Jisogi - Anime Studio Tycoon - 1.5 Edition
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You have three scripts to complete, two exhausted employees, a loan coming due, and a market that changes every round. Someone yells 'publish it as is', someone checks the latest trends. In the end, no one remembers who won: they only remember which anime they released.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
Managing an anime studio is like riding uphill: if you stop, you fall
Jisogi comes from 自転車操業 (jitenshasōgyō): the Japanese expression for "barely keeping a business afloat", like a bicycle that falls when it stops moving. Designed by Rodrigo Esper and illustrated by Gou Eisuke, Thomas Romain, and Senkawa Teien, this thematic worker placement game puts you in the shoes of an anime producer who must survive in a cutthroat market.
You place staff members (cards with unique specializations) to access limited actions: write scripts, hire personnel, take out loans, produce episodes. The goal is to release original anime composed of three Scripts (Setting, Plot, Twist) and earn points based on popularity — determined by technical level and matches with market Trends, which change each round. Resources are always scarce, debts are always too high, and timing is everything.
What they say abroad
"Jisogi is a worker-placement board game."
— Esper Game Studio
The game really makes you feel the pressure: every turn is a race against time and against the market. You don't win by producing the most beautiful anime: you win if you manage to publish it before going bankrupt.
— FroGames
Jisogi: Anime Studio Tycoon
The game includes official rules for solo play with an automa system that simulates market opponents. The experience is complete and maintains economic tension, but loses the competitive race for the most coveted actions: you play against yourself and against time more than against a hostile AI.
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rulebook, international reviews and play sessionsYour studio
What you really manage
Staff members
Cards with unique specializations that determine which actions you can take. Each member has different skills: some are great for writing, others for production, others for budget management. Hire poorly and your production grinds to a halt.
Scripts (Setting, Plot, Twist)
The three pieces that make up a complete anime. You must collect them in sequence, and each costs resources and time. Releasing them gives you points and money, but only if the genres match the trends.
Trend cards
Cards that rotate each round and indicate which genres are popular. If your anime matches the trends, you get bonuses. If it doesn't match, you still publish but earn little. Reading the market is vital.
Loans and budget
Money is always scarce. You can take out loans to finance production, but they must be repaid with interest. Too much debt and you go bankrupt. Too cautious and you publish late. Balance is everything.
🎯 COME SI GIOCA
📜 REGOLAMENTO
Come si gioca
Video dimostrativo di gameplay.
🎲How to playThe rules in four steps▼
How to play
The flow of each round
Each round is a sequence of staff placements, selected actions, and resource management. After anime releases, trends change, and everything starts again.
In turn, you place one of your staff members on an available action on the common board or in your studio. Each staff member has specializations: some can only perform certain actions. Whoever arrives first chooses, whoever arrives later adapts.
Execute the selected actions: gather resources, write scripts, hire new employees, take out loans. Each action has a cost and a benefit. You must balance what you need now and what you will need later.
If you have completed the three Scripts (Setting, Plot, Twist), you can release the anime. You earn popularity points based on the technical level and matches with active trends. If the trends match, the release is profitable. Otherwise, you publish at a loss.
At the end of the round, trends rotate: some exit, others enter. You repay loans (with interest if you don't have enough money). You retrieve your staff. If you are bankrupt, you pay heavy penalties. Then the next round begins.
⏱️Your first gameThe chronicle, moment by moment▼
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
Setup: your studio starts from scratch
You have a couple of basic staff cards, some money, and an empty studio board. Others choose their specializations. Some focus on creative staff, some on efficient producers. You look at the first trends in play and try to figure out which genre is best.
First turns: you place staff and gather resources
Everyone places staff members on the available actions. You take a Script card, someone hires a new employee, someone takes out a loan as early as the second round. The best actions disappear immediately. You start to realize that you won't be able to do everything you want.
Mid-game: economic pressure mounts
You have completed a first anime and release it. You gain points, but not enough money to cover costs. Someone has already published two anime. Trends change and what you were preparing is now worth less. You have to decide: change strategy or move forward?
The critical moment: debts vs opportunities
A key action is needed but you don't have the right staff available. You take a heavy loan to hire a new member or to buy resources. Someone fails a contract. Someone publishes an anime that matches three trends and earns a mountain of points. The table realizes that the game is tighter than they thought.
Endgame: accounts and regrets
Final round. Those who managed their budget best release one last anime. Those with too many debts pay interest that erodes points. Popularity, technical bonuses, penalties are counted. The winner is the one who survived best, not the one who made the best anime. Everyone has at least one move they regret.
🐸Good to know beforeThree honest things, from friends▼
Good to know before
Three honest things
Money is always scarce and loans are a dangerous temptation. Take on too much debt and you end up paying interest that erodes your points. Be too cautious and you publish late, losing the race. It's not a relaxing game: every round you feel the budget pressure.
The staff deck is dense: there are dozens of different members with unique abilities. It takes time to understand which combinations work best and when to hire. The first game is for learning: don't expect to play optimally right away.
Each player must place multiple staff and resolve actions sequentially. With 4 at the table, turns get longer, especially if someone suffers from analysis paralysis. In 2-3 players, the pace is better. If your group tends to think a lot, keep that in mind.
🏆Victory and defeatWhat the ending rewards▼
How it ends
How to win and how to lose
The winner is the one who accumulates the most popularity points. Points are earned by releasing anime, matching trends, and completing contracts. Points are lost with unpaid debts and failures.
Victory
- Release anime that match active trends, earning maximum popularity
- Complete special contracts that give bonus points
- Manage your budget without accumulating too much debt
Elimination or defeat
- Accumulate too many loans and pay interest that erodes final points
- Publish off-trend anime that do not generate enough resources
- End the game with unpaid debts: heavy penalties
Jisogi is not a game where you build a triumphant anime empire. It's a game where you survive long enough to publish something decent before going bankrupt. And that's exactly what makes it memorable.
💬Frequently asked questionsQuick answers before checkout▼
Frequently asked questions
FAQ about Jisogi: Anime Studio Tycoon
Do I need to know the anime industry to play?
No, but it helps. The theme is integrated into the mechanics (trends, genres, technical levels), but the core is staff and budget management. If you like tycoon games, it works even without being an anime fan. If you love the theme, the immersion is total.
What mechanics does Jisogi use?
Worker placement with asymmetric staff (different types of workers), set collection (collect the three Scripts), resource and loan management, contracts, and a market with rotating trends. The system is layered but the individual steps are linear.
Is it a long game?
Yes. The official duration is 60-120 minutes, but the first games tend to be two full hours, especially with 3-4 players. It takes time to read staff cards, evaluate trends, and plan. It's not a filler.
Does it work well solo?
Yes. The game includes an official solo system with an automa that simulates market competition. The experience maintains economic tension, although it loses some of the competitive race for actions. If you like solo management games, this one works.
Is it available in Italian?
No. The edition for sale is in English. Staff cards and trends have text, so basic language knowledge is required. There are no official or fan Italian translations at the moment.
The people behind the game
Who invented it, who designed it, who publishes it — and what else they've done.
Jisogi: Anime Studio Tycoon is a strategic worker placement game for 1-4 players, lasting 60-120 minutes, recommended for ages 12+. Designed by Rodrigo Esper and published by Choo Choo Games, it puts players in the shoes of anime producers who must manage staff, resources, loans, and market trends to release original anime. The game combines asymmetric worker placement, set collection, and economic management in a thematic and tense experience, where timing and budget are crucial. Includes official solo mode. Available on FroGames.it.
Jisogi - Anime Studio Tycoon - 1.5 Edition
Frequently Asked Questions
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