Founder develops board game on business succession
The game pits four successor candidates against each other for 1,000 shares of a fictional private company, as reported by 4gamer.net.
A company founder has developed an analog board game about business succession based on his own experience as a third-generation manager, 4gamer.net reported.
The game, titled Jigyo Shokei Game, was created by the founder of management services firm Egubo Management Service. Players compete for 1,000 shares issued by a fictional unlisted company, with four successor candidates — the eldest son, eldest daughter, head clerk and an outside director — vying for control.
Play proceeds through four phases: valuation, transfer, trading and fate. The set includes 28 playing-card-sized cards, 11 event cards and 16 end cards.
The core of the game is a discussion held after play ends, using the Three Circle Model to map positions within a family business.
The developer is also planning an event that brings four groups to the same table: successors, supporters, current managers and financial institutions. According to the background given, the founder was born in Maizuru, Kyoto Prefecture, worked at a general trading company after university — including a posting to Taiwan — and was called back to the family business as the eldest son, becoming its third-generation head in 2009. He ran it for about 10 years before selling all his shares to his younger brother and stepping down. In 2025, the number of businesses handed over to employees outside the family exceeded intra-family successions.
Quick answers
What is the business succession board game?
It is an analog board game in which four successor candidates compete for 1,000 shares of a fictional unlisted company, followed by a discussion using the Three Circle Model.
How many cards are in the game?
The set includes 28 playing-card-sized cards, 11 event cards and 16 end cards, among others.
How does the game progress?
It runs through four phases: valuation, transfer, trading and fate.