Going out with Bossa: the advantages of STANDARD edition – Bossa’s Story 6

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Written by Hiroshi Maeda, Bossa team leader

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STANDARD edition in pocket size

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Hello to all backers.  I am Hiroshi Maeda, team leader.  Today, I would like to share with you the advantages of the STANDARD edition.

I have all versions of Bossa. Well, of course.  I have THE ART edition in my office, and when I have guests over, I entertain them with it.  I have the CLASSIC edition at home. We live with a couple and have no small children, so this simple, slightly higher quality version fits us just fine.  But what I want to emphasize today is that I always have a STANDARD edition in my bag!

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Compact and casual

The STANDARD edition is the most compact of Bossa’s four versions.  First and foremost is the size of the box.  It is only 3.4(w)x3.4(h)x1.1(d)inches / 87(w)x87(h)x28(d)mm.  A bag can easily fit in it!  It will even fit in a jacket pocket (though it might be a bit dorky).  In other words, easy to carry!  You can take Bossa with you wherever you go.

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STANDARD edition packaging

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Play at different places!

The dot tiles and action markers are also smaller than in other versions, so STANDARD edition can be played in smaller spaces.  For example, on a table in a cafeteria during lunch or break time, or on a counter in a bar or pub after work. Play time is short, only 5 to 10 minutes per game, so it can be enjoyed casually.

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On a table in the cafeteria during break time
On the bar counter after work

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Easier to handle

Although not designed for heavy-duty use, the STANDARD edition will be easier to handle than the uncoated CLASSIC edition or THE ART edition made of superior materials. This is just my personal opinion.  The face side of the STANDARD edition dot tiles are finished with a gloss-coated layer and the back side with a matt-coated layer.  It has a chip-ball core and is offset printed on the surface paper with special spot color inks.

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STANDARD edition tile close-up
STANDARD edition dot tiles. (Left: face, Right: back)

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By a specialist manufacturer

STANDARD edition dot tiles, action markers and boxes are manufactured by a specialist board game manufacturer in Japan.  The company, located in Nagoya, Japan, is well known among Japanese game creators for its quality products.  We also trust their technology and quality and have outsourced the production of game components for several titles.

*BGM Morikawa-paper (https://boardgamemill.jp), a specialist board game manufacturer in Nagoya, Japan.

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BGM Morikawa-paper’s factory

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Now, why don’t you go out with Bossa?

Adding the STANDARD edition to THE ART edition and CLASSIC edition, which will become your precious collection, will make Bossa more mobile.

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From left to right: STANDARD, CLASSIC, THE ART “mizu”, THE ART “hana”

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Thank you for reading. And thank you again for your support of our project. I hope each Bossa version will become your favorite!

Hiroshi Maeda, team leader

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Bossa on Indiegogo [Ending Soon]

Late Pledge live on Indiegogo now!
The last production quota of this year.
Artisan-made versions are available in limited quantities.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/bossa#/

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Links to Bossa’s Story episodes

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Bossa on bananamoon-games.jp

CLASSIC edition in depth: Natural look and feel for everyday use – Bossa’s Story 5

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Written by Hiroshi Maeda, Bossa team leader

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CLASSIC edition is a version of Bossa characterized by its natural look and feel. Today, I would like to share with you in detail our thoughts on CLASSIC edition and our choice of materials.

The concept of “hare” and “ke” is alive and well in our Japanese life.  The word “hare” means “extraordinary” in the truest sense of the word.  For example, clothes worn on special occasions such as weddings and graduation ceremonies are called “hare-gi,” and their stages are called “hare no butai”.  So, Bossa’s THE ART edition may be “Bossa for hare”. 

On the other hand, “ke” represents “everyday” things.  Traditionally in Japan, living close to nature in the four seasons and being simple and modest have been the virtues of “ke”.  We wanted to have a Bossa at hand that would enrich our daily lives, that would be simple and modest but of high quality, and made of natural materials as much as possible.  Yes, the concept of the CLASSIC edition is to make “ke” even more pleasant.

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Leaves are swaying in the breeze, casting light and shadow on the Bossa CLASSIC.

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Paper tiles with a gentle touch

The CLASSIC edition dot tiles feel very gentle to the touch.  There are two reasons for this.  One is the use of Japanese dyed paper, which has a natural texture and smooth feel.  The other is that the surface of the paper is neither “printed” nor coated with a base color.  The color of both the face side and the back side of the tile is the color of the paper itself, dyed.  Because there is no layer of ink or coating on the surface, the original texture of the paper can be directly touched.  The foil-stamping and additionally pressed dots are slightly indented, which is also pleasant to the touch.

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CLASSIC edition tile close-up

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Handcrafted by Japanese artisans

Looking at the cross section of a CLASSIC edition tile, you will notice that there is no card board or chipboard core as in typical paper tiles or chips.  It is a two-layer structure consisting of a thick gray paper on the face side and a thick black paper on the back side (strictly speaking, it is composed of more layers, since each thick paper itself has multiple layers).  They are dyed papers, so even the cross section shows beautiful colors.

Let us show you the proof that each one is handmade by skilled Japanese artisans.  Please take a look at the photo below.  You can see that the angle between the surface and the cross section of the tile is not sharp not only on the face side but also on the back side.  In general machine production, the face side is rounded and the back side is sharp.  Naturally, artisan-made tiles have a gentler feel to the touch.

* CLASSIC edition tiles are handmade at Shichisei Sangyo, a paper craft artisan company in Sapporo, Japan.

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CLASSIC edition tiles cross section close-up

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Tiles that “breathe” with natural materials

Made of natural materials and uncoated to feel natural to the touch, CLASSIC edition tiles seem to “breathe” air just like we do.  If you look closely, you may notice slight warping depending on conditions such as temperature and humidity.  For example, can you see it in the photo above?  It is so slight that you may not notice it, and it is not enough to interfere with your game.  We are pleased if you understand that this is also a proof of natural materials.

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Bossa CLASSIC edition retractable box

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The retractable box is made of paper and is surprisingly elaborate

The CLASSIC edition box is retractable.  It opens smoothly, closes pleasantly with a natural feeling, and holds.  However, this paper box uses no metal fittings or plastic parts.  This was made possible by the elaborate paper processing technology of a Japanese box specialist.  The “V-cut” technique, in which a V-shaped incision is made during processing, creates precise angles and surfaces to achieve strength and precise interlocking.  This is amazing!  When I first saw this technology, I was deeply impressed and strongly wanted to adopt it for Bossa boxes.

* CLASSIC edition boxes are manufactured by Morita (https://www.hakop.jp), a company specializing in boxes, in Sapporo, Japan.

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CLASSIC edition box close-up

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Environmentally conscious material selection

We want to use natural, safe, and environmentally friendly materials whenever possible in the products we use on a daily basis.  Therefore, we prioritize recycled paper blended, ECF (Elemental Chlorine Free) pulp blended, and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified paper in our paper selection.  We use a “minimum” amount of adhesives made from petroleum-derived raw materials to ensure the bonding strength of the paper used for tiles and boxes, but we do not use petroleum solvents in the manufacturing process.  Of course, we use only materials whose safety has been verified and approved by Japanese laws and regulations.  The entire retractable box is made of paper, and no metal or plastic parts are used.

It may not be perfect, but we have put the utmost care and effort into this CLASSIC edition that we can do for the environment.

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Thank you for reading.  And thank you again for your support of our project.  We hope you will treat the Bossa CLASSIC edition with care and use it in your daily life.  And may it become your favorite.

Hiroshi MAEDA, Bossa team leader

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Bossa on Indiegogo [Ending Soon]

Late Pledge live on Indiegogo now!
The last production quota of this year.
Artisan-made versions are available in limited quantities.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/bossa#/

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Links to Bossa’s Story episodes

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Bossa on bananamoon-games.jp

THE ART edition tiles durability – Bossa’s Story 4

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Written by Hiroshi Maeda, Bossa team leader

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The other day, I shot a video on my desk about the durability of Bossa THE ART edition. Because those tiles are so delicately handcrafted, one Kickstarter backer asked if they were fragile. This video answers that and I hope to share it with you.

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– Comparison of a brand new tile and a tile we used repeatedly for almost a year of test play: how much it is scratched and dirty.
– What happens when the tiles are hit hard against the desk?
– What happens when the tiles hit against each other?
– What happens when you press your fingernail against a tile?
– And what happens when you scrub hard with your fingernails?

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Please watch this video and check the truth.

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Thank you for reading and watching.  And thank you for your support of our project.

Hiroshi MAEDA, Bossa team leader

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Bossa on Indiegogo [Ending Soon]

Late Pledge live on Indiegogo now!
The last production quota of this year.
Artisan-made versions are available in limited quantities.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/bossa#/

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Links to Bossa’s Story episodes

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Bossa on bananamoon-games.jp

Bossa THE ART edition, boxes are also THE ART! – Bossa’s Story 3

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Written by Hiroshi Maeda, Bossa team leader

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THE ART edition “mizu” and “hana” are the flagship versions of Bossa.  Today, we would like to share with you some details about the boxes, which were only briefly mentioned on the Kickstarter project main page.

The octagonal box designed especially for Bossa THE ART edition is finally ready.  This is not the prototype but the finished product.  The boxes are individually made by craftsmen from Morita (https://www.hakop.jp), a Japanese company specializing in boxes. 

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Shape

The shape is designed as an octagon, consisting of a lid, a body, and a string and tassel holding it all together.  The octagonal shape can be said to symbolize the Japanese style, but it requires a very high level of skill to make a box in this shape.

The white box is for “hana” and the black box is for “mizu”.

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Bossa THE ART edition “hana”

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Bossa THE ART edition “mizu”

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Surface

The surface material of the box is Japanese paper.  We chose a paper called “shindanshi” which has an embossed texture with a Japanese feel.

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Foil Stamping

The title logo, version name, and Banana Moon Games logo are silver color foil stamped, while the graphic pattern of stripes symbolizing Bossa is transparent foil stamped.

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Clasp

A string and tassel to fasten the lid to the body.  These are not just for decoration, but also for practical use.  We designed a form that can be easily attached and detached.

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Packaging

The body is designed to perfectly accommodate the three game components: dot tiles, action markers, and dice.  The inside of the lid has a pocket to store instruction sheets and serial number certificates.

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THE ART “mizu” packaging

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THE ART “hana” packaging

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About the prototypes

As we started out as a graphic design studio, we were able to create our own design prototypes, and in fact, we actually made many prototypes, which we reviewed and revised over and over again.  We have thousands of samples of actual paper, and we choose the best ones by actually handling them all individually.

In addition, the workshop in charge of box production is located in the same city as our studio, so we have the advantage of being able to meet in person at any time to discuss and repeat prototypes while holding the actual prototypes in our hands.

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Early design prototypes. Vertical designs were also considered.

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Some of the actual paper samples

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Thank you for reading.  And thank you also for your support of our project, we would be very happy if Bossa becomes your favorite.

Hiroshi MAEDA, Bossa team leader

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Bossa on Indiegogo [Ending Soon]

Late Pledge live on Indiegogo now!
The last production quota of this year.
Artisan-made versions are available in limited quantities.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/bossa#/

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Links to Bossa’s Story episodes

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Bossa on bananamoon-games.jp

THE ART edition “mizu” and “hana” have a different feel! – Bossa’s Story 2

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Written by Hiroshi Maeda, Bossa team leader

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Today, I would like to introduce the difference in the tiles of “mizu” and “hana”, which is not only the color.  THE ART edition “mizu” and “hana” are both flagship versions of Bossa, and have the same “specifications” as far as their 9-layer construction.  However, the playing experience will be different.  At least for us, it is, and we enjoy changing the version we use every day, depending on our mood. (Yes, we play it every day without getting bored.)

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The difference between “mizu” and “hana” is easily recognizable at a glance: the color.  But the most noticeable difference in the actual playing experience is probably the “feel” of the tiles when you hold them in your hands.  You feel it when you draw tiles from the Pile, when you place tiles on the color line, and many players unconsciously stroke the tiles while contemplating their tactics.

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Bossa THE ART edition “mizu” dot tile

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“mizu” has a solid, slightly hard feel

The backside of “mizu” is made of tightly pressed paper with fine embossing.  The paper is called “Jacquard” and is made in Japan.  It is also finished with a light varnish. The backside of “mizu” has a solid, slightly hard, firm feel in the hand, and at the same time has a pleasant “weight” that is unique to THE ART edition.

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Back side of dot tiles: “mizu” on the left, “hana” on the right

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“hana” is the feel of soft and elegant Japanese beauty.

The back side of “hana” is made of “shindanshi” paper, the same as the box.  It is beautifully embossed with Japanese “washi” like patterns, and its larger bumps than those of “mizu” contain more air, giving it a soft and elegant feel.  When you experience this Japanese beauty, your temperament while playing may become more calm, gentle, and respectful.  (It often feels like a tea ceremony when we play with “hana”.)

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Bossa THE ART edition “hana” dot tile

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You can imagine the difference in feel from the “sound”…

Since we cannot hold the actual product on the web, it is difficult to convey the feel and weight of the product, but we thought we might be able to convey it through sound.  This video compares the sound of each version of the tile.

* The audio was recorded using an AKG condenser microphone and processed with noise reduction only, with no other effectors used or processed in any way.

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– STANDARD edition

The tile size is the smallest, so the sound is high pitched. It is also the lightest in weight, so the volume is lower.

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– CLASSIC edition

The sound produced by the two-layered tiles is bright, light, and bouncy.  The dry sound resonates well.

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Back side of dot tiles: STANDARD on the left, CLASSIC on the right

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– THE ART edition “mizu” and “hana“

It has the heaviest, most subdued sound, with nine layers absorbing the shock and settling down pleasantly without any grating reverberations.  It is not bouncy, in a good way, and feels snug and absorbent.  The difference in the backside paper gives the “mizu” a harder sound and the “hana” a softer sound.

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Well, maybe it was a little hard to tell the difference in sound, but I hope you can see that each version is designed not only for appearance, but also for a different playing experience.

We like each version in its own way, but which one is your favorite?

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From left to right: STANDARD, CLASSIC, THE ART “mizu”, THE ART “hana”

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Thank you for reading.  And thank you for your support of our project.

Hiroshi MAEDA, Team Leader

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Bossa on Indiegogo [Ending Soon]

Late Pledge live on Indiegogo now!
The last production quota of this year.
Artisan-made versions are available in limited quantities.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/bossa#/

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Links to Bossa’s Story episodes

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Bossa on bananamoon-games.jp

About Mr. Tadokoro, an amazing paper craft artisan – Bossa’s Story 1

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Written by Hiroshi Maeda, Bossa team leader

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The crowdfunding campaign for Bossa (March 24-April 13, 2022 on Kickstarter) has been a success, with over 300 backers in North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Oceania, and Africa supporting the project, far exceeding our expectations. We are pleased to announce that we have achieved 1,420% of our goal and will be able to release the products. In this series of columns, I will present a more in-depth story of Bossa by reconstructing some of the articles I have posted on Kickstarter.

Today, I would like to share the work of our trusted artisan, Masayuki Tadokoro.  Mr. Tadokoro is a highly skilled and artistic paper craft artisan.  He and his team of artisans handcraft the game components of Bossa CLASSIC edition one by one.  And only Mr. Tadokoro can make the components of THE ART edition, which require extremely high skill and delicate work.

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Bossa CLASSIC edition tile by Shichisei Sangyo, Mr. Tadokoro’s artisan team

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Only Mr. Tadokoro can make Bossa THE ART edition tiles. (“mizu”)

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Bossa THE ART edition tile has a beautiful 9-layer cross-section (“hana”)

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Why can he make such amazing paper tiles?

The simple, clear answer is that he has a great deal of experience in artistic work, which requires a very high level of skill and delicate handwork.  Part of this was developed in collaboration with me (Hiroshi Maeda, Bossa team leader), and I am very proud of that.  As a graphic designer myself, I have had many opportunities to work with Mr. Tadokoro over the past 25 years.  Some of our work has won design awards.  And sometimes when I served as a design award judge, I would design a trophy with crazy specifications to present to the winners, which he would then turn into a real thing.  Because of this long-standing relationship of trust between him and me, I had no hesitation in asking him to craft Bossa’s CLASSIC and THE ART editions.

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A design award trophy made of thousands of layers of colored paper. Design: Hiroshi Maeda, Paper craft: Masayuki Tadokoro

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Hiroshi Maeda, Bossa team leader (left) and Masayuki Tadokoro, paper craft artisan (right)

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Video: Handcraft of Bossa – at the artisan’s workshop

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Perfectly aligned foil stamping technique

The dots on Bossa tiles are foil-stamped in black and white.  In the general technique, the black and white dots are more or less misaligned because the foil is stamped twice on two different plates.  In Bossa, however, there is absolutely no misalignment.  This is because two colors are stamped at once on one plate so that the black and white dots are perfectly and precisely aligned.

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To do this, a small piece of white foil is placed only where the white dot should be.  This is a very delicate process using tweezers.  Then overlap black foil on top of those and press.

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After it, remove the sheet of foil.  The small pieces of white foil are removed with tweezers.  Great care must be taken not to damage them.

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Combining layers of paper by hand feel

Layer different colors of dyed paper and paste them together.  The CLASSIC edition has 2 layers, and THE ART edition has 9 layers.  Using a special handmade tool, adjust the cross section so that it is not too flat, creating a comfortable “gap” to the touch, paste the sheets together. This delicate sensibility is unique to Mr. Tadokoro.

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To go a little deeper, paper has a direction and a front and back. If all of these are pasted together in the same orientation, they will always be distorted.  How should they be combined?  It is not easy.  To that end, he has a secret solution, the result of his trial-and-error process.

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Inspection of tile finish condition

Inspect the completed tiles.  Using a magnifying glass, each tile is checked in detail.  Only the tiles that pass the inspection are boxed.

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Two sets a day? really precious!

How many sets of Bossa components can you imagine he and his team makes in a day with so much craftsmanship and so much time?  His team makes tens of CLASSIC edition sets, and only 2 to 4 sets of THE ART edition sets, which only he can make!  That’s just THE ART, don’t you think it’s really precious?

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CLASSIC edition

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THE ART edition “mizu”

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THE ART edition “hana”

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Thank you for reading.  And thank you again for your support of our project.

We hope that Bossa will become a valuable part of your collection and that you will enjoy the game for many years to come.

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Hiroshi Maeda, Bossa team leader

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Bossa on Indiegogo [Ending Soon]

Late Pledge live on Indiegogo now!
The last production quota of this year.
Artisan-made versions are available in limited quantities.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/bossa#/

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Bossa on bananamoon-games.jp

Late pledge for Bossa on Indiegogo!

Late Pledges for Bossa are now being accepted on Indiegogo (InDemand)!

https://igg.me/at/bananamoon-jp-bossa

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“Bossa” is a project that was funded in 8 hours on Kickstarter in March-April 2022 and achieved 1,420%.

This Indiegogo InDemand campaign is for the late pledges, and is seeking backers for the last production quota of this year.
Artisan-made versions will be available in limited quantities.

Since the artisans’ schedule is already full, the last production of this year will be ended in early August, and the next production will not resume until May 2023 at the earliest.
Also, as far as we can tell right now, the only place where they will be available for purchase is Japan after this campaign. We do not currently have a retail network outside of Japan.

Don’t miss this opportunity!

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https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/bossa#/

Join Bossa Online Play Meetings!

Join us and enjoy playing Bossa online with us, and if you’re new to Bossa, welcome!
  • Originally limited to Bossa Kickstarter backers, but now open to gamers interested in Bossa.
  • Play on Tabletopia with conversation via Zoom or Discord.
  • 1-2 hours in small groups. For free.

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If you are interested in participating, please register your convenient time, day, etc. here.
https://forms.gle/gskQMKJd8CTrDS9D6

We will coordinate the date and time of the event and notify you via email. At that time, we will also inform you of the URLs to connect to.

Bossa team

Bossa on Tabletopia

Sold out again! We had 2 booths at Tokyo Game Market 2022 Spring.

Tokyo Game Market 2022 Spring

Saturday, April 23 and Sunday, April 24, 2022
11:00-17:00
Venue: Tokyo Big Sight

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Tokyo Game Market is the largest analog game event in Japan.
Banana Moon Games will be exhibiting at two booths.

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Banana Moon Booth

West Hall 1 [O-13]
https://gamemarket.jp/booth/3757

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In addition to the new title “Pipo,” “Gingham Coco,” “#Gome-kei,” “Go Go Jenny,” “Bistro FLIP,” “BABA the Mahjongish,” and “Dobutsu no Oshiri Cards” were displayed and sold at the Banana Moon booth.
Pipo sold out in three hours!

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Bossa Booth

West Hall 1 [O-06]
https://gamemarket.jp/booth/4178

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The Bossa booth sold STANDARD edition, display CLASSIC and THE ART editions that were successfully crowdfunded on Kickstarter, and demonstrated the “Advanced Rules” recommended for gamers.
STANDARD edition sold out in two days again following the last Tokyo Game Market 2021 Autumn!

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