Tuesday, 4 August 2026
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Yuji Horii Advises Switch Board Game Karma x Cross, Out August 6

The involvement of Yuji Horii, best known for the Dragon Quest series, as advisor signals a high-profile pedigree for a digital board game, potentially drawing mainstream attention to the reincarnation-themed sugoroku genre.

Key Facts

  • Tensei Game Karma x Cross releases on Nintendo Switch on August 6 at 0:00 JST.
  • The game costs 3,980 yen and is download-only software.
  • The game is playable on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.
  • Matches last 22 turns, with 11 turns in the first half and 11 in the second half.
  • The game supports 1 to 4 players locally and 2 to 4 players online, with a Nintendo Switch Online subscription required for online play.

Reporting from 2 sources: GAME Watch (Impress), ASCII.jp.

Yuji Horii Advises Switch Board Game Karma x Cross, Out August 6

Any Inc. and ArtePiazza will release the Nintendo Switch board game 'Tensei Game Karma x Cross' on August 6 at 0:00 JST. The download-only title costs 3,980 yen and is also playable on Nintendo Switch 2. The game is a sugoroku party game where four players who died in unexpected accidents compete for reincarnation into an ideal next life, but only three of the four can be reborn. Matches last 22 turns, split into 11 turns in the first half and 11 in the second half, with an 8-sided die determining outcomes. All player actions, including good deeds, bad deeds, trust, and betrayal, convert into the in-game currency Karma. Players spend Karma to purchase and equip Reincarnation Vessels, which grant vessel value and skills for an advantage. Real negotiations unfold as players cooperate or betray each other over limited reincarnation slots. The game supports 1 to 4 players locally and 2 to 4 players via online play, with a Nintendo Switch Online subscription required for online matches. The creative team includes advisor Yuji Horii, original concept by Muneyuki Kaneshiro, character design by Shintaro Majima, game design by Ayaka Sato, and direction by Sachiko Sugimura.

The release date announcement follows a promotional video scheduled to debut on YouTube after July 30 at 0:00, offering a first look at the game in action. The title is a completely new board game, not an adaptation of an existing property, and its planning and production are handled by Any Inc., with ArtePiazza handling planning development and release. The game's core mechanic of limited reincarnation slots forces players into a social deduction dynamic, where cooperation and betrayal are both viable strategies. The 8-sided die and 22-turn structure create a fixed match length, distinguishing it from open-ended party games. Online play supports up to 2 players for random battles and up to 3 players for friend battles when playing on one console, a detail that may affect how groups organize sessions. The price of 3,980 yen positions it as a mid-range download title, and its compatibility with Nintendo Switch 2 ensures forward compatibility for early adopters of the newer hardware. The credited team includes an initiator role, Yoshimasa Muramatsu, suggesting a project champion who drove the concept forward.

Synthesized by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.

Tensei Game: Karma x Cross Yuji Horii

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