Nippon vs Nippon: Zaibatsu – What Changed?

Back in 2015, Nippon quietly carved out a place as one of the more original eurogames of its time. With its unusual worker drafting system and tight economic engine, it had just enough going on to satisfy heavy gamers without turning into a spreadsheet on a board.

Now, almost a decade later, Nippon: Zaibatsu has arrived. And while it might look familiar at first, it brings with it a whole set of changes that update and refine the experience. Some tweaks are subtle, others stand out immediately, but together they make the game feel more polished and rewarding.

With the Kickstarter for Zaibatsu now live, we took a closer look at how it compares to the original.

If you’ve played the original, you’ll probably spot some of these straight away. If not, here’s a rundown of what’s new in the Zaibatsu edition and why it might be worth returning to Japan’s industrial revolution for another round.

A more varied start

In the original Nippon, everyone began with the same setup. In Zaibatsu, that’s no longer the case. After setup, players now draft starting tokens. These give small but meaningful differences, maybe an early factory with some goods, a train already placed, or a little boost on a track. It’s not a huge swing, but it nudges each player in a slightly different direction right from the start, which we really liked.

Worker colours, but smarter

The colour of your workers still plays a big role in income and salary management, just like before. But in Zaibatsu, their position on your board also matters. If the colours of your top and bottom workers are different when you consolidate, you get two bonuses. These are usually small boosts like extra coal or a blueprint, but they can make a real difference when you time it well. It adds a bit more bite to how you pick workers and when you decide to reset.

Player boards that actually help you

The new player boards are cleaner and more useful. They do a better job of showing how everything connects. Ships, trains, machines, and bonuses are all clearly laid out. You’ll unlock benefits for progressing in certain areas, which helps you plan ahead more naturally. The R&D and Mining tracks now include milestone rewards as well, so there’s more reason to invest in them besides just efficiency.

Ships that matter

This is probably the biggest shift. In the original game, ships were mainly used for majority scoring. Here, they do something completely different. Now, when you send a ship, you gain an expert worker and a department upgrade. Expert workers behave like regular ones but help you reach the better favour tokens earlier. Department upgrades make your bonuses stronger based on worker colour. It’s a much richer system and gives the ship action a stronger place in the overall strategy.

More flexible costs

Another small but helpful change is how you pay for ships and trains. Before, it was always money. In Zaibatsu, you can pay with iron or a mix of iron and money. It might sound minor, but it gives you more options and makes iron an interesting resource overall.

Say hello to silk

Zaibatsu introduces silk as a new type of resource. You can spend it as money or use it to temporarily raise your R&D level when building a factory. It’s versatile, thematic, and it gives you a bit of breathing room when your usual plan gets blocked. We ended up really appreciating this one.

Factories with more flavour

In the original, factory tiles were useful but fairly similar. In Zaibatsu, they’re a bit more distinct. Some give instant rewards, others improve actions or give you a bonus when you consolidate. If you want to add a second machine to a factory now, you’ll also need iron, which makes you think a bit harder about timing and priorities.

Influence placement that makes you think

Market placement used to be a bit more forgiving. You could often place a lower-value influence token if needed. Now, you have to match the exact value allowed by the goods you spend. That means fewer shortcuts and more planning, especially if you’re trying to win majority control in a region.

Endgame goals that feel more connected

The endgame structure is similar, but now instead of multiplier tiles, you earn favour tokens and assign them to goal spaces on your board, such as trains, machines, or R&D. It ties things together more neatly and gives you a clearer view of how your choices during the game might pay off in the end.

So, what do we think?

Nippon: Zaibatsu still feels like Nippon, and that’s a good thing. But the updates make it feel tighter, more open, and more interactive. It asks you to think a bit harder, plan a bit smarter, and rewards that effort without becoming overwhelming.

If you’ve played the original to bits like we have, this version is worth a look. And if you’re discovering it for the first time, you’re probably getting the best version of the design yet.

📖 Curious how the full game plays? You can read our full review here.

📝 We received a prototype copy of Nippon: Zaibatsu from Crowd Games to explore the changes ahead of release.