Remember Admiral Zheng He from your history classes? You can now learn more about his adventures in The Treasure Ship of Zheng He, a seafaring exploration strategy board game published by Harvest Valley, launching soon in January 2025.
In case you need a refresher, Zheng He was a famous admiral and explorer in the 14th and 15th centuries of the Ming Dynasty. Born 100 years before Columbus, he made seven voyages around the world, mainly focused on building friendships with the nations he arrived in. Due to this, he was often well received in the countries he visited, evident by the monuments in countries around the world which still honor him.
In The Treasure Ship of Zheng He, players are commanders in Zheng He’s fleet, navigating to bring about seven successful and meaningful voyages, with the player who contributes the most to the voyages winning the game. You will travel around various countries, collecting rare and precious items for the Ming Dynasty officials, along with other adventures such as:
- Building diplomacy with the Ayutthaya Kingdom and the Malacca Kingdom (Malaysia mentioned!)
- Engaging in trade with merchants
- Fighting pirates to bring peace to the seas and to gain military glory
- Bringing back rare animal species
- And most importantly, building a multitude of monuments around the lands to honor Zheng He
The game is designed by Hisashi Hayashi, an internationally renowned boardgame designer best known for his popular title Yokohama, as well as Bomb Busters, which won first place in the SPIEL Scoutaktion 2024. He is known for creating games that are both challenging and fun to play, reflected in The Treasure Ship of Zheng He with its substantial amount of components (34 ship tokens, 125 envoy tokens, 100 stone monuments, 40 tribute pieces, and over 500 other tokens).
The Treasure Ship of Zheng He will also feature a legendary illustrator, Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, who previously served as the original character designer for the Gundam series, as well as an animation director and manga artist for Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin.
The Treasure Ship of Zheng He Details
Game Designer：Hisashi Hayashi
Illustrator：Yoshikazu Yasuhiko
Players：1 – 5 players
Time：90 – 120 mins
Ages：14+
Crowdfunding for The Treasure Ship of Zheng He will begin on January 20. You can support the game on Kickstarter here.
