RULEBOOK

THE GOAL OF THE GAME

Long ago, in the time of our ancestors, during an epoch that mankind has since forgotten, a Great
LEARNING BITOKU Spirit inhabited a forest. Its mere presence imbued everything with life, abundance, and peace.
After its given time, the Great Spirit would go away, never to return. A Bitoku spirit, worthy to
Bitoku is a game that brings a hefty take its place, would then arise to preserve the harmony of the forest.
volume of rules, as you can see while
This primordial forest, millennia old, stretches from the Earthquake Plains to the foothills of the
holding it on your hands right now.
Akaishi Mountains. The mountains are home to the source of the sacred river Kurirakugan, whose
For this reason, we recommend that
mighty flow traverses the forest before shooting out over the cliffs of Sea’s Claw.
you watch the video tutorial that
you can find at [Link] to The Forest has no other name. Indeed, all forests are called such after this one. It is one of the Five
complement what you will learn Hearts of the World, and it is said that in its deepest, densest regions, the trees and vegetation
here. are so thick that Lost Souls who wander there are able to at last find peace and transcend to the
beyond—or become lost forever and cease to exist as the last memory of them is forgotten.
This rulebook will expose the
information in the most optimal way, by There has never been nor will ever be a place like it. Magical and spiritual beings inhabit it,
teaching the round and turn structure remembered today only in legend and children’s tales…
first, and then the details of the game
board and the player board. Bear in mind
that with such a complex game, it is likely
that you will come across concepts early
The time has come for the Great Spirit to move on, and one of the Bitoku must be chosen as its
in the text that aren’t explained in detail
successor. As one of those spirits, can you prove that you alone are worthy of this incredible
until a few pages later.
honor?
You should familiarize yourself with the
game components and read all of the
rules before sitting your friends around
a table to play. You may find it helpful to
THE GOAL OF THE GAME
set up the board in advance as if you were The game is played over four rounds, each representing one year left for the Great Spirit. Each
playing the game. Then play a few turns round is divided into four phases named for the seasons. At the end of the Winter Phase in the
on your own, without any opponents, so fourth round, the game ends and the Ascension occurs.
you can see how the components move
around the board and how to resolve Each phase, you will carry out actions to earn Virtue Points (from now on called “VP”). As you earn
actions in the different areas. In a short VP, you will advance along the Spirit Path, which runs around the outside of the board. During the
time, you will master the game and you Ascension, you can earn additional VP by completing certain goals. The spirit who advances the
will have no trouble finding answers to furthest along that path will be the winner—and become the new Great Spirit!
any questions in the rules.

Then, when you invite your friends and

explain to them how the game works,
do so by handing over the pplayer aids INDEX
for them to follow along with your
explanation. They are sure to appreciate Components 3
you being a good host by having prepared
Setting up the Game 4
the game beforehand!
The Path of the Great Spirit 6
Spring 7
Summer 8
Autumn 12
Winter 13
The Ascension 14
The Elements of the Forest 17
The Player Boards 26
Rise of the Tengu - Solo play 27

2
 COMPONENTS
COMPONENTS
2
1 3

6 9
4 5 7
8

152 TILES

1 24 Building tiles (6 temples, 6 onsen, 6 farms, 6 ryokan)

2 6 Ancient Building tiles

1 GAME BOARD
3 5 Lake Treasure tiles
14 die-cut pieces (to complete the board)
4 32 Crystal tiles
4 player boards (1 per player) / Tengu board (solo mode)
4 flags / “+100 VP” (1 per player) 5 24 Mitama Spirit tiles (5 ara, 5 nigi, 5 saki, 5 khushi, and 4 shinigami)

12 dice (3 per player) 6 32 Dragonfly tiles

7 16 Gate tiles (8 of type A and 8 of type B)

8 13 Iwakura Rock tiles

9 1 Tengu Attitude tile (solo mode)

172 COUNTERS
1 Great Spirit counter (to indicate the round)

1 Pagoda counter (to indicate the phase)

12 Player counters (3 per player: for turn order, VP,
and their Bitoku Path) 111 CARDS
44 Pilgrim counters (11 per player) 29 Yōkai cards (5 Kappa, 5 Imomushi, 5 Nezumi,
5 Kitsune, 5 Shin Ookami, and 4 Yama-Uba)
20 Kodama counters (5 per player)
24 Construction counters (6 per player) 20 Starting Yōkai cards
(1 of each type per player)
72 Resource counters (18 wood, 18 stone, 18 jade,
and 18 sake) 24 Bitoku cards (5 Makoto, 5 Chuugi, 4 Yu, 4 Jin,
3 Rei, 2 Gi, and 1 Meijo)

28 Vision cards

10 Tengu Action cards (solo mode)

OTHER COMPONENTS
58 Amulets (+1, +2, +3)

32 3x Resources tiles

12 Hikaru markers

1 rulebook

4 player aids

3
SETTING UP THE GAME
SETTING UP THE GAME
The example in this image shows
The path of the Great Spirit is coming to its end. The final step a three-player game setup. The
taken by this enigmatic being will mark the beginning of the example images in the rulebook
path for the one who will be its successor. The imprint of its use a four-player setup.
wisdom shall forever be upon the stones, glades, and green of
the Forest. Those who are called to take its place have spent The board shown on page 17 is the
centuries, living through many reincarnations, just to prepare one used in two-player games.
for this challenge. The wisest of the Bitoku are now ready. Which I B
of them shall become the new Great Spirit of the Forest?

SETTING UP THE BOARD

C
A Place the game board in the middle of the table. The side without
any gaps is ready for solitaire and two-player games. If three or
four of you are playing, add the die-cut pieces in the corresponding J
spaces as shown in the gaps (the four-player setup always has more I
spaces on the tiles).

Place the Great Spirit counter on the first space of the Round
B Track and the Pagoda counter on the first space of the Phase
Track (Spring).

Divide the Torii Gate tiles marked “A” and “B.” Mix each group
C separately. Place a random “A” tile on each Torii Gate space
marked “A” and a random “B” tile on each space marked “B”, with their D
rewards side facing up. Put any remaining Torii Gate tiles back in the
box.

For a solitaire or a two-player game, mix the Ancient H

D Building tiles and randomly place one on each of the lower
leftmost spaces of the four inhabited areas indicated on the E
board. In three-player games, place only two of these tiles G D
on the lower leftmost spaces of the Lands of Yomi and the
Glade of Jade (as indicated in the example). You don’t
need Ancient Buildings in four-player games. Return
any leftover tiles to the box.

Shuffle the Forest Treasure tiles and

E randomly place one in each of the five
Forest regions. For a two-player game, also
place a Kodama counter of a neutral color
on the fourth space of each region’s
Kodama Track.

Shuffle the Building tiles, Crystal

F tiles, Mitama Spirit tiles, and Dragonfly
tiles separately and place them in stacks with roughly the
same number of tiles face down in the matching spaces. Then, turn
over enough tiles of each type (from either of the stacks) to fill all of
the spaces next to that stack.

Mix the Iwakura Rock tiles and, without looking at them, give one
G to each player. Then place one face up in each space of the Rock J Separate
Garden. Put the remaining tiles back in the box. the Starting Yōkai cards from the others and
Shuffle the Vision cards and place them face down on their set them aside. Shuffle the remaining Yōkai cards
H space on the board. and create a face-down deck in their space on the board
with space for a discard pile. Turn over and place one
Shuffle the Bitoku cards and place them in their space on the Yōkai card in each space of the Hills area of the board
I board with space for a discard pile. Turn over and place one (partially covering the Bitoku cards).
Bitoku card in each space of the Hills area of the board.
Create a common supply for the Resource counters
K (jade, sake, stone, and wood), the x3 Resource tiles,
the Hikaru tiles and the Amulets.

4
 SETTING UP THE GAME
PLAYER SETUP
Each player chooses a color and takes the following:

1 A player board and a flag of your color: place it in front of you.

3 dice: place them on the red spaces on your player board, with these values
2 showing from left to right: 3, 2, and 1.

5 Kodama counters of your color: place 1 on the first space of each

3 Kodama Track in the Forest area of the game board.

B 11 Pilgrim counters of your color: Place 3 of them with their awakened

4 side facing up in the upper right area of your player board and the rest
5 J with their sleeping side facing up on the 8 spaces in the Crystal areas so they
cover the Virtue Points (VP) symbols.
C
3 Player counters of your color: Place 1 on the Bitoku Path on your
5 player board, 1 on the river space at the beginning of the Ascension
Track (VP) on the board, and 1 on the Turn Order Track. Mix the tokens of all
J players on the Turn Order Track and place them on the track in random
order.
I 6 Building counters: place them on the spaces in the Building area of
6 your player board, covering the VP symbols.

1 random Dragonfly from any face down stack: place it face up in the
7 matching area of your player board.

5 8 1 random Vision card from the deck: place it face up next to your player
board.

The set of 5 Starting Yōkai cards of your color. Shuffle your Yōkai cards
9 together and place them face down next to your player board. Return
any unused Starting Yōkai cards to the box.
3
10 1 wood, 1 jade, and 1 “+1” Amulet: place them next to your player board.

Place the Iwakura Rock you received in the leftmost space on your
11 player board.

K 1 player aid with the Game order and Icon summaries.

Note that except for the face down cards and tiles
1 and the Yōkai cards in the players’ hands, all game
elements (counters, tiles, Vision cards, etc.) are
public knowledge and available to all players.
4
Everything is now ready to begin!

2
11

6
8 5
7

10

5
THE PATH OF THE GREAT SPIRIT

THE PATH OF THE GREAT SPIRIT

The spirits of the Forest are united in harmony and symbiosis. In all they do, they aid one another,
without conflict. Hatred is unknown here, and lush greenery grows everywhere, for the Bitoku
oversee everything and together they take care of the Forest. The Great Spirit is the foremost of
these, and all can rejoice in the plenitude of its efforts.
Bitoku is played over four rounds, each divided into four phases inspired by the seasons of the year:

Spring: The Awakening of the Forest. The players prepare their Yōkai cards and gather the fruits of
their earlier labors.
Summer: The Call of the Guardians. The players call upon their Yōkai and perform actions in the
various areas on the board.
Autumn: The Reverence. Based on their actions in the Summer, the players determine the new turn
order.
Winter: The Repose of the Forest. The players recover their pieces and prepare the board for the next round.

At the end of the last round, the Ascension will begin, when the final VP are awarded and the new Great
Spirit will be chosen.

YŌKAI CARDS AND DICE Each Yōkai card shows their type A ,
the action they offer when played B
The duties of a Bitoku who aspires to become the Great Spirit A and the VP they can grant you during
of the Forest would be laborious and arduous if they had to the optional Spirit’s Virtues step during
do it all alone. the Winter Phase C . The red circle
D indicates that you can obtain a
Fortunately, the Yōkai—Guardians who watch over and protect maximum of 12 points by playing the
the Forest—are there to help. Their presence in the game Spirit’s Virtues (see player aid). Also,
is represented in the form of cards and dice. Using these is the starting Yōkai cards show a symbol
fundamental to the strategy of the game, and you must use them under the type icon matching the color
well if you hope to become the next Great Spirit.
B of the player’s pieces.
During each round, you will use 3 cards and 3 dice. The card in the illustration is a Nezumi
type, its action allows you to advance
Yōkai cards are played onto your player board to allow you to C D one of your Kodamas one space
perform various tasks and receive rewards. You begin the game
forward and either construct a Building or obtain a Crystal, and
with a basic deck of 5 Starting Yōkai cards, but you can gain
if you choose to remove it during the Winter Phase you will
more powerful cards during the game. In addition, they can give
receive 2VP for each building that you have constructed
you VP at the end of the round in which they are played.
(Max. 12).
Obtain a Yōkai card from the common deck. Take the
top two cards, choose one and keep it in your hand. Dice begin each round on the red spaces of your player board.
Then place the other face down back at the bottom of The value on the die determines how powerful that Yōkai is: the
the deck. higher the value on the die, the more powerful the action will be
when you use that die. Also, as only Yōkai can cross the sacred
Obtain the Yōkai card from the Hikaru Hill you River, only dice can be used to gain the Favor of the Forest by
just moved your dice to. Place it in your hand. moving over the river to the Hills (see page 10).

Draw a Yōkai card from your deck and put it in your Before you can use a die, you must unlock it, moving it to the
hand. Any time you draw Yōkai cards, always take green space. There are three ways to unlock a die:
them from the top of your own deck. Your deck is kept face down
next to your player board and you may not look at those cards at · Play a Yōkai card in the space next to the locked die.
any time. The cards in your hand should be kept secret from the · Use an action that allows you to unlock a die.
other players.
· Discard a Pilgrim: You may use a locked die from your Personal
When you discard Yōkai cards, place them in a face up discard Board if you discard a Pilgrim counter you have available. If you
pile next to your deck. You may examine the cards in your dis- do, you must use that die immediately (see
card pile at any time, but under no circumstances can you draw page 9). The Pilgrim is removed from
cards from here. the game.
If you need to draw a card and there are no cards left in your
deck, shuffle your discard pile and create a new face-down deck,
then draw the cards you need.

6
 SPRING: THE AWAKENING
SPRING: THE AWAKENING OF THE FOREST ICONS AND SYMBOLS
The cold winter’s snow turns to crystal-clear streams, flooding the woods with fresh and green. Bitoku uses a variety of icons and symbols
The Forest erupts in a festival of life and exuberance as the animals awaken from their hiberna- to help you through the game and
tion and the spirits resume their activities, taking care of the Forest. Spring is the time when life communicate valuable information. It
flourishes, and the Yōkai gather to assist the Bitoku. may seem like a lot at first, but you will
During this phase, the players receive their Yōkai for the round and collect income. All players may act quickly learn to identify them. You can
simultaneously during this phase, performing these two steps: find them all in the player aid that briefly
explains each symbol, as well as reference
Summon the Yōkai: Each player draws cards from their Yōkai deck until they have 4 cards pages where they are explained in more
A in their hand. It is possible for players to start this phase already with 4 or more cards in detail.
hand from previous rounds, in that case, they should not draw more cards from their deck.
Then, they must choose which of those cards to discard, finally keeping a total of 3 in hand. A black number to the right of any icon
indicates the number of times you can
take an action. If there is no number, you
only take that action once.

2
Receive 2 VP. Obtain 1 Dragonfly.

A red hand means that you must pay that

Resource, returning it to the common
reserve, in order to obtain a tile or
perform an action. A yellow hand next
to an icon indicates that we can take
that action paying a lower number of
Resources (of any type), by the amount
The purple player has 1 card from the previous round, so she draws 3 cards from her deck, bringing her indicated.
hand to 4 cards. She must now decide which one she will discard so there will only be 3 cards in her hand.

Reap the Fruits: Each player now collects

B the rewards indicated on the Dream
Crystals (purple) on their player boards. You This Gate allows
may collect these rewards in any order you you to purchase a
choose (see player aid). Mitama Spirit tile by
paying 2 Resources
less than the price
Purple continues by checking the 2 Dream Crystals on her player board: she draws 1 yōkai card from her deck shown. So, you could
(she now has 4 cards on her hand) and a +1 Amulet from the supply. reduce the price
by 2 sake or by 1 sake
and 1 jade.

If a Virtue Points icon is orange, it means

that you earn those VP immediately as
soon as you take that action. If the icon
is purple you do not earn those VP until
the end of the game. A gray VP indicates
a loss in VP.

When you see a slash “/” between two

icons, you can decide which one of those
to take.
2
/
You can receive two jades, two sakes or
one jade and one sake.

As soon as all players have completed both steps, the Summer Phase can begin—move the Pagoda counter /
to the next space on the Phase Track. You can construct a Building with a
discount of one Resource, or obtain a
Crystal with a discount of one Resource.
7
SUMMER: THE CALL

ACTIONS IN THE GAME SUMMER: THE CALL OF THE GUARDIANS

There are three main ways to gain actions As spirits gain wisdom and become more powerful, they also grow proportionally larger. Some
during the game: even grow to the size of oak trees and acquire masterful abilities. These are known as Yōkai
Guardians. Summer is the season of hard work. This is the time that those who hope to become the
The basic actions are your options during Great Spirit call upon these Guardians for aid.
your turn in the Summer Phase: play a
Yōkai card, use an unlocked die, cross the During this phase, the players will take individual turns. The order of turns is determined from left to
river, or pass. right by the location of the Player counters on the Turn Order Track.
Forest and Building Actions are granted When it is your turn, you must choose one of these four basic actions:
by the regions of the Forest when you
place a die there. Forest Actions are A. Play a Yōkai card from your hand.
different for each region (see page 19). B. Use an unlocked die on your player board.
The Building Action available depends C. Cross the River.
on which Buildings are available in the D. Pass.
region you place your die on
(see page 22). Once you have completed your actions, it is the next player’s turn. Players continue taking turns in this
way until all players have chosen to pass. Then the Autumn Phase can begin—move the Pagoda counter to
Some spaces on the game board, some the next space on the Phase Track. Let’s take a look at the four actions in detail:
tiles, and some Yōkai cards also allow
you to take the action shown. These A Play a Yōkai Card from Your Hand
actions must be resolved at the moment The Yōkai cards represent the guardian spirits of the Forest. They are divided into five types, each
the space, tile, or card is activated. This specialized in a different kind of effect.
may trigger additional actions, possibly
causing a chain of actions, one after When you choose this option, you will play one Yōkai card from your hand, placing it on an empty card
another. space on your player board Yōkai area. Then, follow these three steps:

1. Unlock the die next to the Yōkai card you just played, moving it from the closed red space (to the
right of your card) to the green open one, if needed.
PLAYER AID 2. Activate the Yōkai card by carrying out the action shown on the card. This step is optional.
3. Harmonize the Crystal, if you have one connected to that card space (see page 25), by carrying out
the action shown on the tile. You may do this before or after you activate the Yōkai card. This step is
The player aid included in the game
optional.
(there are four of them) has a handy
summary of the round order. In any
case, that is just a summary, so please
refer to the main rulebook for detailed
Things to Consider When Playing a Yōkai Card:
explanations of the rules. You may not play a Yōkai card on a space that is already occupied by another card.
Also, there is an image of the game board, You may play a Yōkai card even if the die in that space has already been unlocked or even
with each section named and referenced played on the board.
with the page number in the rulebook If all three of your card spaces are full, you must choose a different option on your turn.
where you will find all the relevant You may not move a Yōkai card to another space after you have played it.
details.
Each card space can only have one Crystal connected to it for the entire game.
Finally, in the inside of that leaflet there
is the description of all the icons you can
find in the game, and references to the
relevant pages of the rulebook in case The brown player plays an Imomushi
you need further explanation. Yōkai card from his hand on the
leftmost space of his player board.
The die for that space was locked, so
he moves it to the open space. Then,
he activates the Yōkai card, taking his
choice of 1 wood or 1 stone from the
reserve. He has no Crystal attached
to this card space, so his turn is over
and the next player begins their turn.

8
 SUMMER: THE CALL
B Use an Unlocked Die on Your Player Board
ONE QUICK TIP TO MAKE
The most powerful Yōkai are the Guardians, represented in the game by dice. When you use one of your
unlocked dice, you will always place it in the Forest area of the game board. The Forest is divided into five BITOKU MORE DIFFICULT
regions. Each region has a number of spaces where dice can be placed (see page 19). You can only place a
die in a space that is not already occupied by another die. After your first few games, you can
increase Bitoku’s difficulty simply by
When you place a die in the game board, follow these steps:
adjusting the Forest action rules to the
1. Reinforce the Guardian: Before you place a die (and only at this time), you may increase the value following:
shown on the die by discarding any number of Amulets you have to the supply. Each Amulet you
spend in this way increases the value of the die by 1, 2 or 3, depending on the value of the Amulet. The You may only use a Forest Action if the
value of a die can never be increased above 6 (any additional points are lost). This step is optional. die you placed has a higher value than
2. Visit the Forest: * Move the die to any empty space on the Forest area of the game board. You may all other dice already in that region.
have more than one die in the same region (over multiple turns), as long as there are still empty spaces If any of those dice is showing a value
available. of 6, you have to spend an Amulet at
3. Perform Forest and Building Actions: You may now use the Forest Action and/or one of the this moment in order to “virtually”
Building Actions that are available in the region where you placed the die. You may perform these increase your value over 6 for this
actions in any order you choose. This step is optional. Forest action only (do not change the
top face of the die). Note that any dice
FOREST ACTIONS that have crossed the river over to the
You may only use a Forest Action if the die you placed has an equal or higher value than all other dice Hills are no longer counted as being in
already in that region. Note that any dice that have crossed the river over to the Hills are no longer the Forest region.
counted as being in the Forest region.

The Forest Actions available in each region are described on page 19. *
BUILDING ACTIONS EMPTY SPACE IN THE
FOREST AREA
If there are any Buildings in the inhabited area attached to that Forest region at the moment in which you
place the die, you may perform the action shown on one of those Buildings (see page 22). Unlike Forest
Actions, you may use a Building’s action regardless of the values of other dice in that Forest region. But,
your die value must still be higher than or equal to the value shown on the Building you want to use.
AMULETS
Property Bonus: If you perform a Building Action on a Building that was constructed by another player
(that is, one marked with another player’s Building counter), the Building’s owner receives the Property
These mystical tokens are used
Bonus on the tile. This is in addition to the effect that you are using and comes from the common supply
by Guardians to enhance their
(you don’t pay them the bonus yourself). There are three types of Property Bonuses: the owner earns 1 VP, powers.
the owner earns 1 VP or a +1 Amulet (owner’s choice), or the owner earns 1 VP and a +1 Amulet.
When you obtain them, take them from
You do not receive a Property Bonus if you use your own Building.
the common pool and place them next to
your player board.

Things to Consider When Playing Dice in the Forest: Any time you move a die to the game
board, you may spend any number of
You may not perform more than one Forest Action per die placement. Amulets to increase the value showing
You may not perform more than one Building Action per die placement. on that die (+1, +2, or +3 as marked on
You may not perform a Building Action from a Building you just built this turn. each Amulet).
You may not place a die from your personal board onto any space in the Hills over the other Amulets cannot be broken down into
side of the River. other Amulets of smaller denominations:
You may use a locked die by permanently discarding a Pilgrim available on your player you can’t change a +3 Amulet for three
board (see page 6). +1 Amulets.
You may perform the Building Action before the Forest Action or vice versa, but either way
you must complete the first action before beginning the second one.
Both types of actions are optional: You may place a die without taking either type of action.

+I +2 +3

9
SUMMER: THE CALL

RESOURCES
Resources are used to pay various costs
during the game, and can be acquired
from tiles, cards, and other sources. There
are four types of Resources in the game:

Jade Sake Wood Stone

The yellow player has no unlocked dice, but they really want to claim a space on the board before any
other player can, so they discard one of their Pilgrims from their player board (they will not be able to
use this Pilgrim for the rest of the game) to unlock a die with a value of 2.
The following icon indicates that you can
Then, they discard 2 Amulets marked +1 to increase the value of the die, turning it to show the value 4.
take Resources of any type. As many as
indicated, either the same or different, They place the die in the Forest region of the Lands of Yomi. There is a brown die here, but its value is
chosen by the player. only 2, so the yellow player can still use the Forest Action. If the brown die had a value of 5, they would

2 not be able to use the Forest Action, since their die would not be equal to or higher than all of the other
dice in the region.

Then, they choose a Building that has a minimum dice value requirement of 1, which is less than the value
This icon would allow you to take 2 jade, on their die, which allows them to get an Iwakura Rock. The Building belongs to brown, so he gets 1 VP,
or 1 stone and 1 wood, or any other which is the Property Bonus for that Building.
combination of 2 Resources.
C Cross the River
When you receive Resources, place them
If you have one or more dice in the Forest area of the game board, you may choose this option. If you do,
next to your player board. At any time,
follow these steps:
you may return 3 Resources of the same
type to the supply and take a 1. Move Your Die Across the River ** : Choose one of your dice in the Forest and move it to an empty
x3 Resources tile for that Resource type space in the matching Hikaru Hills area on the other side of the river. In two-player games, the spaces
in exchange (or vice versa). on the other side of the River can reach both Hikaru Hills on each side of the board (as divided by the
Home of the Great Spirit).

x3 x3 2. Perform an Act of Contrition: Only the humble can cross the sacred Kurirakugan River, so you must
reduce the value of your die by 1 point. If the die has a value of 6, however, you must reduce its value
by 3 points instead. Note: You cannot cross the river with a die that has a value of 1 because it cannot
pay for the Act of Contrition.

x3 x3 3. Obtain a Favor of the Forest: Gain one of the available benefits shown in the space you moved
your die to. You can only move your die to an empty space, but you can choose any available Favor.
Each Favor can only be gained once per round in each area, so players will cover them with Hikaru
markers after claiming one of them to indicate that one not available until the following round. In
** two-player games you will be able to access the Favors of the two Hills connected to the space where
you place your die when crossing the river. These are the three Favors available in each area:
EMPTY RIVER SPACES
B
2=/
LIMIT OF COMPONENTS C
A
There is no limit to the number of A Take the Bitoku card from this space. Place it face up below your player board to begin or extend
Resource tokens or Amulets available your Bitoku Path (see page 12).
during the game at any given moment.
B Take the Yōkai card from this space. Add it to your hand. You may play this card during
If you run out of any of these components a later turn.
and need more, just use any kind of C Choose two different of these four options:
temporary substitute, like coins.
• Draw 1 Vision card from the deck (following the process described on page 16).
• Take 1 Iwakura Rock from the board and add it to your Rock Path (see page 23).
• Place 1 available Pilgrim on your player board adjacent to one Iwakura Rock (see page 24).
• Move one of your Kodamas on any Kodama Track forward 1 space (see page 23).

Hikaru marker Once a die has crossed the river, it remains there until the Winter Phase and cannot be moved again
that round.

10
 SUMMER: THE CALL
Purple crosses the river with her die showing a value of 4. She must reduce its value to 3, then she takes
the Bitoku card and adds it to her Bitoku Path, and she covers that Favor space with a Hikaru marker.

Yellow crosses the river also, but since their die has a value of 6 they must reduce it by 3 points. They
take the Yōkai card and add it to their hand, covering that Favor space with a Hikaru marker.

Later on, purple has another die she can cross the river with. The Yōkai and Bitoku Favors have already
been taken, so she chooses to take an Iwakura Rock and move one of her Kodamas one space forward
(she covers that Favor space as well).

Things to Consider When Crossing the River:

You can only place your die in an empty space after crossing the river.
The value on your die does not affect which Favors you may take here.
After you cross, the space in the Forest that your die left behind is now empty and available
for another die to use.
A die at the Home of the Great Spirit cannot cross the river.
Taking the Favor of the Forest is optional: You may cross the river and choose a reward but
decide not to take it, and simply cover that option with a Hikaru marker without any
further effects.

D Pass
After having played your three Yōkai cards on your personal board and moved your three dice over to
Forest spaces, if you cannot or do not wish to cross the River, you may pass when it is your turn. Once you
pass, you are “out” for the rest of the phase and you may not take any more actions.

Once all players have passed, the Summer Phase ends and the Autumn Phase can begin—move the
Pagoda counter to the next space on the Phase Track.

11
AUTUMN: THE REVERENCE

AUTUMN: THE REVERENCE

The Great Spirit of the Forest is a generous being, for with every
step that it takes, life springs forth from its footprints. The Great
Spirit of the Forest is a strict being, for every thing that lives
must die when its time has come. The Great Spirit of the Forest
is a fair being, for the decay of the expired feeds the fruit from
whence new life is born.
Autumn is the season for reflection. At this time, the aspiring spirits
present themselves humbly before the Great Spirit to review their
deeds. Players take the following step simultaneously:

Take One Step Forward: The new turn order is decided at this point.
The player whose die is on the highest position in the Home of the
Great Spirit places their Player counter in the first position on the
Turn Order Track, pushing the rest of the counters on the track to the
right to make room. Then the player in the second highest position
places their counter in the second position on the Turn Order Track,
and soon.

If you have more than one die in the Home of the Great Spirit, only
the one in the higher position is counted. If there are no dice in the
Home of the Great Spirit, the turn order remains unchanged.

Once this step is resolved, the Autumn Phase ends and the Winter
Phase can begin—move the Pagoda counter to the next space on the
Phase Track.

The Home of the Great Spirit contains 3 dice in this order: yellow,
brown, yellow. So, the yellow player is placed in the first position
(since their die is highest) and the brown player is placed in the
second position. The purple and green players’ relative positions do
not change when they are pushed to the third and fourth spaces.

BITOKU CARDS
Bitoku are powerful spirits on their own path to Ascension. If you have at least 1 Bitoku card beyond the space occupied by
But even the strongest of them require the advice and your Player counter, you may spend 1 Movement Point (MP) to
wisdom of other spirits. move your counter to the next space (see page 18). When you do
this you complete that Bitoku card and immediately gain the VP
Obtain a Bitoku card from the common deck. Take the and any other action shown on that card. Also, you will need to
top two cards, choose one and keep it on your Bitoku have at least one or two completed Bitoku cards in order to cross
Path. Then place the other face down back on the bottom of the the bridges in the Paths of Wisdom (see page 19).
deck.
At the beginning of the game, you have no Bitoku cards on your
Obtain the Bitoku card from the Hikaru Hill you just path, so you may not move your Player counter forward until
moved your die to. Place it on your Bitoku Path. you gain at least one card.

Completed card.

Each Bitoku card shows a type A ,

A a space for a Player counter B ,
a VP award and any other actions
available when the Player counter
B
moves onto that card C and a rarity
number indicating the number of
copies of that type available in the
D
deck D .
C
Bitoku cards are used to create the
Bitoku Path on your player board.
Each time you gain a Bitoku card, you must add it to your path
as shown.
12
 WINTER: THE REPOSE
WINTER: THE REPOSE OF THE FOREST
Snow and ice overtake the Forest. The Great Spirit contemplates how the flakes light upon
the branches of the evergreens and the way the ice slows the heartbeat of the ponds. Silence settles
in as the Forest begins to rest. Winter is the season where the Forest recovers its strength for the
coming cycle, and is the time for aspiring spirits to prepare themselves for their next challenges.
All players must follow these five steps in order:

Guardians Return Home: Take your dice back from the game board and return them to the red
A spaces on your player board on the order of your choice. All dice keep their current values.

The Spirit’s Virtue: If you have a total of at least 5 Yōkai cards (between your deck, your player
B board, your hand, and your discard pile), you may choose to permanently remove one from the game
to earn VP. This step is optional.

Using the new turn order, each player may remove 1 of the 3 Yōkai cards on their player board and score
the VP shown at the bottom of the card. If you do so, place the card face up so it is visible under your
player board (next to the flag), leaving its type visible. You will no longer be able to use that card for the
rest of the game. At the end of the game, this card still counts when you score your Iwakura Rocks (see
page 15).

Cards discarded this way will award VP by counting the number of copies of each item shown currently
under your control, multiplied by the value of the VP icon, always up to a maximum of 12 points. You can
see the details of these on the player’s aid.

Receive 2 VP for every Building that you have

constructed, up to a maximum of 12 VP.

The Yōkai Say Farewell: Take all of the remaining Yōkai cards on your player board and put them in
C your discard pile. Keep any Yōkai cards in your hand for the next round.

The Great Spirit Takes a Step: Advance the Great Spirit counter one space forward on
D the Round Track.

If the Great Spirit reaches the Ascension space, skip the next step and proceed directly to the
Ascension Phase (see page 14).

E Snow in the Forest: Prepare the game components for the next round:

1. Remove all Bitoku and Yōkai cards from the game board and discard them. If either deck has no
cards left, reshuffle the matching discard pile and create a new deck at this time.
2. Return the « Hikaru » tiles from the Hills to the common supply.
3. Draw a Bitoku card and then a Yōkai card for each space in the Hills.
4. Remove the Mitama Spirits, Dragonfly, Building, and Crystal tiles that are in the last space
(furthest away from the stack) of each of their areas on the game board from the game. Push
the remaining tiles on these paths forward until they fill all of the spaces at the end of their
paths. Then, turn over enough tiles to fill in all of the spaces on each path.
Remember: The Iwakura Rocks are never refilled.
5. Move the Pagoda counter back to the Spring space on the Phase Track.

13
FINAL SCORING

THE ASCENSION.
FINAL SCORING AND THE END OF THE GAME
Much time passed before the Great Spirit of the Forest was able to complete its journey into peace. Finding a replacement was no sim-
ple matter, for reaching the required state of balance and wisdom is a challenge for even the most enlightened of beings. The oldest of
trees, for whom the passing of centuries is like a single breath, if they are very lucky may live to see as many as three Great Spirits in
their entire lifespan.
As soon as the Winter Phase of the last round is complete, the players add up their final score to determine who will be the next Great Spirit of
the Forest. If they prefer, the players can take turns calculating their personal score, or carry out each step of the Ascension together.

Add up your points by moving your marker on the VP path. If your score passes 100 VP, flip your flag to its “+100” VP side to show your
accomplishment.

Here are the different items to score:

Reap the Fruits: Each player collects the rewards indicated on the Dream Crystals (purple) on their player boards. You may
A collect these rewards in any order you choose (see player aid).

Scoring Example, Part 1: The purple player has three Dream Crystals that allow her to draw one Yōkai card from her deck, one Amulet
marked +1 (neither will do her any good at this point) and 1 sake.

B First Among Many: The player who is first on the Turn Order Track receives 3 VP. 3
Scoring Example, Part 2: The purple player finished the game in the first position on the Turn Order Track, so she gets 3 VP.

The Bitoku Bow Before You: Each player who has Bitoku cards receives VPs based on the number of different types of Bitoku cards they
C have in their Bitoku Path, as shown on the chart below (duplicate Bitokus don’t score anything at this point). You receive points regardless of
how far you have progressed on your Bitoku Path.

Different Bitoku Types: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

VP Earned: 1 2 4 7 11 16 22

Scoring Example, Part 3: Looking at her Bitoku Path, the purple player finds that she has 3 different kinds of Bitoku cards there. So, she gets 4
VP.

Treasures of the Lake: The VP for each region of the Forest are awarded next. The player whose Kodama is furthest along the track earns
D the highest VP award for that region. The second Kodama earns the middle reward, and the third Kodama earns the smallest reward. If
there is a tie, add the rewards of the tied positions and divide the total VP among the tied players (rounded down).

Remember: The final space on the track can be occupied by only a single Kodama (see page 23).

Scoring Example, Part 4: The purple player’s Kodama holds the highest position on the track in the Lands of Yomi, so she gets 5 VP for that. In
The Forges she is tied with Brown for first and second places, so they get 3 VP each (and yellow gets zero VP).

14
 FINAL SCORING
Iwakura Rocks Resonate: Each player earns the VP indicated by the Iwakura Rocks on their player board. Each Pilgrim you have sitting
E next to a Rock awards you 1 VP for each item you have that matches the requirements shown on that tile. If an item appears on two diffe-
rent Rocks, you may count it both times.

The items shown on the Rocks can be found on Yōkai cards, Buildings, or Mitama Spirits, as indicated below:

1. Yōkais: Each Yōkai card with the matching symbol, 2. Mitama Spirits: Each Mitama tile with the matching
whether it is in your deck, discard pile, hand, or player symbol that you have on your player board awards VP,
board (or under it), including any Starting Yōkai cards, whether you have combined them with a Firefly or not.
awards VP.

Yuma-uba cards act as “wild” cards: You may choose which Shinigami Mitama Spirits act as “wild” cards: You may choose
unique type of Yōkai you want to assign to each of these cards at which type of Mitama you want to assign to each of these tiles at this
this time. time.

3. Buildings: Each Building with the matching symbol that you own (has your Building counter on it) awards VP.

Scoring Example, Part 5: The purple player has 2 Iwakura Rocks and
has 2 Pilgrims next to them. The first Rock allows her to score for
each Ara Spirit she has. She chooses to count her Shinigami Mitama
as an Ara, so she scores 3 VP x 2 Pilgrims = 6 VP. Her second Rock
allows her to score for her ryokan and temple Buildings. She only
has 1 temple, so she only scores 1 VP x 1 Pilgrim = 1 VP. Purple gets a
total of 7 VP for her Iwakura Rocks.

Guardians Pay Homage: Each player now adds up the current

F value of all three of their dice, plus the number of Resources they
still hold, then they divide this total by 4 (rounding down) and earns
the result in VP.

Scoring Example, Part 6: At the end of the game, the purple player’s
dice show the values 3, 5, and 3. She has 2 wood, and 1 sake. Adding
them together gives her 14. Dividing by 4 and rounding down, she is
awarded 3 VP.

Visions Revealed: Each player earns the VP shown on each of the

G Visions that they were able to complete, and loses 1 or 2 VP for
each uncompleted Vision as indicated. Remember: You can only use
each game element to fulfill the requirements of one Vision
(see page 16).

Scoring Example, Part 7: The purple player has only constructed

a single Building. She completed 2 Bitoku cards on her path. She
has 1 Pilgrim at a Torii Gate, and 3 Mitama Spirits combined with
Dragonflies. She could complete either one of her Visions, but
cannot complete both of them because they both require a Building.
Obviously, she chooses the one worth the most VP: 6. Still she loses
1 VP for the uncompleted Vision.

Fate Accomplished: Players add up the number of end of game Virtue Points (purple)
H shown on their player boards, in their Building and Crystal areas.

The player who has the most VP becomes the new Great Spirit of the Forest and wins the
game! If there is a tie, the one who completed the most Visions is the winner. If they are still
tied, the winner is the one furthest ahead on the Turn Order Track.

Scoring Example, Conclusion: During the game the purple player gathered 67 VP. Now,
during the Ascension she obtains 3 VP (First in Turn Order) + 4 VP (Bitoku Path) + 8 VP
(Treasures of the Lake) + 7 VP (Iwakura Rocks) + 3 VP (Guardians) + 5 VP (Visions) + 6 VP
(Fate Accomplished) which add up to 36 VP. 67 + 36 gains her a grand total of
103 VP. Fortunately for her, she beats the brown player by 2 VP. If they had tied, brown
would have been the winner since he was able to complete 2 Visions, the first tie-breaker.

15
VISION CARDS
VISION CARDS
Each Vision card shows a specific list of requirements that you must fulfill in order to earn the VP shown on the card. You must
complete all of the requirements on the card in order to earn the points, or lose VP for each Vision card that wasn’t fully fulfilled at
the end of the game.

OBTAINING VISION CARDS

When you take an action that awards you a Vision card, follow these steps:

A Draw 2 Vision cards from the deck.

B Choose if you want to keep one of the Vision cards or not:

1. If you choose to keep a Vision card, take 1 card and place it face up next to your player board. Take the other card and place it
face down at the bottom of the Vision card deck.

2. If you do not wish to keep either of the Vision cards, return both of them to the bottom of the Vision card deck and take any 1
Resource of your choice from the supply instead.

SCORING VISION CARDS

In order to earn the VP listed on a Vision card, you must complete all of the tasks shown on that card before Ascension begins (see
page 14). Players will lose 1 or 2 VP at the end of the game as indicated on each uncompleted Vision card.

Each item in the game can only be used to fulfill the requirements of one Vision
card. So, if you have multiple Vision cards that require the same item, you must
have a separate copy of that item for each Vision card you want to complete. If you
do not have enough, you may choose which Visions to complete.

During Ascension, the brown player has 3 Vision cards. He has only 3 Crystals,
which is not enough to meet the requirements of all 3 Vision cards. He will have to
choose which Visions to complete, based on whether or not he can meet all of the
other requirements, and lose VP for each uncompleted Vision.
Each Vision card shows the following information:
A The Requirements you must fulfill to complete that Vision.
B The Virtue Points you will earn during Ascension if you complete that Vision.
C The number of VP you will lose in case it is not completed.

The requirements for a Vision card can include any of the following. Note that the icons used throughout the game to indicate
actions, here should be read as “having fulfilled that action”:

Have a Resource of any type. Have a Dragonfly combined with a

Mitama Spirit.
Have a constructed Building.
Have a Pilgrim on an Illumination space. A
Have a Crystal of any color.
Have a Mitama Spirit tile (combined with a Have a Pilgrim on a Gate space.
Dragonfly or not. In case of being combined, the
dragonfly will still apply for the following Have made an advancement on your
requirement). Bitoku Path.

If you fulfill this Vision you will receive 6 VP. It requires that you construct 2 Buildings, have 1 of any B C
Resource, and have 1 Dragonfly combined with a Mitama Spirit. Otherwise you will lose 2 VP.

16
 THE ELEMENTS OF THE FOREST
THE ELEMENTS OF THE FOREST
In this section of the rulebook we will give you details of the different areas of the board and their game play.

THE GAME BOARD

The main game board is divided into a number of areas, each of which has a different function during the game:

A Phase Track
A B
B Round Track

C Spirit Path

D Paths of Wisdom

E The Forest, divided into five regions:

1 The Lands of Yomi

D
2 The Stairs of Knowledge

3 The Home of the Great Spirit

4 The Glade of Jade

3
5 The Forges
E G G
F The Sacred Kurirakugan River G G

G The Hikaru Hills

H
H The Inhabited Areas
1 4 F 5 C
2
I The Rock Garden

J The Crystal Caves

K The Rift of Visions

H
L The Twisted Trail of the Mitamas
H
M Kodamas and the Treasures
J
of the Lake
M M

K
L

17
THE ELEMENTS OF THE FOREST

MOVEMENT POINTS A The Phase Track

The Pagoda counter is used on this track to remind the players which phase they are currently playing
(see page 6). At the end of each phase, move the counter to the next space.
You can earn Movement Points
(MP) as the effects of some cards
and tiles. MP must always be spent
B The Round Track
immediately when gained: they cannot The Great Spirit counter is used on this track to indicate which round of the game is being played. After
be saved for later and are lost if not used. the Winter Phase each round, move the Great Spirit counter forward one space towards Ascension (see
Each MP may be spent to carry out one of page 6). The last space in this track indicates that it is time for the Ascension Phase.
the following actions. You may spend MP
to take different actions or repeat the C The Spirit Path
same action more than once, but you This path is used by the players to keep track of their Virtue Points (VP) during the game and the
must fully resolve each action before Ascension. Remember to move your Player counter each time you gain VP. If your counter moves past the
spending the next MP. “100” space, flip your flag to its “+100 VP” side as a reminder.
Move Your Spirit Along Your
Bitoku Path: If you have at least
D The Paths of Wisdom
one Bitoku card on your Bitoku Path The journey towards Ascension brings spirits and pilgrims new levels of consciousness and
beyond the space occupied by your self-awareness.
Player counter, you may spend 1 MP to
move your counter to the space on the This part of the game board shows the paths that Pilgrims can follow as they seek enlightenment.
next card in your path. It is complete now In order to move a Pilgrim on a path, you must spend Movement Points (MP). In this
and you take the action shown section of the board you can take the following actions:
(see page 12).
Start a New Pilgrimage on the Paths of Wisdom: If you have a Pilgrim available on your player
board, you may place it on the starting space (next to the starting Gate) on any of the Paths of
Wisdom that you wish to follow. Depending on the number of players, this Gate will be the starting point
for one or two paths.

You may start as many pilgrimages as you like, as long as you have Pilgrims available. You can acquire
more Pilgrims by earning Crystals (see page 25).

Optional: If you already occupy a Gate space with one of your Pilgrims (see below), you may start a new
pilgrimage on the path space connected to that Gate instead of the starting Gate if you wish, saving
yourself part of the journey. However, you always have the option of placing the new Pilgrim at the
Start a New Pilgrimage on the starting Gate if you prefer.
Paths of Wisdom: If you have a
Pilgrim available in your player board,
you may place it on the starting space
(next to the starting Gate) on any of the
Paths of Wisdom that you wish to follow
(see this page).

Move a Pilgrim Forward on a Path

of Wisdom: If you already have a
Pilgrim on a Path of Wisdom, you may
move it forward one space by paying 1 MP
(see this page).

Available Non-available
Pilgrim Pilgrim The purple player has reached the first Gate with her Pilgrim. When she starts another pilgrimage, she
can take advantage of the knowledge she gained during her first pilgrimage and start from the adjacent
space.

Move a Pilgrim Forward on a Path of Wisdom: If you already have a Pilgrim on a Path of Wisdom
pilgrimage space, you may move it forward one space by paying 1 MP onto the next pilgrimage
space. Each path is one way only, and must be followed in the direction shown. Pilgrims can never move
backward on a path. Several Pilgrims may occupy the same space only if the circle on that space is open
at the top.

18
 THE ELEMENTS OF THE FOREST
Along the path, your Pilgrim will encounter forks heading towards Illumination spaces or a Gate. When
you reach a fork, you may choose which direction to move. The spaces along these side paths can hold TORII GATE TILES
only one Pilgrim at a time, as indicated by the closed circle on those spaces. Also, Pilgrims may not occupy
different spaces on the same fork. Once you place one of your Pilgrims on a
Torii Gate Space, you immediately take
Illumination Spaces: These spaces award VP and Amulets when a Pilgrim is placed onto them. A
the action indicated on the top of the tile
Pilgrim on an Illumination Space is placed there with its sleeping side up, and cannot move any
occupying that space. The lower part of
further and remains in that space for the rest of the game: They have reached their personal goal.
the tile indicates if that is an «A» or «B»
Torii Gate Spaces (A and B): The same rules as the Illumination Spaces apply here. In addition, type of gate.
you immediately take the action shown on the tile marking that Gate. From now on, if you decide
to start a new pilgrimage, you may begin from the space adjacent to this Gate.

Bridge Spaces: The spaces with bridges represent spiritual obstacles that a Pilgrim may
encounter during their journey. In order to cross a bridge, it is not enough to simply pay 1 MP.
You must also have advanced far enough along your personal Bitoku Path. For the first bridge, you must
have advanced your Player counter onto at least the first card of your Bitoku Path. For the second,
you must have reached at least the second card 2 on your path.

E The Forest Regions

The Forest is like a gigantic baobab that is centuries old: difficult to get your arms around. Its
dominions spread to the four points of the compass, and within its shade are an infinite number
of hidden corners, each with its own personality and home to every kind of creature, from the
simplest beasts to perfectly structured societies. These mythical places, full of life and mystery,
hold the resources that spirits need to complete their journey to Ascension. Each region is also the
location of one of the Hikaru Hills, where Yōkai and Bitoku spirits gather. The source of all this life
is the sacred Kurirakugan River.
During the Summer Phase, you can place your dice in this area of the game board (see page 9). Each region
of the Forest offers different Forest Actions and is connected to both one of the Hills and one of the
Inhabited Areas. There is also a separate Kodama Track in each region, where players can compete for the
Treasures of the Lake.

THE LANDS OF YOMI

Many Mitama spirits become lost in the darkness of the Forest.
Fortunately, the Yomi can help guide them and purify their souls before
they are forever forgotten. They achieve this with the help of the Chinkon
Dragonflies.
This region is connected to the Twisted Trail of the Mitamas (see page 24). When you place a die here, you
may choose from the following Forest Actions (only if your die has a value equal to or higher than all
other dice already in this region—see page 9):

1 Requirement: A die with value 1 or higher. Move your Kodama in this region forward 1 space (see
page 23). THE LANDS OF YOMI

2 Requirement: A die with value 2 or higher. Pay the indicated cost and obtain 1 Mitama Spirit tile or 1
Dragonfly tile (see page 24).

3 Requirement: A die with value 3 or higher. Pay the indicated cost and obtain 1 Mitama Spirit tile
(with a discount of 1 resource) or 1 Dragonfly (see page 24). 1 2 3 4 5
4 Requirement: A die with value 4 or higher. Pay the indicated cost with a discount of any 1 resource
and obtain 1 Mitama Spirit tile or 1 Dragonfly tile (see page 24).

5 Requirement: A die with value 6. Pay the indicated costs and obtain 1 Mitama Spirit tile and
1 Dragonfly tile, with a discount of 1 resource on the purchase of one of these tiles (see page 24).

19
THE ELEMENTS OF THE FOREST
THE STAIRS OF KNOWLEDGE
A long walk awaits all pilgrims in search of the truth of all things.
Fortunately, refuge can be found in the Torii Gates, where they can enjoy
a regenerative rest.
This region is connected to the Paths of Wisdom (see page 18). When you place a die here, you may choose
from the following Forest Actions (only if your die has a value equal to or higher than all other dice
already in this region—see page 9):

THE STAIRS OF 1 Requirement: A die with value 1 or higher. Move your Kodama in this region forward 1 space (see
KNOWLEDGE page 23).

2 Requirement: A die with value 2 or higher. Gain 1 Movement Point (see page 18).

3 Requirement: A die with value 3 or higher. Gain 2 Movement Points (see page 18).

4 Requirement: A die with value 4 or higher. Gain 3 Movement Points (see page 18).
1 2 3 4 5
5 Requirement: A die with value 6. Gain 4 Movement Points (see page 18).

THE HOME OF THE GREAT SPIRIT

This is the refuge of the one who is everything in the Forest, whose time is
coming to an end. The spirit who reaches the highest virtue will soon make
their home here.

The Turn Order Track at the top of this region shows the order that the players will take turns during the
Summer Phase (see page 8). This order is determined during the Autumn Phase (see page 12), based on the
THE HOME OF positions of the players’ dice in this region.
THE GREAT SPIRIT
There are several spaces here for dice, each of which offers a different Forest Action. Any dice can be
Board for three or four players placed on these spaces, regardless of the values shown on those dice (the Great Spirit is equally generous
to all the beings of the Forest):

1 Gain 1 +2 Amulet.

2 Gain 1 +1 Amulet and draw 1 Vision card (following the process described on page 16).

1 3 Gain 1 +1 Amulet and any 1 Resource of your choice. (This space is available only in games with
3 or 4 players.)
2
4 Gain 1 +1 Amulet and 1 MP. (This space is available only in games with 3 or 4 players.)

5 Gain 1 +1 Amulet and your choice of 1 MP or any 1 Resource. (This space is available only in games
with 2 players).
3
6 This space is the only exception to the rule that a die of any value can be placed in the Home of the
4 Great Spirit: you can only place a die with value 2 or higher here. When you place a die on this space, you
must immediately reduce its value by 1 point. Then you may choose any other player’s die that is on any
Board for two players Forest space, and then perform the Forest Action for the region that die is located in, using the value on
that die. You do not get to perform any Building Action, and you cannot choose a die that has crossed the
river. (This space is available only in games with 2 players.)

5 6

The brown player places a die with value 3 on this space, and reduces its value to 2. Then, he chooses a
purple die in the Lands of Yomi and performs a Forest action from that region that requires a value of 4
or less (that is the value of the purple player’s die).
20
 THE ELEMENTS OF THE FOREST
THE GLADE OF JADE
In this region, spirits from all over the Forest gather to exchange every
imaginable kind of precious stone and, of course, the drink of the gods:
sake.
This region offers a way to gain Resources. When you place a die here, you may choose from the following
Forest Actions (only if your die has a value equal to or higher than all other dice already in this
region—see page 9):

1 Requirement: A die with value 1 or higher. Move your Kodama in this region forward 1 space (see THE GLADE OF JADE
page 23).

2 Requirement: A die with value 2 or higher. Take 1 wood or 1 jade.

3 Requirement: A die with value 3 or higher. Take 1 of any Resource of your choice (wood, jade, sake, or
stone). 1 2 3 4 5
4 Requirement: A die with value 4 or higher. Take any 2 Resources of your choice (wood, jade, sake, or
stone in any combination).

5 Requirement: A die with value 6. Take any 3 Resources of your choice (wood, jade, sake, or stone in
any combination).

THE FORGES
Scarlet fire emanates from the depths of the Earth. The artisans of Spider
Town mine soul crystals from deep below the surface, using them to craft
magnificent objects and erect structures of immeasurable power.

This region offers a way to gain Crystals and construct Buildings. When you place a die here, you may
choose from the following Forest Actions (only if your die has a value equal to or higher than all other THE FORGES
dice already in this region—see page 9):

1 Requirement: A die with value 1 or higher. Move your Kodama in this region forward 1 space (see
page 23).

2 Requirement: A die with value 2 or higher. Construct 1 Building in an empty space of that Buiding’s 1 2 3 4 5
type in any Inhabited Area of the Forest (see page 22).

3 Requirement: A die with value 3 or higher. Obtain 1 Crystal (see page 25) or construct 1 Building in an
empty space of that Buiding’s type in any Inhabited Area of the Forest (see page 22).

4 Requirement: A die with value 4 or higher. Pay the indicated cost with a discount of 1 resource in
order to either obtain 1 Crystal (see page 25) or construct 1 Building in an empty space of that Buiding’s
type in any Inhabited Area of the Forest (see page 22).

5 Requirement: A die with value 6. Pay the indicated cost with a discount of 1 resource in order to
obtain 1 Crystal (see page 25) and construct 1 Building in an empty space of that Buiding’s type in any
Inhabited Area of the Forest (see page 22). The discount only applies either to the construction of the
Building or to the Crystal, not both.

F The River
The water flows along the path of the Sacred Kurirakugan River, giving life as it passes. Those who
wet their feet in the river must pay a small toll to continue their path to transcendence, for only
the humble may cross. Any who enter the water and follow the flow to where the river meets the
sea will float forever in the underwater halls of the Rashaar.
The river marks the border between the regions of the Forest. Only the Home
of the Great Spirit does not touch its banks. If you have a die in any
region of the Forest except the Home of the Great Spirit, you
may move that die across the river during your turn over to
the corresponding Hikaru Hill (see page 10).

21
THE ELEMENTS OF THE FOREST

G The Hills
These luminous places are remnants of peace, often roamed by all sorts of spirits.
You may construct buildings in
the Inhabited Areas of the Forest Each of the regions of the Forest (except the Home of the Great Spirit) is connected to one of the Hikaru
to give solace to the weary travellers. Hills. These spaces can award you Yōkai or Bitoku cards or other options. When you move a die across
They all share some common traits that the river, you may place it in any empty space of the area connected to the region that die just left (see
will help you to understand how they page 10).
function.
H The Inhabited Areas
Each Building tile shows the following:
This is the friendliest part of the Forest, where both spirits and mundane beings
A The Building Type: There are five pass through and share experiences. Just as there is always a Great Spirit of
types of Buildings, each with its own the Forest, so are there always spirits charged with the care of these areas,
illustration. providing a roof, repast, and recreation for the pilgrims in need of a rest along
their path as well as a home for the mischievous, fun-loving Kodamas. One can
B The Bonus you receive when you
often find warm, welcoming buildings here, including ryokan (inns), farms,
construct that Building: move your temples, and onsen (baths). Any spirit that aspires to become the next Great
Kodama in that region forward the Spirit would do well to provide for the well-being of these pilgrims, providing
number of spaces shown, and in some them with welcome and shelter.
cases you may also receive +1 Amulets.
Each region of the Forest is linked to one of the Inhabited Areas. This part of the game board has
C A Building Action that a player may
spaces with face-down piles of Building tiles, and a reserve of face-up Buildings. When you construct a
take when they place their die in that Building, you may choose any of the face-up Buildings to put up.
region, and the minimum value that die
must have in order to take that action. Depending on the number of players, there may be some Ancient Buildings on the board at the
beginning of the game. These work the same way that normal Buildings do, except that they have no
D The Property Bonus that you receive
owner so no one receives any Property Bonus from them (see the side bar on this page).
if another player uses a Building that you
own (see page 9). CONSTRUCTING BUILDINGS
You may construct a maximum of 6 Buildings over the course of the game. The Building counters on
your player board indicate how many Buildings you can still construct and the cost you must pay in
order to construct each. When you construct a Building, follow these five steps:
B
A 1 Pay the cost under the leftmost building counter on your player board. Construction requires a
combination of wood and/or stone, which you must pay to the supply. Take the Building counter from
your player board. You will receive the VP shown in the now-empty space at the end of the game.
2 Choose a Building tile from those available on the Inhabited Areas of the game board. Do not refill
C
any empty spaces here yet (that will occur in the next Winter Phase—see page 13).
D 3 Add the Building to any empty space that matches the type of Building you have chosen to
construct (each space can be occupied only by the type of Building shown in that space).
4 Move your Kodama in the region where you placed the Building tile forward a number of spaces
The board spaces indicate which type of equal to the Kodama Bonus granted by that Building, and receive a +1 Amulet if indicated.
building you can build on them. There are 5 Place the Building counter that you took from your player board in Step 1 on the Building tile you
five different types: temple, onsen, farm, just constructed to show that you own it.
ryokan, and Ancient Building.
The yellow player wants to construct a
Building in this Inhabited Area. Since the
Ryokan Farm Onsen Temple
brown player has already built a farm and an
onsen here, he can only build a ryokan or a
temple. He opts to construct a ryokan. Since
this is his third Building, he must pay 1 stone
and 1 wood.

The ryokan allows him to move her Kodama

forward 2 spaces and to receive a +1 Amulet.
He places his Building counter to show that he
is the one who put it up. From now on every
time another player uses the Building Action
here, yellow will get 1 VP or a +1 Amulet.
Ancient Buildings are placed on the
board at the beginning of the game,
depending on the number of players.
They are not available for you to build
during the game.

22
 THE ELEMENTS OF THE FOREST
KODAMAS AND THE TREASURES OF THE LAKE
Kodamas are kindly but mischievous spirits who live in the smallest
ponds and streams of the Forest. They are the most innocent and
affable beings, and their limitless curiosity leads them to find
well-hidden treasures wherever they may be within the Forest.
The Kodamas eagerly identify with those Bitoku that exhibit
virtues that match their own, and offer these treasures to them
as gifts. Those who aspire to become the Great Spirit often make
a game of this, supporting their loyal Kodamas to make certain
that they receive the greatest treasures from each region of
the Forest.
Each region has its own Kodama Track. Some actions you take
will allow you to move your Kodamas forward or even move
your opponents’ Kodamas backward:

2 You may move your Kodamas forward.

In the case of the icon on the left, a total of 2 spaces: You may
move 1 Kodama forward 2 spaces, or 2 Kodamas 1 space each in any
region or regions of the forest.

2 You may move any other player’s Kodamas back.

In the case of the icon on the left, a total of 2 spaces: You may move 1 Kodama back 2 spaces, or 2
Kodamas 1 space each in any region or regions of the forest.

If the action is marked with a green arrow, you may only move Kodamas in the same region as the
effect that granted you the action.

Any number of Kodamas may occupy the same space except for the last space on each track: Only 1
Kodama at a time may occupy each of these spaces.

During Ascension, players will earn VP based on the positions of their Kodamas on the Treasures
of the Forest tracks (see page 14).

Special Rule for 2-Player Games: If you are playing Bitoku with two players, you will place a “dummy”
Kodama of a neutral color on the fourth space of each Kodama Track. This token never moves from this Iwakura Rock tiles
space, not even with the “move Kodama backwards” action. These tokens are counted when determining
the final ranking on each track for VP purposes.

I The Rock Garden

The Iwakura Rocks are the most ancient spirits. Through the passage of time, they have taken
on solid forms. While they are neither inert nor immobile, their existence moves at a speed very
different from those around them. Their indifferent eyes have seen empires rise, grow, and then
disappear in the time it takes for them to exhale a simple sigh. The spirits of the Forest know
of the wisdom concealed in these rocks, and pilgrims who have learned to listen to their advice
dedicate their lives to transmitting the knowledge of the Iwakura to their fellow travelers.
Iwakura Rocks can be an important source of VP during Ascension (see page 15). Each of them grants VP
based on the symbols on the tile. But, Iwakura Rocks do not grant points themselves: you must place a
Pilgrim by their side in order to earn those VP.

At the beginning of the game, a number of Iwakura Rock tiles are placed on the game board. These are the
only Iwakura Rocks that will be available for the entire game, as they are never replenished.

There are two actions that relate to the Iwakura Rocks:

Obtain Iwakura Rock: If you have at least one clear space in the Iwakura Rock area of your
player board, you can choose 1 Iwakura Rock from the Rock Garden. Place it on your player board
in the empty space furthest to the left on your Rock Path.

23
THE ELEMENTS OF THE FOREST
Place a pilgrim on an Iwakura Rock space: Take one of your available Pilgrims and place them on
Vision Cards any empty space on your Rock Path that is next to at least one Iwakura Rock (you cannot perform
this action if you have no Iwakura Rocks next to empty spaces). If the space you place the Pilgrim
on shows a cost, you must pay those Resources when you place a Pilgrim there. Place this Pilgrim
with its sleeping side face up, as this will be the end of his journey and he may not be moved again during
the game.

J The Rift of Visions

In the deepest heart of the Forest, there is a terrible rift that threatens to split the world in two. It
is said that those who are able to stare into this abyss and remain with their soul at peace can see
the future and learn what is to come.
This part of the game board holds the Vision cards. Visions offer a way to gain additional VP during
Ascension by completing the requirements shown on the card (see page 16).

K The Twisted Trail of the Mitamas

The most remote corner of the Forest overlooks the Cliffs of Sea’s Claw. Here lies a trail that can
Dragonfly Tile
be followed only by the Mitama Spirits—suffering souls who no longer understand the place they
occupy in the order of all things. The Mitamas restlessly walk this trail, hoping to encounter a
Chinkon Dragonfly to guide them along their way. Those who do not find the right Dragonfly are
destined to sink into the Sea, and into eternal irrelevance as the forgotten trophies of the Rashaar.
This part of the board shows the Mitama Spirits and Dragonfly tiles that are available. There are two
actions that allow you to interact with these tiles:

Obtain a Mitama Spirit Obtain a Dragonfly

OBTAIN A MITAMA SPIRIT

Obtain the Mitama Spirit tile of your choice from those available on the game board after paying
the cost shown (an amount of sake and/or jade). You also immediately receive the reward shown
above that tile’s space (in VP). Do not refill any empty spaces at this time (they will be refilled
during the Winter Phase—see page 13).

Take the action shown on the Mitama Spirit tile you have chosen and place it on your player board. If you
Mitama Spirit Tile have a Dragonfly available, you may immediately attach it to the Mitama (see below).

These are the actions that you might take when obtaining a Mitama Spirit:

Ara: Take 1 Resource of your choice or a +1 Amulet from the supply.

Nigi: Unlock 1 locked die on your player board and take a +1 Amulet from the supply.

Saki: Gain 1 Movement Point or take a +1 Amulet from the supply.

Kushi: Advance any of your Kodamas 1 space on their track or take a +1 Amulet
from the supply.

Shinigami: There are 4 Shinigami tiles in the game, each offering a different
action:

Dragonfly + Mitama Spirit Take 1 Resource of any type

Gain 1 MP

Advance any of your Kodamas 1 space and move one of the

other player’s 1 space backwards

Gain a “+1” Amulet or unlock one die.

During Ascension, you can use Shinigami as “wild” spirits when

scoring your Iwakura Rocks (see page 15).

24
 THE ELEMENTS OF THE FOREST
OBTAIN A DRAGONFLY
Obtain the Dragonfly of your choice from those available on the game board, by paying or
receiving the resources indicated below it. You do not receive the Dragonfly’s action until it is
combined with a Mitama Spirit. Do not refill any empty spaces at this time (they will be refilled during the
Winter Phase—see page 13).

Place your Dragonfly tile on your player board. If you have a Mitama Spirit available, you may
immediately attach it to the Dragonfly (see below).

COMBINING A MITAMA SPIRIT WITH A DRAGONFLY

When you obtain a Mitama Spirit tile or a Dragonfly tile (and only at that moment), you may
combine them with the opposite (a Mitama Spirit to a Dragonfly tile) if you have one available on
your player board. Place the two tiles together and move them off of your player board, then take
the action shown on the Dragonfly tile.

Combined Mitama Spirits and Dragonflies are taken into account at several points during the game, but Crystal Tile
cannot be combined with other Mitama Spirits or Dragonflies.

Note: You take the action shown on your Mitama spirit tiles as soon as you acquire them, but you can’t
take the action on your Dragonfly tiles until you attach them to a Mitama.

L The Crystal Caves

A boulder breaks, opening the way into cold caves at the most distant reaches of the Forest.
Echoes of a promising future emerge from within the caverns, glowing with the reflections of Soul
Crystals. If a spirit can harmonize the right Crystals, their path to Ascension shall indubitably be
more peaceful and rewarding.
You can find the Crystals in this part of the game board. As you obtain Crystals, you will place them on the
matching spaces of your player board. Crystals will open new actions for you to take. In addition, this is
the only way to gain new Pilgrims.

Obtaining a Crystal: This action allows you to take 1 Crystal from the Crystal Caves by paying the
cost indicated on the game board (0, 1, or 2 Resources of any type). Do not refill any empty spaces at
this time (they will be refilled during the Winter Phase—see page 13). You can only take a Crystal if
it matches the specific type shown in an empty space on your player board.

When you obtain a Crystal, you may place it in any corresponding empty Crystal space of your player
board. When you do so, move the Pilgrim in that space with its awakened side up to the top part of your
player board to use later. You will also receive any VP shown in that space at the end of the game. If you
don’t have any available spaces to place Crystals of a certain type, you cannot obtain them.

TYPES OF CRYSTALS
There are three kinds of Crystals: Dream (purple), Memory (yellow), and Ingenuity (pink). Each type
occupies different spaces on your player board.

Dream Crystal (purple): You receive the reward shown during the Reap the Fruits Step 2
during Spring and Ascension.

Memory Crystal (yellow): You receive 1 or 2 VP each time you take the action
shown on the tile.

Ingenuity Crystal (pink): During the Summer Phase, when you play a Yōkai card on the
matching space, you take the action shown on the Crystal. You may take your bonus either
immediately before or immediately after resolving that Yōkai card.

25
THE PLAYER BOARDS

THE PLAYER BOARDS

Over their centuries-long lives, each spirit that aspires to become the Great Spirit of the Forest will establish their own personal
dominion over a part of the Forest. Within this safe haven of tranquility, they can reflect and grow in self-awareness.
You will use your player board to place Yōkai cards and organize other elements you gather during the game. Your player board is divided into
the following zones:

This is where you place your pink and yellow Crystals. Each Crystal you place here gives you another Pilgrim to use and awards you the
A VP revealed at the end of the game.

B You can slide the cards you discard using the Virtue of the Spirit (see page 13) underneath this slot.

C Place the Pilgrims you have available here until you use them.

D Here is where your flag goes.

E Yōkai Deck. Keep your cards here until you draw them.

Yōkai card spaces. Where you play Yōkai cards in Summer. Also holds your locked and unlocked dice, and offers spaces for Crystals you
F gain during the game. When you add a Crystal here, you gain another Pilgrim to use and earn the VP revealed at the end of the game.

G Yōkai Discard Pile. To hold your Yōkai cards after use. If your deck is empty when you need to draw a card, reshuffle your discard pile
and create a new draw deck.

Iwakura Rock Path. Where your Pilgrims can contemplate the Iwakura Rocks. You can only earn VP from your Iwakura Rocks if you
H have a Pilgrim in an adjacent space. If a space shows a Resource, you must pay it before you can place a Pilgrim there (see page 7).

Building Counters. Used to claim ownership of your Buildings. You must pay the cost under a counter to use it. At the end of the game
I you will earn the VP revealed beneath it.

J Resting Place of the Mitama Spirits. To hold your Mitama Spirit and Dragonfly tiles until they are combined.

Bitoku Path. For any Bitoku cards you gain. As you do, you will create a path by overlapping the cards from left to right. You can move
K your Player counter here from card to card using Movement Points to take the actions shown on that card.

L Leave your combined Mitama Spirits and Dragonflies, your Vision cards, your Resources, and the Amulets you obtain next to your
player board.

B D
A
C
E

G
F

I
J
K

26
 SOLITAIRE PLAY
RISE OF THE TENGU
RULES FOR SOLITAIRE PLAY
The Forest is being overrun by a horde of Tengu. These mischievous demons will try to trick you
away from the path to Ascension, so you must prove yourself even more virtuous by rising above
them!
These rules provide you a way to play Bitoku by yourself. All of the regular rules still apply, unless
explicitly changed by these rules. In these rules, “you” always refers to the lone human player, while “the
Tengu” or “it” always refers to your automated opponent.

SETTING UP THE GAME

A Set up a two-player game as described in the regular rules. Ignore the G step regarding the Tengu.
He doesn’t receive any Iwakura Rocks at this point (you receive yours as normal).

B Select a color for the Tengu. Flip its player board to the Solitaire side. Keep the Tengu Activation
Cycle chart (TAC) at hand.

C Place the Tengu’s Building counters on the indicated spaces. Place all of its Pilgrims in the top part
of the board. Set all of its Starting Yōkai cards face down in a pile on its board. Take 1 random Dragonfly
token and place it on the indicated space. The Tengu does not receive any Vision cards or Amulets during
setup or at any time during the game.

D Place the Tengu’s Kodamas and Player counters as you would for a
B
normal player. The Tengu’s Player counter is always first on the Turn Order
Track at the beginning of the first round.

E Place the Tengu’s dice on the red spaces with the values 2, 3, and 4 (in
that order from left to right).

F Randomly select 1 Iwakura Rock from the Rock Garden and place it on
the Tengu’s board. This will leave an empty space in the Rock Garden. Do
not refill it.

Then, select a second random tile from the remaining stack of Iwakura
Rocks with the following restrictions:

1. If the tile on the Tengu’s player board shows rewards for Yōkai cards,
the second must show rewards for either Buildings or Mitama Spirits.

2. If the tile on the Tengu’s player board shows rewards for Buildings or
Mitama Spirits, the second must show Yōkai cards.

Place the second Iwakura Rock on the Tengu’s board. Return the
remaining Iwakura Rocks to the box. I
G The Tengu starts with 1 wood Resource and 1 other Resource based on
its Iwakura Rocks:

1. If one of its Iwakura Rocks shows Buildings, it starts with 1 stone.

2. If one of its Iwakura Rocks shows Mitamas, it starts with 1 sake.

H Shuffle all 10 Tengu Action cards and create a face-down deck. Turn over the top 3 cards and place
them in a row to the right of the deck.

I Take 2 dice of an unused player color and set them near the Tengu cards. These dice will be referred to
as the Will of the Tengu dice. Place the Tengu Attitude tile in the bottom-right slot with the inactive side
up. The Will of the Tengu dice are never placed on the game board, and do not count as part of the Tengu’s
Guardian dice.

You are now ready to begin!

27
SOLITAIRE PLAY
TENGU TERMINOLOGY CHANGES TO GAMEPLAY
The game proceeds normally through the various phases of each round, with the changes described
These game terms are used when resolving
below.
the Tengu’s actions:

Available Action: An action is “available” SPRING

if there is no die on that space (yours or the
Tengu’s). The Tengu never draws any Yōkai cards.

Rarest Bitoku: Each Bitoku card During the Reap the Fruits Step, the Tengu gains (and immediately spends) 1 Movement Point for each
has a rarity number. The lower the Crystal on its board (see the next page for an explanation of how the Tengu uses Movement Points) on top
number, the more rare that Bitoku is. A of the normal rewards.
Bitoku is considered the rarest if it has the You carry out all the steps of this phase as normal.
lowest number currently in the Hills and the
Tengu has not yet collected a Bitoku of that
type. It is possible for multiple Bitoku to all SUMMER
be the rarest: if the Tengu needs to choose
between them, it prefers the one further to During this phase, you will alternate taking turns with the Tengu, in the order shown on the Turn
the left. Order Track (always starting with the Tengu during the first round). You take all of your turns normally,
following the usual rules and limitations. When it is the Tengu’s turn, follow these steps:
Choose Randomly: In some cases, the Tengu
must choose randomly between options. If A. Roll both Will of the Tengu dice.
it must choose between two equal options,
roll one of the Will of the Tengu dice, B. Select one of the face-up Tengu Action cards based on the result of the roll:
with 1-3 and 4-6 corresponding to each
If the lower value rolled is 1 or 2: select the card on the right;
option. If it needs to choose from objects
on the board (Mitama Spirits, Dragonflies, If the lower value rolled is 3 or 4: select the card in the middle;
Buildings, or Crystals), roll one die and use
the following options: If the lower value rolled is 5 or 6: select the card on the left.

1 or 2: select the cheapest option (the The selected card is the Active Tengu card.
innermost choice);
C. Following the instructions in the Tengu Activation Cycle (TAC), find the first step that can be resolved
3 or 4: select the second (next) option;
and carry out its instructions. The TAC will refer to the Active Tengu card, and will tell you what to do
5: select the third option; with its dice and Resources based on that card.
6: select the fourth (outermost) option.
D. After resolving the Tengu’s actions (even if the Tengu passed), discard the Active Tengu card, slide the
other face-up cards over to the right to fill in any gaps (if needed), then turn over the top card from its deck
If the selected option is not available, and place it in the empty (leftmost) space.
proceed outwards towards the more
expensive options, cycling back around If the deck is empty when you need to draw a card, reshuffle all 8 cards currently in the discard pile
to the cheapest one if necessary. In the (including the one you just discarded but not the 2 face-up cards still in the row) and create a new face-
extremely unlikely case of all options being down deck to draw from.
empty, the action is simply lost.
Once these steps are complete, it is your turn again as normal. After both you and the Tengu have passed,
Favorite: The Tengu has 2 Iwakura proceed to Autumn.
Rock tiles: one showing Yōkai card
types and the other showing either Mitama
AUTUMN
Spirit types or Building types. An object is
the Tengu’s favorite if it appears on either Determine the new turn order in the usual way.
of its Iwakura Rocks. Two of the Tengu
Action cards show “favorite Mitama or
Building” on the bottom half: if its Iwakura WINTER
Rocks show a Mitama, treat this card as if its The Tengu never scores any Yōkai cards and never removes any from its deck. It never draws, discards,
location is the Lands of the Yomi; if they reshuffles, or interacts with its Yōkai cards in any way.
show a Building, use the Forges
Before you advance the Great Spirit counter, select 1 random Iwakura Rock in the Rock Garden (if any
Tengu Attitude tile: This tile has two sides, remain) and remove it from play.
one active and one inactive.
The rest of this phase remains unchanged.

28
 SOLITAIRE PLAY
THE TENGU ACTIVATION CYCLE (TAC)
TENGU TERMINOLOGY
Once the Tengu Action card has been selected for its turn, find the first possible step (check the TAC on
the next page) where the Tengu meets all of the Conditions listed: if any of the Conditions are not met, the
(CONT.)
entire step is skipped. Once you find a valid step, resolve its actions and then the Tengu’s turn is over.
Most Competitive Kodama: Some effects
All actions always refer to the Tengu’s pieces and Resources unless it specifically mentions yours. will instruct you to find the Tengu’s most
competitive Kodama. This is the Kodama
The actions the Tengu takes in each location are described as follows:
that is behind yours on its track, but
which would take the fewest moves to
RESOLVING TENGU ACTIONS tie with you. If multiple Kodama are the
same number of moves behind you (or
THE LANDS OF YOMI if none of the Kodamas are behind you),
A. If the Active Tengu card shows a Dragonfly, it takes a random Dragonfly. It does not choose the one where the first place VP
pay or receive any Resources for this. award is the highest or the one further to
the left if still tied.
B. If the Active Tengu card shows a Mitama Spirit, it takes its favorite Mitama. If there are multiple
options, it takes the cheapest one. If no Mitamas match its favorite type (or if it has no favorite), it takes Pilgrims : The Tengu always has all 11 of
a random one. It does not pay any Resources, but it does immediately receive the VP shown under the its Pilgrims available at the start of the
Mitama’s space. It ignores the effects on the Mitama tile. game, with their awakened side facing
up. It only ever uses them on the Path of
If the Active Tengu card does not show either option (the action was selected in Step A), the Tengu will Wisdom.
perform the first option if it has a Mitama Spirit not yet combined with a Dragonfly, otherwise it will
perform the second option. Associated Resource: Most Tengu Action
cards show a Resource in the lower right
COMBINING MITAMA SPIRITS WITH DRAGONFLIES corner (wood, stone, jade, or sake), called
The Tengu always combines Mitama Spirits together with Dragonflies as soon as it can: move the the Associated Resource. Some Tengu
combined Mitama and the Dragonfly tokens to the side of its board. Ignore the effects of the Dragonfly. actions will require the Tengu to spend or
Instead, the Tengu gains 2 MP (see below). gain a Resource of that type. If the card
shows no Resource, then the Tengu does
STAIRS OF KNOWLEDGE not spend any Resources if instructed to,
The Tengu gains 3 MP. and if it is instructed to gain a Resource, it
takes whatever Resource it has the fewest
SPENDING MOVEMENT POINTS of (if tied, wood > jade > stone > sake).
Whenever the Tengu gains MP, it spends them immediately, choosing the following options in this order: Crossing / Contested Crossing: A die is
A. If it has a Bitoku card in its Bitoku Path that it can move onto, it moves forward 1 card. It scores the VP at a Crossing if it is in a location below
printed on the Bitoku immediately but ignores all other effects. the river and there is at least 1 space
available on the other side of the river
B. If it has a Pilgrim on the Path of Wisdom, it moves that Pilgrim: in the matching Hill area. If there is
no such space available, the die is not
• If it can move to the highest VP value Illumination space available, it does so. It gains twice the considered to be at a Crossing. A Crossing
printed VP value and ignores all other actions. is Contested if both you and the Tengu
• If it can move to a Gate space where it does not already have a Pilgrim, it does so, taking the higher VP both have a die at Crossings connected to
value space. It gains twice the printed VP value. It also draws the top Tengu Action card from the deck the same Hill area.
and immediately performs the action shown on that card (as if it were an Active Tengu card), then
discards it. Die Values: The Tengu’s dice never
• Otherwise, it simply moves its Pilgrim one space forward, ignoring any Bridges. change their values, not even when
crossing the river. If multiple dice are
available to be unlocked or placed on the
C. Otherwise, the Tengu places a new Pilgrim on the Path of Wisdom, at the Gate furthest to the right that
game board, always unlock or place the
is available to it (depending on which Gates it has already reached).
lowest value die first. If multiple dice are
able to cross the river, use the one with
GLADE OF JADE the highest value.
If the Active Tengu card shows the Glade of Jade, it takes the 2 Resources shown on that
card. If not, it takes 2 of the Associated Resource. Either way, it also advances its most
competitive Kodama one space.

29
SOLITAIRE PLAY
THE FORGES
ADJUSTING THE A. If the Active Tengu card shows a Crystal, it takes a random Crystal. It does not pay or
DIFFICULTY receive any Resources for this.

B. If the Active Tengu card shows a Building, it takes and constructs its favorite Building. If there are
You can use any number of the following multiple Buildings that match its favorite type, it chooses the innermost one. If none of the Buildings
options to adjust the game’s difficulty. match its favorite type (or if it has no favorite), it takes a random one. It does not take any Building that
cannot be legally placed anywhere.
These options make it easier to beat the
Tengu: To select a location for the Building:
• The Tengu does not start with a 1. It must go on a legal location.
Dragonfly during setup. 2. If multiple legal locations exist, it uses the one with the most competitive Kodama.
• The Tengu does not start with any The Tengu does not pay any Resources, but it does place the next available Building counter from its board
Yōkai cards during setup. on the new Building. It also ignores the effects of the Building tile and instead advances its Kodama in the
new Building’s region one space (even if the tile shows two moves).
• The Tengu does not start with any
Resources during setup. If the Active Tengu card shows neither option (the action was selected in Step I), the Tengu will perform
the second option if it can construct its favorite Building otherwise it will perform the first option.
• The Tengu will only advance its
Kodama when it places a die in a BUILDING ACTIONS
location if you are ahead of it on the The Tengu never uses Building Actions. If you activate one of the Tengu’s Buildings, it gains 1 VP (instead
track. of the usual Property Bonus).
• During the Spring Phase, the THE HILLS
Tengu does not gain MP for its Soul
Crystals. When the Tengu is instructed to move a die across the river, the Tengu Activation Cycle will tell you
whether it takes Yōkai or Bitoku cards.
These options make it harder to beat the
Tengu: Yōkai cards are simply added to its face-down stack of cards (to be scored during Ascension). Bitoku cards
are added to its Bitoku Path as normal, and it will progress along this path by spending MP (see above).
• Place a Pilgrim on the first space of
the Path of Wisdom for the Tengu THE ASCENSION
during setup. During Ascension, you will score VP normally (except for the Kodamas, as explained below). Then, score
VP for the Tengu in the following way:
• Advance each of the Tengu’s
Kodamas one space during setup. A It scores the visible VP for all Building counters it has removed from its board.
B It scores 3 VP for each Yōkai, Building, and/or Mitama Spirit (whether combined with a Dragonfly
• The Tengu starts the game with 2 or not) it has that matches its 2 Iwakura Rocks.
Dragonflies.
C It scores 3 VP for each Starting Yōkai it has and 6 VP for each “advanced” Yōkai it has collected—
• The Tengu scores 3 additional VP including any that were scored in the previous step.
for each region where its Kodama is D It scores 1 VP for each Resource it has.
ahead of yours (not tied with) during E It scores 2 VP for each Crystal it has.
Ascension.
F It scores for its Bitoku in the same way that a human player would.

G Score the Kodama Tracks the same way you normally would in a two-player game (regarding the
neutral Kodama) for both yourself and the Tengu with one change: If you and the Tengu are tied on
a track, the Tengu is considered to be ahead of you there.
H If the Tengu is first on the Turn Order Track, it gains 3 VP as normal (as you do if you are in that
position).
I The Tengu does not score for its die values and does not have Visions.

If, after all VP are awarded, you have more VP than the Tengu, you have won! If not, you have lost.

30
 SOLITAIRE PLAY
THE TENGU ACTIVATION CYCLE (TAC)

STEP CONDITION ACTIONS

A The Tengu is at a Contested Crossing where a Yōkai or Cross the river with the corresponding die and take the Yōkai or
Bitoku showing on the top half of the Active Tengu card is Bitoku card as shown. (If both cards match, choose randomly.)
available.

B 1. The location shown on the bottom of the Active Tengu Flip the Tengu Attitude tile to the active side. Unlock 1 die and
card is available. immediately place it on the location shown. Advance the Tengu’s
2. The Tengu has no unlocked dice but has at least one Kodama in that region one space and perform the corresponding
locked die. action.
3. The Tengu Attitude tile is inactive.
4. The Active Tengu card is in the leftmost position in the
card row.

C 1. The location shown on the bottom of the Active Tengu Place an unlocked die on the location shown. Advance the Tengu’s
card is available. Kodama in that region one space and perform the corresponding
2. The Tengu has at least one unlocked die. action.

D 1. The Tengu has at least one locked die. Unlock 1 die and spend the Associated Resource. Then perform the
2. The Tengu has the Associated Resource or the card action for the location shown on the bottom of the Active Tengu card
shows no Associated resource. without placing a die there.

E The Tengu is at a Contested Crossing with only one space Cross the river with the corresponding die and take the first available
available in the corresponding Hill area. option below:

Its favorite Yōkai card;

The rarest available Bitoku of a type it doesn’t already have;
A random Yōkai card.

F 1. The Tengu has not yet placed a die in the Home of the Place an unlocked die on the second-highest space in the Home of the
Great Spirit. Great Spirit (if your die is already in that space, place it on the
2. The Tengu has at least one unlocked die. third highest space instead). Advance the Tengu’s Kodama in that
region one space.

Then the Tengu scores 3 VP plus an additional 2 VP for each of your

dice showing values of 5 or 6 currently in any of the locations below
the river.

G The Tengu has at least one locked die. Unlock 1 die and take the Associated Resource.

H The Tengu is at a Crossing where a Yōkai or Bitoku card Cross the river with the corresponding die and take the Yōkai or
showing on the top half of the Active Tengu card is Bitoku card shown. (If both cards match, choose randomly.)
available.

I 1. The location shown on the bottom of the Active Tengu Find the location (excluding the Home of the Great Spirit) with the most
card is not available. competitive Kodama and place an unlocked die there. Advance the
2. The Tengu has at least one unlocked die. Tengu’s Kodama in that region one space and perform the corresponding
action.

J 1. The Tengu Attitude tile is active. Flip the Tengu Attitude tile to the inactive side and take the
2. The Tengu has no locked or unlocked dice available. Associated Resource.

K The Tengu is at a Crossing. Cross the river with the corresponding die and take the first available
option below:

Its favorite Yōkai card;

The rarest available Bitoku of a type it doesn’t already have;
A random Yōkai card.

L The Tengu passes.

31
 CULTURAL REFERENCES

Bitoku is a Japanese word that

refers to different types of virtues,
especially those of the Bushido.
Bitoku is also a game set in a
fictional universe. It is a sequel of
sorts to another game published by
Devir: Silk, as they share the same
universe. Actually we should say
that it is a prequel, as the action
in Bitoku takes place in a time
thousands of years before Silk, in
which the human race is barely
present. You don’t have to play Silk
to enjoy Bitoku, or vice versa. Feel
free to explore them both but know
that they are very different in
terms of gameplay.

This universe has been inspired

mainly by manga, anime, and
all sorts of japanese pop culture,
which also derived from its
folklore and traditions. Many of
the creatures mentioned in the
game come from Asian myths,
many of them we just made them
up. Bitoku does not claim to be a
faithful rendition of any of these
cultural instances, but we have
tried to approach them with the
utmost respect. We are trying to
put together a fictional universe for
all of us to visit and inspire great
games.

CREDITS
A game designed by Germán P. Millán
Illustrated by Edu Valls
Solitaire mode rules by Dávid Turczi
Additional solo game development: Xavi Bordes
Proofreading: Marià Pitarque
Graphic design: Bascu, BG FX, Meeple Foundry
Wooden and cardboard components: BG FX
English Language Translation: Andrew Campbell
English Language Revision: William Niebling
Development, production, and editing: David Esbrí

Game testers: Juan Ruiz de la Fuente, Juan Milla, Aida Hernández, Lorena Santaella, Jorge Cheno, Aaron Vallecillos, Mikel Zorrilla, Gonzalo Bedia,
Pablo Cazorla, Julián Mena, María Algar, Israel Reyes, Samuel J, Pascual Peláez, Gastón Avendaño, Jorge Barboso, Sergio Pangua, and Jose Raúl
Megías.

Game designer notes: This game would have not been possible to imagine without the influence of master Hayao Mizayaki, who has taken my
imagination to wonderful worlds on so many occasions. I’d like to thank my family and friends for their never ending support and care. To so many
gamers who, even without participating in the playtest, still played a part in the development of Bitoku. To Dávid Turczi and his development team
for the solitaire game and their contributions to the betterment of this game. To David Esbrí for making this board game possible. And specially to
my sister Sandra.