Categories
Browse by type: traditional board and card games, or logic puzzles you can play on paper or in apps.
Japanese traditional games span over a thousand years—from Heian-era aristocratic pastimes to Edo-period street games and twentieth-century puzzle culture. Each category below groups games by how they’re played: board games like Go and Shogi, card games such as Hanafuda and Karuta, tile games led by riichi mahjong, and skill games that range from flicking glass pieces (Ohajiki) to spinning tops (Beigoma). Logic puzzles, popularised by Nikoli in the 1980s, include Akari, Nurikabe, Slitherlink, and many more—all solvable with pencil and paper or in digital apps.
Board and card games often require a physical set; tile games and logic puzzles can be played on paper, online, or via mobile apps. Skill games like Menko (throwing cards), Beigoma (spinning tops), and Otedama (beanbag juggling) emphasise physical dexterity and were once everyday childhood pastimes in Japan. Today many of these games enjoy a nostalgic revival, while logic puzzles have spread globally through print magazines and apps such as Conceptis Puzzles and Simon Tatham's Portable Puzzle Collection.
Use the links below to explore each category. Every game page includes rules, history, cultural context, strategy tips where relevant, and—where applicable—links to play online or buy physical sets.