Broken and Beautiful: A Game About Kintsugi

Perfection in Imperfection Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with golden lacquer. Kintsugi artisans honor broken objects' histories with stunning repairs rather than throwing them away. Draft cards like bowls, cups, vases, and tea jars to create high-scoring sets. Different types of pottery score differently, with non-pottery cards adding even more texture to gameplay. Some pieces inevitably break — and players can influence which ones. Broken pottery is worthless, but players can use gold to repair their shattered collections, and when they do, their value grows greater than when they were brand new. Card Drafting, Set Collection, Pitch-Perfect Theming Players choose two cards each turn, drafting once in each direction. The cards chosen both assemble scoring sets and cleverly influence which types of pottery will break. The game mechanics encapsulate the kintsugi philosophy, showing how the best game mechanics emerge from singular themes. Game Details 50 poker-sized playing cards 14 wooden ingot-shaped gold markers Wooden disc first player marker Complete rules of play Creative Team: Designed by Patrick Rauland, with illustrations by Shirley Gong and graphic design by Peter Wocken. Developed and produced by Jeff Tidball. 2–4 Players | 15 Minutes | Ages 12+