Wu Wei: Journey of the changing path
In this tabletop adventure, masters secretly train students to become martial arts lineage holders while an ambitious new emperor tries to unify his people under one banner. Leap into the world of Wu Wei and sharpen your skills with new strategies and rapidly changing circumstances.
WU WEI (woo-way): Align with nature; embrace action without forcing action.
Wu Wei: Journey of the Changing Path is a strategy game that embraces the universal concept of the Tao (the way). This game is deeply rooted in Chinese philosophy and martial arts strategy. It carries with it the concepts of wu wei, yin and yang, the four seasons, chi (energy), and the eight directions. These concepts can be seen in either the components of the game or the game play itself.
The game offers three different multi-player modes as well as a solo-player mode to suit a variety of game play and expertise.
wu wei
the board game
Justin waggle
OWNER OF GRAY WOLF GAMES & GAME DESIGNER OF WU WEI
Justin embarked on his martial arts journey at the Taoist Institute in Los Angeles, where the welcoming community introduced him to the mysterious arts of Tai Chi Chuan, Kung Fu, and Qi Gong. Inspired by the ordered nature of these teachings, he dedicated a decade to earnestly studying these art forms, ultimately earning Black Sashes in both Kung Fu and Tai Chi, and becoming an instructor.
About two years into his training, a transformative idea dawned on him one morning. Much like martial arts or Taoism, this new direction was never previously considered. However, the game felt like an opportunity to share the invaluable lessons he gained from his time at the Taoist Institute.
Justin’s aspiration for anyone playing Wu Wei: Journey of the Changing Path is that they cultivate their own unique experiences and feel inspired to learn, create, and adapt while enjoying the shared camaraderie of playing the game with others.
See What People are Saying
“So much fun. Great cohesion between themes and mechanics. On its surface, this is a game about resource gathering and board control. But where this game differs is in the constantly shifting conditions by which those resources and spaces on the board change. One moment you can be sitting on a pile of tokens that give you a huge advantage and you’re standing in a corner of the board that gives you a great position… And then something might happen that will totally upend the control that you thought you had. That’s what makes it so different and special.
It’s not a game for people who have strict strategies that they follow like a playbook… It rewards players who are able to keep to their core philosophies of how to manage situations. This interplay is what makes the Taoist philosophy behind the martial arts theme into more than just fun window dressing. It totally informs the function and flow of the gameplay.
Individual games don’t take very long, and there are multiple levels of difficulty with different rule sets for each. A fun, easy-to-get-into surprise for your game nights.” – Matt, Verified Customer
Delton P.
BoardGameGeek
“Wu Wei feels like chess, but with more options and variability. Each turn introduces changes in the board, Chi values, blockages, and inactive temples. It takes a few plays to grasp a strategy, revealing new nuances with each game. Components like the inlaid board, wooden tiles, printed Chi bags, and beautiful art are impressive. However, minor flaws in board design/production prevent it from being spectacular. The game’s depth, akin to chess, may be alienating for new players. Unlike most games, Wu Wei requires ongoing mastery, with understanding increasing every playthrough. It offers a lifetime of strategic exploration.”
Brook H.
Pop Culture Uncovered
“For those that love abstract strategy, Asian-themed games, or even philosophy and martial arts, then Wu Wei will probably be an excellent addition to your collection.”
Sander and Lisa
Het Spelletjes Koppel
“Wu Wei not only looks fantastic, the quality is also very good. The rules are very clear and it is nice that you have 3 levels to play, so you can make it harder or easier. We do think that the game gets better with 3+ players, because then there is more tactics involved and there is more interaction.”
Lance Myxter
Undead Viking Videos
“Wu Wei presents the players with fun and interesting choices and it has a very open feel to it. I never felt hemmed in. I felt like I was on a journey with my student and master but I never felt like a had to go on a certain path. And ultimately, is the game fun? Yeah! It is a lot of fun! If you are a fan of the martial arts world and clever path finding games you should check this out.”
Jonathan Liu
GeekDad.com
“Wu Wei is one of those games that will attract passersby at a convention just because it looks so elaborate when it’s all set up. If you’re a fan of abstract strategy or if you want to see a martial arts game that isn’t about flying kicks and throwing punches but digs deeper into the philosophy, Wu Wei is certainly worth checking out. It’s perhaps not a game for everyone—you do have to have patience learning the rules and how to read the board and trackers—but I think it is rewarding for those who are, ahem, disciplined enough to master it.”
Doug & Doug
Doug & Doug Gaming
“We had WEI too much fun with this one *wink wink*… no but seriously, this is an amazing game and a must have for your collection!”
Teal Fristoe
Nothing Sacred Games
“Wu Wei is a rare game with the elegance of an abstract, yet every detail contains deep meaning. Each game feels dynamic with a simple resource system ensuring that advantage flows between players, and with three variants the game grows with your mastery of it. I’ve enjoyed the already beautiful prototype of Wu Wei and I can’t wait to play the final gorgeous production.”
The Cardboard Republic
The Cardboard Republic
“Wu Wei is very much a multilayered game. Containing three different difficulty tiers of increasing engagement, a robust solo mode, and more than a few moments when you suddenly understand why certain elements of the game behave the way they do thanks to an extensive but not overbearing conveyance of martial arts philosophy sprinkled throughout the rulebook, Wu Wei is a game about several different things at once. Yet it’s fairly clear from the onset that it’s not just another faceless abstract. Everything in Wu Wei is there with a purpose. Luckily, the best way to learn about it is to sit down and actually play.”
David P.
Miniature Market Review
“Everything about this game is beautiful. The rule book is an education in Taoist and martial arts philosophy. The board is designed for the wooden and cardboard components to set in and the artwork and components are top-notch. The game itself isn’t hard to learn at its most basic and works well with the theme of a journey to learn martial arts from five masters.”
Imagine Bin
PTMG Podcast
“This looks really interesting and looks really exciting. It looks unique, it stands out, and the gameplay sound intriguing. It sounds like something you want to get a bunch of pretty smart people together and see who can outwit each other.”
Michael Wright
Unfiltered Gamer
“If you like a game that’s art stylized, beautiful, quality components and a racing style game since that’s basically what it is, tactical racing with pitfalls and blunders that you can fall along the way and you want something that can change a little bit and has different styles and categories you can play, then I suggest you play the game.” — “If you like beautifully produced games with a really nice Asian style to them, I suggest you take a look at ‘Wu Wei – Journey of the Changing Path.”
Lance & Jeremy
Love 2 Hate & Hard 2 Master
“They did an amazing job in the way that they did this. When it showed up I was like ‘Oh my goodness, this is amazing!’ — “You like to see companies that, they’ve thought about every single thing. They didn’t have to do a lot of things they did to produce this game, but it just shows the passion they had when making this game. Not only did they come up with multiple different versions… we didn’t even talk about the one versus all!” — “They have to have pride in the product they created because it is SO WELL PRODUCED.”
BLOG: interconnection in wu wei
Whether it intends to or not, every game conveys a message to its players. Many times, this message is conveyed through the goal of the game, the theme, and the mechanics (the ways players can interact with the game). In Wu Wei, there is a pervasive theme of interconnection and change. As players race to visit each master, their actions intentionally or unintentionally change the board for other players. Whether they want to or not, players have to adapt to the changing environment if they want to win. Despite the presence of strategy, there is no perfect plan. Succeeding in Wu Wei takes a flexible plan, an open mind, and special attention to the consequences of one’s actions.
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