# Rising Sun

Rising Sun is a board game for 3–5 players. It plays in 90–120 minutes and is meant for ages 14 and up. Ludoya players call it best with 4. It is rated 7 out of 10 by 72 Ludoya reviewers. The cheapest copy in stock is $64.23 (United States).

- **Players:** 3–5 (best with 4)
- **Playing time:** 90–120 minutes
- **Minimum age:** 14+
- **Complexity:** 3.3 out of 5
- **Year published:** 2018
- **Categories:** Bluffing, Negotiation, Mythology, Fantasy, Wargame
- **Mechanics:** End Game Bonuses, Action Drafting, Alliances, Area Movement, Variable Phase Order, Variable Set-up, Closed Drafting, Area Majority / Influence, Set Collection, Betting and Bluffing, Take That, Variable Player Powers, Follow, Negotiation, Simultaneous Action Selection, Force Commitment, Auction: Sealed Bid
- **Ludoya rating:** 7 out of 10, from 72 reviews
- **Owned by:** 112 Ludoya players
- **Plays logged on Ludoya:** 247
- **Unique players:** 472

**Designers:** Eric M. Lang

**Artists:** Adrian Smith

**Publishers:** Guillotine Games, CMON Global Limited

## Where to buy in United States

| Shop | Price | Link |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 401 Games | 89.95 $ | https://store.401games.ca/products/rising-sun |
| World of Board Games | 395 kr | https://www.worldofboardgames.com/tornio-44 |
| Games Empire | 141.99 $ | https://gamesempire.com.au/products/rising-sun |
| Ludifolie | 99.9 € | https://www.ludifolie.com/5958-rising-sun.html |
| Reflexshop | 39990 Ft | https://reflexshop.hu/tarsasjatek-strategiai-tarsasjatekok-delta-vision-felkelo-nap-tarsasjatek |
| Alphaspel | 1399 kr | https://alphaspel.se/491-bradspel/349650-rising-sun-2nd-ed |
| Fantasiapelit | 143.4 € | https://www.fantasiapelit.com/index.php?main=ai&kat=single&mista=indeksi&etsittava=_181936 |

## Expansions

- [Rising Sun: Kami Unbound](https://www.ludoya.com/games/rising-sun-kami-unbound)
- [Rising Sun: Monster Pack](https://www.ludoya.com/games/rising-sun-monster-pack)
- [Rising Sun: Dynasty Invasion](https://www.ludoya.com/games/rising-sun-dynasty-invasion)
- [Rising Sun: Daimyo Box](https://www.ludoya.com/games/rising-sun-daimyo-box)
- [Iron Maiden Pack #1](https://www.ludoya.com/games/iron-maiden-pack-1)
- [Rising Sun: Tower Season Cards Set](https://www.ludoya.com/games/rising-sun-tower-season-cards-set)
- [Rising Sun: Comic Book Extras](https://www.ludoya.com/games/rising-sun-comic-book-extras)
- [Rising Sun: Promo 1 – Sacred Warrior, Phoenix, and Nure-Onna](https://www.ludoya.com/games/rising-sun-promo-1-sacred-warrior-phoenix-and-nure-onna)
- [Cthulhu: Death May Die – Fear of the Unknown: R'lyeh Rising](https://www.ludoya.com/games/cthulhu-death-may-die-fear-of-the-unknown-rlyeh-rising)
- [Raging Sun (fan expansion for Rising Sun)](https://www.ludoya.com/games/raging-sun-fan-expansion-for-rising-sun)
- [Rising Sun (2nd Edition): Celestial Influence](https://www.ludoya.com/games/rising-sun-2nd-edition-celestial-influence)
- [Rising Sun: CMON Comics – Vol. 1 Promos](https://www.ludoya.com/games/rising-sun-cmon-comics-vol-1-promos)

## Similar games

- [Realm of Reckoning](https://www.ludoya.com/games/realm-of-reckoning)
- [Inis: Legendary Edition](https://www.ludoya.com/games/inis-big-box-2)
- [Dune](https://www.ludoya.com/games/dune-4)
- [Inis](https://www.ludoya.com/games/inis)
- [Cysmic](https://www.ludoya.com/games/cysmic)
- [Puerto Rico 1897: Special Edition](https://www.ludoya.com/games/puerto-rico-1897-special-edition)
- [Puerto Rico](https://www.ludoya.com/games/puerto-rico)
- [Puerto Rico](https://www.ludoya.com/games/puerto-rico-2)
- [Dune](https://www.ludoya.com/games/dune)
- [Root](https://www.ludoya.com/games/root)
- [Scythe](https://www.ludoya.com/games/scythe)
- [Dwellings of Eldervale](https://www.ludoya.com/games/dwellings-of-eldervale)

## Rules questions

### If I form an alliance, what does it actually do for me and my ally—do we both get the same bonuses and can one of us betray later?

An alliance grants non‑aggression and shared benefits on certain actions (both players may receive the ally bonus on Mandates and other effects); however either player may betray later, which breaks the alliance and costs Honor—see pages 11–13 and the Betray rules on page 18.

### When I pick a Political Mandate, do I always act first and does my ally get discounts or bonuses?

The current player’s Mandate turn gives them initiative: you draw/choose Mandates in the Political Phase and the current player (and their ally when specified) receives the primary bonus or discount for that Mandate (see page 13 for choosing Mandates and pages 14–16 for Recruit/Marshal/Train specifics and who gets the bonus).

### How do Shrine (Kami) resolutions work—do all shrines resolve at once, and how are ties decided?

Kami Turns trigger shrine resolutions one at a time from left to right on the board; for each shrine compare total Force to determine the reward and use players’ Honor to break ties (see pages 19–20, with Honor tiebreak explained on page 7).

### In a battle, how does the coin bidding and hiring Ronin work, and what breaks ties in combat?

Before resolving a contested province players may bid coins for War advantages (per the bidding rules) and may hire Ronin to add +1 Force each; the highest total Force wins and ties are broken by Honor (see pages 21–24 for battle sequence, coin bidding, hiring Ronin, and tie resolution).

### What exactly happens when I use the Betray action—do I lose Honor and can I replace my pieces on the map?

Betray breaks your alliance, causes an Honor loss, and lets you replace up to two of your map figures with same‑type reserve pieces (note Daimyo and Shrine figures are immune to replacement); full Betray effects are on page 18.

## Links

- [This page](https://www.ludoya.com/games/rising-sun)
- [Rising Sun in the Ludoya app](https://app.ludoya.com/g/rising-sun)
- [BoardGameGeek entry](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/205896)

_Data from Ludoya, updated 2026-09-19. Ratings, ownership and play counts are Ludoya's own._