Hanamikoji: Rules, Four Actions & Strategy
Win the favor of seven Geisha using Secret, Trade-off, Gift and Competition. Every offer gives your rival a choice—and every tie can matter across rounds.
Hanamikoji is a compact, two-player strategy card game designed by Kota Nakayama. Players compete for the favor of seven Geisha, using four once-per-round actions that combine hidden information with difficult decisions offered to an opponent.
This guide covers setup, the unknown removed Item card, the four actions, persistent favor markers, tie handling and both victory conditions.
Why Hanamikoji is different
You decide which options to offer, but your opponent decides which cards they take. Even after the round ends, tied Geisha keep their previous favor markers, making long-term control as important as this round’s cards.
Game at a Glance
1. Deal
Remove one unknown card; deal six each.
2. Choose
Draw, then use one of four actions.
3. Compare
Each Geisha favors the player with more matching Items.
4. Win
Claim four Geisha or at least 11 charm points.
Hanamikoji setup and components
Hanamikoji is a two-player card game designed by Kota Nakayama and published by EmperorS4. Set the seven Geisha cards in their printed order between the players. Put a favor marker in the center of every Geisha. Each player takes one matching set of four action markers, face up.
The game contains 21 Item cards, distributed across the seven Geisha as 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4 and 5 matching cards. A Geisha’s printed charm value equals the number of matching Item cards in the deck. The younger player starts the first round under the official rules.
The unseen card and six-card starting hands
At the beginning of each round, shuffle all 21 Item cards and remove one card face down, unseen, returning it to the box temporarily. Neither player knows which item is missing.
Deal six cards to each player and place the eight remaining cards face down as the Item deck. The unknown missing card makes absolute counting less reliable: even a seemingly unaccounted-for item may have been removed this round.
How a Hanamikoji turn works
Players alternate turns. On each turn, first draw one card from the Item deck, then use one of your four face-up action markers. Turn that marker face down to indicate it has been spent.
Every action must be used exactly once per player in each round, but players may choose the order. Each player therefore takes four turns per round, using Secret, Trade-off, Gift and Competition once each. After all eight player turns, resolve the Geisha favor markers.
The four actions: complete reference
| Action | Cards | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Secret | 1 | Place one card face down. Reveal it at scoring on your own side. |
| Trade-off | 2 | Place two cards face down; neither scores this round. |
| Gift | 3 | Offer three face-up cards. Opponent takes one; you score the other two. |
| Competition | 4 | Split four face-up cards into two pairs. Opponent takes one pair; you score the other. |
Your opponent makes the deciding choice for Gift and Competition. Secret and Trade-off cards may be looked at by their owner, but stay hidden from the other player during the round.
Gift action: the 3-card offer
Choose three Item cards from your hand and place them face up for your opponent to inspect. Your opponent chooses one for their side of its matching Geisha. The remaining two go to your side of their corresponding Geisha.
Example: you offer two cards belonging to the 5-point Geisha and one belonging to a 2-point Geisha. Your opponent may take one of the 5-point cards to stop your concentration, or the 2-point card to secure another favor. You keep the other two, so the action rewards making every option costly for the opponent.
Competition action: two pairs, one opponent choice
Choose four cards from your hand and reveal them as two groups of two. The opponent chooses one complete pair to place on their side of the matching Geisha; you receive the other pair.
You control which cards are paired, but not which pair you receive. Try to build two similarly attractive choices rather than one obviously superior pair. For instance, dividing matching pairs across the two options can make it harder for your opponent to deny all your useful item cards.
Scoring each Geisha and handling ties
After both players have used their four actions, reveal the two Secret cards. Count the Item cards next to each Geisha on both sides. Whoever has more matching Item cards receives that Geisha’s favor: slide its marker toward the winner.
If both players have an equal number—or no matching cards—do not move the favor marker. This is especially important in later rounds: if one player previously controlled a Geisha, a new tie leaves that earlier control intact rather than resetting the marker to the middle.
The number printed on a Geisha is its charm points when favored. Those point values are 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4 and 5. You count the values of Geisha markers favoring you, not the numbers on every Item card you placed.
How to win: four Geisha or eleven charm
At the end of a round, a player wins by controlling at least four of the seven Geisha, or by controlling Geisha worth at least 11 charm points.
Example: control of the 5-, 4- and 2-point Geisha gives you 11 charm points, so you win with only three Geisha. Alternatively, controlling four different 2- or 3-point Geisha can win through the count condition even if their points total is below 11.
Important simultaneous-goal rule: if one player has four Geisha and the other has 11 or more charm points at the same round end, the 11-point player wins.
What carries over between rounds?
If neither player meets a victory condition, gather all 21 Item cards, including the hidden card removed at the start, the discarded Trade-off cards and all cards placed next to Geisha. Shuffle them anew for the next round.
The Geisha favor markers remain in their positions. Both players reset all four action markers face up, and the other player begins the next round. Repeated ties preserve existing control, so the round-by-round state still matters even though the Item cards reset.
Seven Hanamikoji strategy ideas
- Plan all four actions together. Each round commits one Secret, two Trade-off, three Gift and four Competition cards.
- Remember the unseen card. There are 21 Items but only 20 used per round, so a missing card may never appear.
- Protect ties you already hold. A tied Geisha retains its previous favor marker in later rounds.
- Look for 11-point combinations. Winning the 5-, 4- and 2-point Geisha can end the game without four favors.
- Construct difficult Gift choices. Giving away a single card is less painful when the other two complete an important majority.
- Balance Competition pairs. An obviously better pair lets your opponent make an easy denying choice.
- Delay information selectively. Secret can lock in a surprise majority, while Trade-off can conceal which items are unavailable.
These are original rules-based strategic inferences, not claims of personal playtesting.
Hanamikoji frequently asked questions
How many players does Hanamikoji support?
Exactly two in the standard edition.
How long does it take?
Approximately 15 minutes according to the publisher.
How many Item cards are in the deck?
21, with one removed unseen at the beginning of each round.
How many cards are initially dealt?
Six to each player.
Must I use all four actions?
Yes, once each per round, in any order.
Who picks a Gift card?
Your opponent chooses one of the three; you receive the other two.
Who chooses a Competition pair?
Your opponent picks one pair, and you receive the other.
Does Trade-off score?
No. The two cards set aside are not scored that round.
What happens when a Geisha is tied?
Its favor marker does not move, even if one player already controlled it.
How many points are needed to win?
11 charm points, or favor from four Geisha.
What if one player gets four Geisha and the other earns 11 points?
The player with 11 or more charm points wins.
Rules sources and editorial scope
- EmperorS4 official publisher game page and rule downloads
- Hanamikoji original rules text
- BoardGameGeek Hanamikoji FAQ, including persistent ties and simultaneous victory
Rules reviewed October 11, 2026. The examples and strategy suggestions are independent editorial work, not firsthand playtesting. Editorial policy and corrections.