Peranakan Board Game Review

Jim Gamer
1 hour ago
4 min read

Peranakan

WBG Score: 7.5

Player Count: 2-6

You’ll like this if you like: Chill puzzle games

This is a review copy. See our review policy here

Peranakan is from the same designer who brought us the 10219 cult hit, Rats to Riches. They are now back with something quite different, debuting at the UKGE fair in the UK in 2026. For fans of games that look gorgeous, play simply, but offer a cosy, relaxed strategy, this well could be one for you. Let's get it to the table and see how it plays.

How To Set Up Peranakan

Roll out the gorgeous play mat, and separate the four types of Kueh (bite sized snacks), placing them into their spaces on the left of the game board. Shuffle all the tiles and place them into a stack on the top left of the board, then place the top four into their spaces below this. Give each player their Babas and Nyonyas of their chosen colour, and you are ready to begin! Unless you want a quick cultural lesson like I did.

The Baba-Nyonya, also known as Peranakan, are a unique ethnic group in Southeast Asia, primarily found in Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. They are descendants of Chinese immigrants from the 15th and 16th centuries who married local Malay or Indonesian women. "Baba" denotes the men, while "Nyonya" refers to the women, and together they developed a distinctive hybrid culture that combines Chinese traditions with local Malay language, attire, and culinary practices. Ad now, in 2026, are seen in this game! Cool, you are all caught up!

How To Play Peranakan

Players will now take turns to choose one tile from the four currently displayed, or the top one from the stack. When you take a tile, you will also take the Kueh adjacent to it. If you take the tile on the bottom spot, you can take any Kueh; this is a wild space.

Next, you will place the tile you just took onto the game board. You can place it anywhere you like, even on top of a previously placed tile. However, you cannot stack more than once in this way. You can then, if you wish, place one of your Baba or Nyonya onto the tile you just placed. If you stack on top of another tile, and there is a figure there already, simply move them up to be on top of the new tile.

You will then replenish the tiles in the stack, replacing the one you took with the top one from the stack, and it is the next player's turn. Simple, right?

If you ever place a Baba and it is fully surrounded by eight other tiles, you will score that Baba. This is done by looking at all tiles in the surrounding tiles that match the same design as the tile that the Baba is on. You will then take the matching Kueh shown on the matching tile into your collection.

Similarly, with the Nyonya, these score when the tile that they are on has a complete row and column around it. All tiles in both the row and column this tile is within are completely filled to the edges. Again, score all Kueh on all matching tiles to the tile your Nyonya is on.

This continues until either the stack of tiles runs out, all players have used all their Baba and Nyonya, or there are no more Kueh left in all four supplies.

Players will then score for each complete set of Kueh. The player with the most complete sets wins. In case of the tie, most Kueh in total wins.

Peranakan Board Game Review - Is It Fun?

Why this game may be good

At first glance this game is pure comfort food, a gorgeous play mat, tactile tiles, and those delightful little Kueh snacks waiting to be collected. Then the game starts purring. Turns are simple, choose a tile, take adjacent Kueh, place it, maybe drop a Baba or Nyonya. Under that cosy surface, though, is a surprisingly sharp little puzzle about timing, positioning, and just how greedy you can afford to be. It feels relaxed, but it rewards the player who plans two, three, maybe ten turns ahead and keeps their options open.

Who may like it

If you love games that look stunning, teach quickly, and still give you something to chew on, Peranakan is waving you over. Tile-laying fans will enjoy the gentle spatial tactics, while lighter strategy players will appreciate that it stays approachable even when the decisions start to tighten. Anyone who likes satisfying set collection, calm table presence, and that warm “one more round” feeling should put this high on the list. It also suits groups who enjoy a bit of table chat and soft competition, because the interaction is there, but it is never mean.

Who may not

If you want direct conflict, dramatic swings, or constant fireworks, this may feel too polite. The strategy is real, but it is quiet, and the tension builds in small choices rather than big moments. Players who dislike spatial games, or who prefer a clearly scripted plan instead of flexible tactics, might find the tile placement and scoring triggers a little fiddly. And if you hate a game where someone can casually take the tile you were eyeing, well, you might mutter a few unprintable words into your tea.

Pros

Beautiful table presence, genuinely eye-catching
Simple turns with deeper strategy than expected
Satisfying tile placement and set collection loop
Scoring triggers create tension without aggression

Cons

Low conflict may feel too gentle for some groups
Tactical swings can happen when the display shifts
Spatial scoring rules may take a round to fully click

Peranakan is a calm, inviting strategy game that knows exactly how to disarm you. It looks like a cosy evening, plays like a breeze, and then quietly asks you to make clever choices while you are still admiring the art. If you like your games warm, elegant, and sneakily smart, this could be a lovely new regular at your table. Just do not blame me if you end up craving snacks, because this one is kueh-fully moreish.