Reviewed by Joe Huber
EMPEROR’S CHOICE (Okazu Brand, 3 to 5 players, ages 12 and up, 120 minutes, about $60)
I’ve always been a bit amused by the notion of an “automatic buy” designer; while there are lots of designers I’ve enjoy many games from, and therefore plenty of designers whose involvement in a game design draws my attention, there’s really no designer who always delivers hits for me. Much as I enjoy my favorite games from Uwe Rosenberg, for instance, there are plenty of his designs I don’t care for, particularly among his board games. But if I do have an exception to this, it must be Hisashi Hayashi.
