Overview

Okiya is a two-player abstract strategy game set in an imperial Japanese garden. Players compete to earn the grace of the emperor by arranging their clan tokens in the garden, replacing garden tiles with their tokens according to matching constraints. Designed by Bruno Cathala with art by Cyril Bouquet, published by Blue Orange Games.

Components

• 16 garden tiles (each featuring one of 4 vegetation types and one of 4/5 symbols)
• 8 character tokens per player (2 sets of 8, distinguished by background pattern)

Vegetation types: Maple Leaves, Cherry Tree, Pine Tree, Iris

Symbols: Rising Sun, Poem, Bird, Rain, Cloud

Setup

1. Shuffle the 16 garden tiles and arrange them face up in a 4x4 square.
2. Each player takes their 8 character tokens (one set has a background pattern, the other does not).
3. Players sit on opposite sides of the garden.
4. In the first game, choose the starting player randomly. In subsequent games, the loser of the previous game goes first.

Turn Structure

Players alternate turns. On each turn:

1. Choose a tile: Select a garden tile that matches the constraint imposed by the previously removed tile (see Actions below). On the very first turn, the starting player may only choose a tile on the outside border of the 4x4 grid (not one of the 4 center tiles).
2. Remove the tile: Take the chosen tile out of the garden and place it between the two players, on top of any previously removed tile. Only the top tile is visible and sets the constraint for the next player.
3. Place your token: Put one of your character tokens into the empty space left by the removed tile.

Actions

Matching Constraint: The active player must choose a garden tile that shares at least one element with the tile most recently removed by the opponent:

• The same vegetation (Maple Leaves, Cherry Tree, Pine Tree, or Iris), OR
• The same symbol (Rising Sun, Poem, Bird, Rain, or Cloud)

The removed tile is placed on top of the previous one so only the current constraint tile is visible.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

A player wins immediately by achieving any one of these three conditions:

Condition	Description
Row of 4	Complete a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal line of 4 of your character tokens
Square of 4	Complete a 2x2 square of 4 of your character tokens
Block opponent	Your opponent cannot make a legal move (no remaining tile matches the constraint)

Match Formats:

Format	Rule
Single game	One game; the winner of the round wins
Match in three sets	Play continues until one player has won 3 games
Victory points match	Winner of each game gains victory points equal to the number of garden tiles remaining in the garden; first to 10 points wins (or 15/20 for longer matches)

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• The starting player’s first move is restricted to the outside border tiles only (not the 4 center tiles).
• If no remaining garden tile matches the current constraint (same vegetation or same symbol), the active player loses because they are blocked.
• Garden tiles removed stack on top of each other; only the topmost tile matters for the current constraint.

Player Reference

Turn: Choose matching tile → Remove it (stack on discard) → Place your token in the gap

Win if: 4 in a row (any direction)

2x2 square

Opponent blocked

First turn restriction: Border tiles only (not center 4)