the game.

SALARY

As expected, Staff do not work for free. The more productive and confident they are, the higher their salary requirements. Dead-Inside Staff each cost 1 money, and Genki Staff cost 2 money when paying Salaries.

Salaries are only paid during the Upkeep Phase but they are one of the most important considerations to be made before deciding on expanding your team.

Example: with 2 Genki Staff (2 money each) and 3 Dead-Inside Staff (1 money each), the total salary in this example is 7 money.

END OF THE GAME

The game ends at the end of the 4th round's Upkeep Phase, and whoever has the most points wins!

For each unpaid Debt card, its owner loses -2 points.

If, after all negative debt points are accounted for, there is a tie, the player with most money wins the game. If there is still a tie, players share the victory.

SCORE CAP

There is a Reputation cap of 29 points. For every point scored after that, players instead gain 1 money. This cap represents the limits of reputation, since it is profit that will determine your studio's longevity in the end.

JISOGI was created to emulate the hard truth of running a company with a limited budget and low-profit margins. Getting debt cards is a normal and almost unavoidable part of the early game.

Players must find a balance between income and expenditures, making sure to collect the payback for their investments before the end.

If your group isn't comfortable with the concept of debt or might feel overwhelmed by the pressure of rising interest rates, we recommend skipping the interest increase and keeping the payback cost fixed at 8 money throughout the game.

On the other hand, if your group enjoys the challenge and want to try something even harder, the user @JustAModestMan offered a game variant called "Despair" on JISOGI's BGG forum.

In this variant, instead of the interest increase, players have to pay 1 money per debt card they own every round, at the same moment they pay for the salaries of their team.

This can lead to a very realistic debt spiral that might be impossible to come out from. If you, like us, get excited with the challenge, try it out!

A ROUND EXAMPLE

Let's review all we have learned so far, by checking a mid-game player board:

1. Spent Staff. Its Studio Action token has been moved to the Action board.
2. Available Staff. Since it has a Studio Action token on it, can still be used this round.
3. Unused Studio Action token. The player still has space to hire one more Staff.
4. Script Part In Production. Cannot be removed anymore.
5. Script Part In Storage. A player can have a max of 5 Script Parts in this space.
6. Previously released anime.
7. Animation level - current at 2.
8. 1 Active Merchandise Deal token. Another Merchandise Deal token is inactive, therefore kept in the Storage area.
9. Currently owned Network cards (kept hidden from other players).
10. Debt cards owned. The Interest token on top of it is a reminder that interest on the card has increased the cost to 9 money.

For this example, we are following Haruka as she takes her turns in between other players' turns. She has one left over Sci-fi story part, 3 hype tokens, has hired 1 extra worker and promoted her Producer and her Artists in previous rounds.

- PRODUCTION PHASE -

Her 1st action is to Research. To make sure she gets exactly what she needs, she uses a Genki Staff with a skill that gives her +2 Reveal. She reveals a total of 5 Script Parts and then picks 1 Script Part (Basic action reward) +1 Script Part (Genki Staff red box bonus).

RESEARCH — Reveal 5, pick 2.

Her 2nd action is to go Networking. She wants to power up her future actions, so she draws 2 Network cards, which become available to use from her next action.

NETWORKING — +2 Network cards.

Her 3rd action is to Strategize. First she pays 2 money (Strategize action cost). For her Leverage, she decides to take the 1st player token and gain +4 money. She gains +1 Hype as a bonus for using a Genki Staff to perform that action. Lastly, because of her Genki Staff's Skill, she also gains +1 Hype and +4 money.

STRATEGIZE — Chosen Leverage +4 money, Genki Staff action bonus +1 Hype, Genki Staff skill bonus +4 money +1 Hype.

For her 4th action, Haruka decides to Animate. Another player has already performed that action during this round, so she has to pay the High Demand Fee of 1 money. She gains +3 Animation Levels: 1 extra from the Genki Staff action bonus, and another from the card skill activation.

ANIMATE -1 money — Basic action: +1. Staff action bonus: +1. Staff skill bonus: +1.

For her last action, Haruka decides to Write. She wants to start gathering Script Parts for her next round, but, more importantly, she wants to use the Network card she got on her 2nd action, to gain some money.

WRITE — Reveal 1, pick 2. Network card bonus: +2 money.

- RELEASE PHASE -

With 3 Animation Levels and 3 Script Parts she decides that her anime is now ready to be released. She follows the Fading Trend because her anime's 3 Script Parts match all 3 of its genres, and one of her Genki staff adds another 2 Popularity Score bonus - Fantasy is their preferred Genre.

She also matches the 3 genres of this Trend card and claims the Bonus token bonus (still available, since no other player has met the requirements yet). Finally, she decides to spend all 5 of her Hype to gain another 5 Popularity Score.

Level 3: Genre matches 3 x 3 = 9. Staff bonus +2. Hype spent uses +5. Total Popularity Score = 20.

She checks her player board and sees that a release with 20+ Popularity Score grants her the following reward: 6 money +6 points.

By releasing an anime (of any Popularity Score), she also gains + a Merchandise Deal token.

By following the Fading Trend, she also gains a bonus +3 money.

PITCH ROOM: ALTERNATIVE GAME MODE

NARRATIVE GAME MODE

GAME OVERVIEW

Instead of exploring all the aspects of running an Anime Studio, this game mode focuses on a single creative meeting, where the team debates what the studio's next big release should be.

Each player will pitch one script to the group, complete with Setting, Plot, and Twist. At the end, everyone votes to decide which story was the most captivating. The uniqueness of this mode comes from how players interact during the process, often leading to absurd elements that must be included into the stories.

This mode feels more like an improvisation workshop than the management game offered in the base rules. It turns the flavor elements of the main game—normally separate from the mechanics—into the game's core pieces.

Normal game mode: 3-6 Players. With 2 players, skip the voting step and just enjoy a more relaxed collaborative experience.

SETUP

Trend Cards. Shuffle the Trend cards and deal 3 to each player. Everyone chooses 1 and places it face-up in front of them. This will be referred to as their Core Theme.

Script Parts. Shuffle the Script Parts into 3 separate face-down piles (Setting, Plot, Twist). Place these piles in the center of the table.

"What If" Token. Give each player 1 Studio Action Token. In this mode they will be called "WHAT IF" Tokens (their colors do not matter).

Jisogi: Pitch Room is played over 3 rounds: the Setting, the Plot, and the Twist round. Each round is split into two phases: Brainstorm and Pitch.

BRAINSTORM PHASE

• Randomly choose a starting player; play proceeds clockwise.
• Deal 3 Script Parts of the current type to each player (Setting, Plot, or Twist). On your turn, select 1 Script Part and play it in front of another player without a Script Part.
• Continue until all players have a Script Part in front of them. Discard any remaining unplayed Script Parts to the supply.

PITCH PHASE

Each player now tells a story that combines their Core Theme with the Script Part in front of them. Turn order doesn't matter in this phase—any player who feels ready may begin, and the rest can follow in whatever order they like.

Example: Core Theme: Witch School. Script Part: Countryside Village. "For many decades this countryside village has thrived as the best tea producers in the country. What no one knows is that the brewers are witches, who also run a side business selling potions."

After a player shares their story, the others may each ask one (only one) question. These can point out inconsistencies, demand clarifications, or request references.

• "Are they evil witches, or more like quirky old ladies?"
• "Which country is this set in?"
• "I get the witch part, but what about the "school" in your Core Theme?"

Players don't have to ask questions, but unanswered or unsatisfying answers may cause the group to lose confidence in the pitch. While sabotage isn't the goal, everyone should act as if they are studio executives evaluating a proposal.

After all players finish telling their stories, the Setting Round ends, and the Plot round starts. It plays just like the Setting Round, but now the story must follow both the Core Theme and the established Setting. During the Plot round only, when placing Script Parts, player order starts from the last player in the Setting Round, moving counter-clockwise instead.

Example: Plot: Transported to a magical world, must adapt to a new life. "A spy from a rival company moves into the tea village, hoping to uncover its secret. Each episode follows a series of comical incidents, where the witches secretly interfere with his life, driving him to the brink of madness."

Again, each player faces questions after their pitch. Some examples:

• "Do they hate the guy or are they just friendly messing up with him?"
• "Is the guy good with tea or just some corporate lackey?"

The final round follows the same structure as the 1st round. Players now incorporate the Twist Script Part into their evolving story. After all three rounds (Setting, Plot, Twist), players vote for their favorite story. The player with the most votes wins!

"WHAT IF" TOKENS

In real creative meetings, unsolicited opinions are inevitable. The classic phrase—"That's nice, but what if…?"—often throws a wrench into the process, making things messier than they need to be.

In Jisogi: Pitch Room, this dynamic becomes part of the game. To keep things fun (and not as long as real studio meetings), each player may only use their What If Token once per game, and only for a single, simple suggestion.

How it works

• After a player finishes telling their story (during any round), another player may spend their What If Token to jump in with a suggestion.
• The storyteller must accept and immediately weave the suggestion into their story.
• Only one suggestion can be made per story. If multiple players want to jump in, the one sitting closest (clockwise) to the first player of that round gets priority.
• Each player can only be targeted by a What If Token once per game. Keep the token in front of the targeted player as a reminder.
• Using your token is optional. If you never find the right moment, that's fine—you'll simply miss the chance to make someone else's story harder (which some players might even consider a kindness!).

Guidelines

Players should not try to sabotage each other. Suggestions must make at least minimal sense within the established concept and should add layers or subtle complications rather than completely derailing the story. Suggestions should also be tied directly to the story element currently being pitched (e.g., don't suggest a new Setting when the player is presenting a Twist).

Good examples:

• "But what if this story was set in the 1980s?"
• "But what if the plot had a hint of romance?"
• "But what if the main character was unusually attractive?"
• "But what if they had no money left in their bank account?"
• "But what if one of them wasn't telling the truth?"

Bad examples:

• "But what if this children's show suddenly became a dark zombie apocalypse survival story?"
• "But what if instead of a crime thriller we make a love story between the detective and his secretary?"
• "But what if the villains were secretly their future selves trying to change history?"

Good suggestions should continue the story beats without twisting the narrative into something unrecognizable.

SCRIPT PART TYPES

One of the biggest challenges in this game (and also in the real life situations we are simulating) is discussing the wrong parts of a story at the wrong time. It's natural for things like character motivation and setting to overlap, but if the discussion isn't kept focused, these meetings can go nowhere.

In this game, the structure is guided by the Script Parts themselves, giving players a clear prompt to follow. To make this even easier, let's clarify what each Script type refers to.

SETTINGS define the world where the story takes place. They can be broad—like a historical era or a country—or very specific, such as a workplace or a single street. The focus should not be on the main character or their motivation, but on the environment and unique details that make the location interesting.

PLOTS establish the core characters, and also the events or challenges that drive the story forward. They not only set who is the main character, but give them something to do, overcome, or discover.

TWISTS add an unexpected turn that changes the meaning or direction of the story. They don't erase the Setting or Plot but build on them, adding surprise, tension, or a new perspective.

TREND CARDS / CORE THEME

Each Trend Card shows three genres. In the base game, these genres play a central role, but in Jisogi: Pitch Room, they serve mainly as a reference tool. They guide players toward Script Parts that naturally fit with their chosen Core Theme.

During each round, players will have 3 Script Parts in hand. With so many possible directions to take, it can feel overwhelming to decide which story pieces fit together. This is where the genre icons on the Trend Cards become useful: if you're unsure, try matching colors or genres, as this often leads to strong connections.

Of course, a competitive player might deliberately give someone Script Parts from completely unrelated genres, hoping to trip them up. But in truth, these odd pairings often produce the most unique and memorable stories. Above all, remember the golden rule of improvisation: be kind to each other and focus on keeping everyone entertained!

Example story: "In a future where robots are commonly employed for entertainment, a theater in Japan becomes famous for staging period plays with giant robots as the performers. An engineer, who has devoted his entire life to one of these robots grows increasingly jealous of the bond forming between the robot's AI and its human pilot. The drama escalates when they discover that the AI has been manipulating not only them, but the entire team, whispering promises of love while secretly pursuing glory and fame."

SOLO MODE

The solo mode of Jisogi offers two main benefits: helping you learn the game before playing with others and providing unique challenges.

To play solo, you'll follow most of the same steps as the multiplayer setup, with a few key adjustments: Remove all Network cards with the solo icon in their lower-right corner. Shuffle these cards separately and place them in a dedicated deck. Collect 6 Studio Action tokens from a Studio different from the one you've chosen. Place these tokens next to this new deck.

Take the Solo Challenge cards and place them on the table. Choose 1 of the 8 available modes. For first-time players, we highly recommend starting with the "Learning the Game" mode. Check the special rules on the Solo Challenge card for any other setup changes.

These are the key pieces of information on the Solo Challenge cards:

• Objective: Refers to the goal players must achieve to win the game.
• Rounds: Refers to the amount of rounds players will have in order to achieve the objective. Rounds can be tracked by the movement of the Opportunity cards.
• High-demand tokens: Refers to a solo-only rule. At the start of every Production Phase, shuffle the newly created Network card deck (the cards with the solo symbol) and draw cards equal to the number listed in the challenge. Check the actions on the top of each revealed card, choose one, and place another Studio's Action token on that space in the Action board—as if another player had taken it. Place 2 tokens instead if "double" is written after the number. Ignore everything else on the cards. Do this for all cards revealed. You may not choose the same action with 2 different high demand cards.

Once this is done, return all drawn cards to the deck. Treat the Studio Action tokens as you would on the multiplayer game, removing all from the Action board at the Upkeep.

All solo modes follow one special rule regarding the Trend cards: At the end of the Release Phase, when prompted to discard the Fading Trend, also discard all cards that do not have a Bonus token on them. Fill all empty slots with new Trend cards.

For the solo mode only, do not automatically refill your Staff common pools after hiring/promoting a Staff. Only refresh all decks at the Upkeep phase as you normally would. Also, if a Staff card with the icon on its top left is revealed, move it to the bottom of deck and reveal a new one.

Lastly, if not stated otherwise, always start with 1 Debt card.

The first two solo challenges are beginner-friendly and ideal for learning the game. However, challenges starting from #3 are considerably more difficult and are best attempted once comfortable with the game mechanics and familiar with the abilities of the various Staff cards.

Good luck!

CREDITS

Game & Art Direction: Rodrigo Esper

Producer: Naho Sakamoto

Lead Artists: Eisuke Gou and Senkawa Teien

Guest Artists: Thomas Romain, Yuu (Arcadia), Pancho Rabbit, Ivan Inagaki, Kenji Loo, Sushizawa

Cultural Advisor: Yumiko Yoshizawa, Thomas Romain

Graphic Design: Rodrigo Esper, Solitude, Good Games Publishing

Community Manager: Anne Ferrero

Game Development: Samba Estudios

Proof Reading: John Hodson, Rick Fuqua, Good Games Publishing

Kickstarter Trailer Video: Daren (darennn98)

Trailer Voice Actress: Minamo Aoto

Trailer 3d Model: AKA Virtual

Special thanks: Amy & Meg (Thinkerthemer), Mike DiLisio, Jay Bernardo, Bernardo Todesco, Johan Lagerqvist, Ray Hung, Will Feng, Sui Works, Lilly Wong, Harry Lee, Angela Lin, Mugen Gaming, and all our crowdfunding backers.

www.esper.games