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New card game makes Japan’s saunas even steamier

Elliot Hale Nov 21, 2024
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Get ready to sweat it out in a sauna showdown that’s as hot as it sounds.

Finding time to truly unwind can feel impossible when you’re caught in the chaos of everyday life, but there’s a steamy escape waiting for you: a sauna. However, these sweat-filled chambers are no longer your run-of-the-mill people roasters. Japan’s sauna boom has turned up the heat on its sauna game with private saunas, gondola saunas, and even bus saunas. The sauna scene has never been hotter, but a collaboration between the tent sauna brand SaunaCamp and board game producer Xaquinel is set to really spice things up.

The two companies have joined forces to create a new steam-powered project: SAUNA GAMES, a brand dedicated to developing sauna-related board games. The idea was sparked during a trip to a massive German sauna complex, which has over 30 different types. One sauna had a living room theme, complete with some card games on the table. Naturally, the team plunged right in, only to be quickly thwarted by sweat pouring down their faces, brain cells melting in the heat, and their once-sharp strategies going limp. Despite the frustration, they couldn’t help but feel oddly fascinated by the whole experience and wanted others to share in the unique challenge. This gave rise to the creation of a sauna-exclusive board game.

Sauna Masters: They Just Don’t Get It is a two-player battle where each player becomes the “master” of a shared sauna and goes head-to-head with their opponent for ultimate control, retailing at 2,200 yen (US$14.16).

Adjust the temperature, tweak the humidity, and aim for ultimate relaxation before your rival does. While it’s technically a card game that can be played anywhere, it’s inside the sauna where it truly cranks up the heat.

Special cards like “Heat Wave” or “Add Steam” force players to physically perform these actions, adding a whole new dimension to the gameplay where strategy meets real-life sauna survival.

Games are lightning-fast, being between five and ten minutes, lowering the risk of overheating. That said, the thrill of the game can cloud your sauna senses, so players are kindly reminded not to get so caught up in the competition that they forget to hydrate—or, you know, breathe.

Inspired by their German sauna adventure, the team made sure all the cards, board, and pieces are waterproof. Plus, everything fits snugly into a case about the size of a standard deck of cards, making it ultra-portable.

Since the rules allow for conversation, it’s probably best you keep this game within the safe confines of private saunas—unless, of course, you’re ready to face the fiery wrath of sauna purists, who are still cooling off from the introduction of televisions in some facilities. Never fear, the team has plans to work with saunas in the future to bring the game to more locations. By then, maybe those purists will have learned to chill a bit. Or save the game for the lounge, after a relaxing sauna session.

Remember, this is just the beginning! There are likely more steamy additions on the way, so if you’re ready to level up your game nights with some sauna flair, keep your eyes peeled for future updates. In the meantime, head over to SaunaCamp’s online store to grab a copy of Sauna Masters for yourself or a sauna-loving friend. Or, if this wave of sauna excitement has you fried, consider a visit to one of our highly recommended saunas to soak in some much-needed tranquility.

Related: SaunaCamp Online Store, Xaquinel, PR Times
Images: PR Times
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