Under the supervision of Professor Yusa, JAIF developed the game with Kanai-Factory’s KANAI Seiji, a Japanese leading game designer, and WAZAgames’ MIYAZAKI Yu, who served as the game designer and art director, respectively.
Based on a game described by Professor Yusa in a paper published in 2021, JAIF and the three men worked out various ideas that players of all ages could enjoy. The purpose of the game is to help players see how the energy mix shapes national economic growth and prosperity. By playing the game, people can come to appreciate how energy issues affect them personally, in their daily lives.
The players of the game assume the roles of national energy managers. Each player (up to five people) must ensure the economic growth of his or her country, secure adequate power supplies, and observe regulations on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Cards in the game illustrate power generation systems, investment strategies, and the like. Players purchase the cards and act accordingly, overcoming challenges such as the depletion of resources, seeking the “best energy mix” for their country. But because each country is unique and strategies differ greatly, the game is designed so that each time it is played, players can be the energy manager of a different country.
According to Professor Yusa, the game was designed so that players might learn the pros and cons of each energy source and consider what the energy mix is like by themselves. The game, he said, was completed not only as a teaching material but as something for a wide range of people to enjoy. Board games saw a resurgence during the COVID-19 pandemic and have become increasingly popular as entertainment among families and friends.
Kanai, who fashioned the easy-to-play game based on Professor Yusa’s teaching materials, said that it is initially “fun to play,” but then also becomes “fun to communicate” as players face off against each other.
Art director Miyazaki said that his fundamental principle was to “not distort the facts.” He was mindful, he said, of “making illustrations and designs that were approachable.”
JAIF’s FUKAZAWA Izuru―who originally proposed the game―said that making the game fun was a major consideration. “I wanted as many people as possible to realize the difficulty of selecting the best mix for a country based on the pros and cons of each power source,” she said, adding that she also wanted them “to have fun doing it!”
Suitable for ages 12 and above, the game typically takes from 60 to 90 minutes. The price is JPY4,950 (including tax), plus shipping. It is sold online domestically through JAIF’s website (note: international orders not accepted).
