Japan has no ruler.
And that’s exactly why everyone reaches for the throne.

Five clans. One map. No mercy.

In Shōgun, every decision comes back like a blade, sometimes immediately, sometimes several turns later. War, diplomacy, betrayal, and those moments when you know you made the right move… just one turn too late.

In Shōgun, you don’t simply take actions.
You delay them.

Each player has a row of cards in front of them, their options. Some are weak, some are powerful, but the strongest ones demand patience. The longer a card waits, the harder it hits. The problem is that once you finally use it, it snaps back to the beginning. And suddenly you’re left working with what remains.

That’s where the tension lives.

Do you strike hard now, knowing you’ll be exposed right after?
Or do you wait one more turn, risking that someone else will move first?

Nothing on the map of Japan is ever permanent. Provinces change hands. Neutral clans tempt you with bonuses. Alliances last exactly as long as they are useful. Battles aren’t decided by dice alone, victory belongs to the player who prepared for the fight, not the one hoping for luck.

This is a game about power, but even more about control of tempo.
And about that painful moment when you realize your opponent has just forced you to play a card… at the exact moment you least wanted to.

Campaign: Q2 2026

Gamefound page: https://gamefound.com/en/projects/phalanx/shogun

Robert Plesowicz – Author of The Great Wall, W Cieniu Korony, and Tamashii: Chronicle of Ascend. A big fan of euro games, though his all-time favourite will always be Dune. When he’s not writing, he’s probably plotting his next move at the table.

Maciej Stępień – Board game designer based in Wrocław, Poland. Member of the Fatamorgana playtesting group. Designer of Kocie Królestwa and the upcoming March of Empires: Time of War — plus… something we’ll be announcing soon.