A friend introduced the board game Zoom in Kobe to us this week.
In Zoom in Kobe, players compete in a photo contest to try to take the best photos of the city [Kobe]. During the game, you take photos of its beautiful locations, the iconic structures found in Kobe, and…weathercocks, one of the symbols of Kobe!
Board Game Geek – Zoom in Kobe
The game is based off the 2019 game Zoom in Barcelona. I believe the rules are identical. The only difference is that the location has been replaced by a different famous city here in Japan.
Although each player is competing to get the most points, we found it wasn’t as competitive as other games – and my wife particularly liked that ? As people get to locations and take photos before you, your plans get messed up. But as you can travel around the board relatively quickly using the different transportation methods, there is generally an alternative activity you can perform to still move your own score forward. We found being able to switch gears and look at the situation from a different perspective is the biggest element needed to win.
What made the game even more interesting for us was, the friend who introduced it to us grew up in Kobe! So he was like our “bus guide”, teaching us all these interesting facts about the locations. That made the game come alive that much more for us.
If you’ve ever been to Kobe, or you’re looking for a new board game that isn’t too competitive, than this game is for you!