Any and ArtePiazza have announced that Tensei Game: Karma x Cross (unofficial translation) will launch on August 6 on Nintendo Switch in Japan. The game was supervised by Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii, with an original concept and scenario by author Muneyuki Kaneshiro (As the Gods Will, Blue Lock). Shintaro Majima, known for his work on the Dragon Quest and SaGa series, serves as art director.
Tensei Game: Karma x Cross is a sugoroku-style board game for up to four players built around the concept of “a game guaranteed to ruin your friendships.” Players, who start the game dead, take part in a race to reincarnate in hopes of earning a place in the next life. However, there are only three slots available for reincarnation, so throughout Tensei Game’s 22-turn competition, players much ruthlessly try to eliminate one another.
The sugoroku-style game board, prepared by Rinne-chan, the Game Master of the Reincarnation Realm, is split into an 11-turn first half and an 11-turn second half. Within those 22 turns, players must collect as much “Karma” (the currency of the reincarnation world) as possible to purchase a suitable “Soul Vessel” for their next life (note that all translations of terminology are unofficial). They can also exchange Karma for cards with a variety of effects at card shops scattered around the board. Players toss an eight-sided die to progress, all while sabotaging others to avoid finishing last.
Tensei Game: Karma x Cross’s developer ArtePiazza is known for its work on titles like Opoona, Super Mario RPG, and the Dragon Quest series. The project was first kicked off in April 2025, but save for a few teasers in the meantime, this is the first detailed look we’re getting at the game. Alongside the release date announcement, ArtePiazza has unveiled details about the game’s mechanics and footage of actual gameplay, showcasing various card effects and gimmicks.
The trailer also reveals a “Rinne-chan Game,” a special event held every five turns in which players must decide whether to trust or betray one another. True to its promise of ruining friendships, the game seems packed with cutthroat mechanics designed to turn people against each other.
Tensei Game: Karma x Cross is scheduled to launch on August 6 for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 in Japan.
