Tonbo (勝虫) is the Japanese word for ‘dragonfly’ and the name of an extraordinary flying machine you can pilot in this absorbing solo board game of exploration and adventure at the edge of civilisation.
(See instructions for play below)
There’s a fortune to be made along the frontiers beyond the safety of trading posts, but the mountainous and volcanic world is procedurally generated and different every time you play. No-one knows what’s out there, and to travel safely, you’ll have to create your own map!
As you explore each new landscape and create your maps, you’ll score points for how much of the land you’ve chart. You’ll discover geological features that limit the travel of your flying machine and create an ever-growing maze you must navigate around.
You’ll also discover hazards that must be avoided, and some that can be exploited with alchemy to create precious gems which are worth a fortune to traders at the outposts!
You start with only a little money in savings, but as you collect and sell gems, you’ll have enough to buy more fuel for your flying machine each time you return. Upgrades let you sell farther, make your Tonbo tougher, or have more space to collect gems on each journey.
It’s up to you to decide how to spend your money, but if you run out of money and can’t buy any more fuel, you won’t get a second chance and you’ll have to start all over again in a new landscape - so fly carefully and spend wisely!
The game is complete and playable, but we have many plans for future content in upcoming versions. These will always be available without any further cost, in-App purchases or adverts, so you can enjoy the game as it grows for a reasonable, one-time cost.
Tonbo is a collaboration between software engineer Lachlan Scott Matsuda, and graphic artist Clodia Aune Matsuzaki, with unique, engaging gameplay and wonderful comic-style visuals.
All the controls are very simple:
Single Tap to Move
You can move as far as you like around the parts of the map youve explored, but you can only move hexagonally.
Moving costs energy, and moving in straight lines is slightly cheaper than making course changes.
Double Tap to Chart New Areas
You need to chart new areas of the map so that you can remember what’s there, discover resources and avoid hazards.
Your score is the total number of map tiles you chart, and charting also costs energy.
Long Touch to Interact with Features
Some of the features in landscape can be targeted, and will show a golden outline and cause Tonbo to act appropriately.
If you target a hazard, it may be that the interaction will change it, perhaps also yielding more or less wealth. You’ll need to work out what’s worth targeting like this, or not.
If you target an Outpost, Tonbo will land there and you’ll be able to buy, sell, repair and upgrade Tonbo.
Good luck, brave explorer!