Acttil will release board game-style experience Billion Road for Switch via the Nintendo eShop and PC via Steam in March 2020 in the west, the publisher announced. The game first launched for Switch in November 2018 in Japan, where it was published by Bandai Namco.
Here is an overview of the game, via Acttil:
Fact Sheet
About
Billion Road takes you on a journey to a huge number of real-life prefectures and cities throughout Japan, and your goal is to be the richest player in the game when you pull into the final destination. Up to four players can compete using a single Joy-Con for Nintendo Switch or online for Steam. It’s a race against the clock to buy up businesses, landmarks, and anything else that comes up for sale! A variety of iconic monsters will also appear to help or hinder your progress, depending on their mood. You’ll need smarts, determination, and a little bit of luck to come out on top, so prepare for the race of the century in an effort to become Japan’s next big billionaire!
The core objective in Billion Road is pretty straightforward—travel all across Japan and earn more money than anyone else. You earn money by landing on property squares with investment opportunities, like a sushi restaurant in Ginza or an animation goods store in Akihabara. After you invest, you’ll have to wait until March rolls around for those investments to pay off. In the meantime, be on the lookout for errant monsters that may shower you with riches…or throw a wrench in your plans! You can also earn extra money by landing on item squares, which can either help you reach your own goals or simply ruin your rivals’ plans. If you finish the game with the most money…you win!
Key Features
- Brains, Bravado, and Lucky Breaks! Dice and random events will help decide your fate…but you’ll also need to invest wisely, take calculated risks, and rely on the whims of unpredictable monsters if you want to become Japan’s next billionaire!
- Over 30 items and 50 monsters! You’ll encounter dozens of items and monsters, each with their own effects. Use them to push your opponents around, ruin their investments, and generally make their lives miserable. But be careful, because while they may help you earn money and pull ahead, they can also make bad purchases or investments on your behalf. This can change the game at a moment’s notice, so study the monsters well to make sure you know when to walk away, and when to run!
- Multiple Modes Means Maximum Mayhem! Tournament Mode is a single-player version that lasts for 30 in-game years, while Skirmish Mode is a quick multiplayer experience that lasts a mere 36 months. Whether long or short-term, it’s sure to get the adrenaline pumping!
- Show Your Friends Who’s Boss! Play with your buddies by sharing a single Joy-Con™ on Nintendo Switch, or play with friends online through Steam!
Game Sheet
Become the Next Billionaire and Conquer Japan!
The object of Billion Road is to earn money while winding along a railway path in Japan. Money is earned by landing on a plus labeled square or landing on a property square with investment properties, such as a sushi restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo or an Animation shop in Akihabara and investing in these properties. In order to collect money from your investment properties, you must progress the game until the end of March when you earn property income. The amount of $$$ earned depends on the income percentage rate of your investment properties. There’s an additional incentive to use critical thinking and investment skills. Extra money can be earned if you land on a “Item” square and earn items that can either help you attain your goals or items that can ruin your rivals (for example, a location shuffle item can teleport everyone to a random location on the map). As you may have suspected, the player with the most money at the end of the term wins the game.
The more properties you own the more income you will have. Takeover all of Japan and dominate the businesses world like a tycoon!
Fun and Educational!
Young players can learn valuable money skills as they try to be the first to reach the goal line. There are different difficulties so both kids and adults can enjoy the game.
- Teaches financial basics – Billion Road teaches you how it costs money to make money.
- Teaches property ownership.
- Teaches math – Although Billion Road will calculate the math, it still reinforces players to do quick addition, subtraction, and even fractional multiplication when playing competitively.
- Teaches passive income – Working for someone isn’t the only way to make money. Passive income through properties you own is a fantastic business that is illustrated in the game.
- LUCK – Sometimes bad things happen, and this game teaches you patience and creativity to survive it and thrive again.
How to Play (Basics)
In Billion Road, the player rolls a die to move their avatar around the train tracks. First one to arrive at the goal before the end of the year will earn extra money as a reward.
- Land on the blue plus square and you gain free money.
- Land on the red minus square and you lose money.
- Land on this property square to purchase properties.
- Land on this item square and you will get an item that has various effects.
Throughout the year there are seasonal events. During events you can make money, lose money, gain a property, lose a property…all sorts of random things can happen to add a bit of chaos into the game.
The key to victory is having the right monsters in your party!
- Workers – They help players in all forms and ways like giving you money and items.
- Followers – They follow you and may bring boon or bane!
- Nemesis – These gigantic monsters appear out of nowhere to destroy your properties!
Battle Nemesis Monsters
Nemesis are monsters that will cause random destruction to properties all over Japan. It only takes a few turns before hell is unleashed. However, you can fight back by sending your Worker monsters. Based on your monster’s battle results you will get extra bonuses.
Workers can help the players, but the more power they use the less energy they’ll have. In order to heal your monsters you will have to land on a square with the heart mark.
Play Modes
- Tournament Mode – This is a single player mode where every 5 years the last place player is ousted from the tournament. This continues for 30 years and whoever is at the top wins. When a character is ousted, another character enters the tournament. They appear with a huge amount of money and carries a powerful item, so the tournament becomes challenging at each turn! By winning in Tournament mode, two new rivals will appear to stand in your way.
- Skirmish Mode – A speed race that determines the winner in 3 years. The race may be short, but it means that you will be facing various twists and turns throughout the race. You can choose who you want to face in this mode.
- Online Versus Mode for PC – The Steam version of Billion Road will feature an online versus mode. You can now play against your friends and family remotely! Players will be able to create a lobby and welcome friends to join. There are added features to the online versus mode that are not seen on local versus mode.
Visit Monster Island
Monster island is a mysterious island where you can find various Worker monsters and items. Some monsters can only be found on this island, so if you’re lucky to stumble across this place you will want to explore it *You can go to Monster Island by finding a warp gate out on the ocean. You’ll need to test your luck whether you land on Monster Island or not.
Monster Manual
You can check out the monsters you’ve met throughout the game. You can verify the monster’s ability, description, and even see how they look from behind!
View a set of screenshots at the gallery. Visit the official website here.
