Rikei Games Series Develops New Board Game - One Year After M&A by Cram School Operator
Rikei Games Co., Ltd. has surpassed 20,000 cumulative sales of its "Rikei Games" series within one year of becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of a cram school operator, and aims to launch its fourth board game in the series.
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- 📰 Published: April 1, 2026 at 20:30
Rikei Games Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kodaira City, Tokyo; Representative: Akira Ochiai), which has a mission to "provide a place for connection through play and growth through learning," aims to develop and launch a new product in the "Rikei Games" series in 2026.
We endorse April Dream, which aims to make April 1st a day to share dreams. This press release is a dream of "Rikei Games Co., Ltd."
One Year Since M&A
On February 28, 2025, our company became a wholly-owned subsidiary of EST Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kodaira City, Tokyo; Representative: Akira Ochiai), which operates cram schools. (Press Release: Rikei Games Co., Ltd., a board game production company originating from the University of Tokyo, becomes a wholly-owned subsidiary of EST Co., Ltd., a cram school operator)
After successfully completing the M&A between two previously unrelated entities—a small to medium-sized company operating cram schools and a student entrepreneur who developed board games—we dedicated significant time and effort to establishing a new foundation. The activities over the past year focused on building a business infrastructure, such as stabilizing order reception operations and manufacturing systems, as well as sales promotion support in existing channels, event organization, and sales channel development utilizing the know-how and network of cram school operations.
As a result, cumulative sales, which were 10,000 units immediately after the M&A, have now exceeded 20,000 units, achieving a twofold sales growth in one year.
Furthermore, to explore new possibilities for educational practices with existing products, we have been engaged in a collaborative project with a chemistry teacher at Ritsumeikan Uji High School from August 2025 to February 2026, researching the introduction of "Organic Tycoon" into classes. We obtained results indicating that it can be expected to improve motivation and knowledge retention, especially for students who have a苦手意識 (weakness/dislike) in the field of organic chemistry, which became a significant step towards enhancing the educational value of the Rikei Games series brand. (Details to be posted on the website later)
May 2025: Spring Game Market
November 2025: University of Tokyo Komaba Festival
August 2025 - February 2026: Scene from the "Organic Tycoon" class introduction research with 3rd-year students at Ritsumeikan Uji High School.
Towards New Product Development
After one year of focusing on establishing a new foundation since the M&A, Rikei Games Co., Ltd. will now take on a long-held dream since the M&A.
Theme and details: Please look forward to it!
That is, "new product development."
We are diligently proceeding with development, aiming to unveil the new product at "Game Market 2026 Autumn," scheduled for October 2026.
While details of the game content cannot be disclosed yet, we are planning a game that incorporates elements requested by many fans.
Rikei Games Co., Ltd. will continue to strive even harder under its mission of "providing a place for connection through play and growth through learning."
Please look forward to future updates!
"Organic Tycoon" with a high school chemistry theme
"Thermodynamics Workers" dealing with thermodynamics
"Prime Speed" for battling with prime factorization
Introduction to "Rikei Games" Series
"Rikei Games" is a board game series that incorporates school education content into analog games, allowing players to learn while playing. It deals with advanced themes such as mathematics, organic chemistry, and thermodynamics, yet can be enjoyed by elementary school students without prior knowledge. We have focused on analog rather than digital, based on the idea that "playing with multiple people using all five senses can provide a deeper learning experience." It is a learning tool that balances learning and entertainment, allowing players to naturally acquire scientific knowledge while having fun with family and friends.
Prime Speed
"Prime Speed" is a fast-paced competitive card game where players quickly perform prime factorization. It allows players to funnily train their basic math skills, from fraction reduction for elementary school students to factorization for high school math. Like the card game "Speed," players use prime numbers in their hand to successively factorize the given numbers. With a wide range of difficulties from Level 1 to 4, it can be enjoyed by elementary school students to adults. Unlike study drills, its charm lies in naturally acquiring math skills while playing, making it a fun math game for parents and children or friends.
Target age: 10 years and older
Playtime: 5 minutes
Players: 2 people
Organic Tycoon
"Organic Tycoon" is a card game that makes learning organic reactions in high school chemistry fun. Players use compound cards to trigger chemical reactions one after another, envisioning the fundamental "reaction pathway diagram" of organic chemistry as the game board. The appeal lies in the strategic maneuvering, similar to the card game "Daifugo," where players anticipate opponents' hands. It is an innovative learning tool that allows players to naturally acquire challenging organic chemistry knowledge through a game-like experience. It can be enjoyed by high school students aspiring to science fields, as well as parents and children, to experience the fun of chemistry.
Target age: 10 years and older
Playtime: 5-15 minutes
Players: 2-4 people
Thermodynamics Workers
"Thermodynamics Workers" is a board game that allows players to experience the concepts of thermodynamics. Players move gas on a game board, which is modeled after the P-V graph used in thermodynamics, to earn energy. Its appeal lies in allowing players to learn thermodynamics, a crucial field in high school physics, experientially rather than just memorizing formulas. It has been highly praised by science students and educators and has been adopted for corporate training. It is a valuable analog game with a physics theme that also offers entertainment for large groups.
Target age: 10 years and older
Playtime: 30-60 minutes
Players: 2-4 people
[Rikei Games Co., Ltd. Company Information]
Location: 2-3-21 Misono-cho, Kodaira City, Tokyo
Representative Director: Akira Ochiai
Business Activities: Planning, manufacturing, and sales of various products with a science theme
Website: https://rikeigames.com/
[EST Co., Ltd. Company Information]
Location: 2-3-21 Misono-cho, Kodaira City, Tokyo
Representative Director: Akira Ochiai
Business Activities: Operation of individual tutoring schools for elementary, junior high, and high school students
Website: http://www.est1988.jp/
[Inquiries regarding media coverage, product handling, and introduction to educational settings]
Rikei Games Co., Ltd. Partner (EST Co., Ltd.) Kuroki
Phone number: 070-2252-7083
Email address: contact@rikeigames.com
We endorse April Dream, which aims to make April 1st a day to share dreams. This press release is a dream of "Rikei Games Co., Ltd."
One Year Since M&A
On February 28, 2025, our company became a wholly-owned subsidiary of EST Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kodaira City, Tokyo; Representative: Akira Ochiai), which operates cram schools. (Press Release: Rikei Games Co., Ltd., a board game production company originating from the University of Tokyo, becomes a wholly-owned subsidiary of EST Co., Ltd., a cram school operator)
After successfully completing the M&A between two previously unrelated entities—a small to medium-sized company operating cram schools and a student entrepreneur who developed board games—we dedicated significant time and effort to establishing a new foundation. The activities over the past year focused on building a business infrastructure, such as stabilizing order reception operations and manufacturing systems, as well as sales promotion support in existing channels, event organization, and sales channel development utilizing the know-how and network of cram school operations.
As a result, cumulative sales, which were 10,000 units immediately after the M&A, have now exceeded 20,000 units, achieving a twofold sales growth in one year.
Furthermore, to explore new possibilities for educational practices with existing products, we have been engaged in a collaborative project with a chemistry teacher at Ritsumeikan Uji High School from August 2025 to February 2026, researching the introduction of "Organic Tycoon" into classes. We obtained results indicating that it can be expected to improve motivation and knowledge retention, especially for students who have a苦手意識 (weakness/dislike) in the field of organic chemistry, which became a significant step towards enhancing the educational value of the Rikei Games series brand. (Details to be posted on the website later)
May 2025: Spring Game Market
November 2025: University of Tokyo Komaba Festival
August 2025 - February 2026: Scene from the "Organic Tycoon" class introduction research with 3rd-year students at Ritsumeikan Uji High School.
Towards New Product Development
After one year of focusing on establishing a new foundation since the M&A, Rikei Games Co., Ltd. will now take on a long-held dream since the M&A.
Theme and details: Please look forward to it!
That is, "new product development."
We are diligently proceeding with development, aiming to unveil the new product at "Game Market 2026 Autumn," scheduled for October 2026.
While details of the game content cannot be disclosed yet, we are planning a game that incorporates elements requested by many fans.
Rikei Games Co., Ltd. will continue to strive even harder under its mission of "providing a place for connection through play and growth through learning."
Please look forward to future updates!
"Organic Tycoon" with a high school chemistry theme
"Thermodynamics Workers" dealing with thermodynamics
"Prime Speed" for battling with prime factorization
Introduction to "Rikei Games" Series
"Rikei Games" is a board game series that incorporates school education content into analog games, allowing players to learn while playing. It deals with advanced themes such as mathematics, organic chemistry, and thermodynamics, yet can be enjoyed by elementary school students without prior knowledge. We have focused on analog rather than digital, based on the idea that "playing with multiple people using all five senses can provide a deeper learning experience." It is a learning tool that balances learning and entertainment, allowing players to naturally acquire scientific knowledge while having fun with family and friends.
Prime Speed
"Prime Speed" is a fast-paced competitive card game where players quickly perform prime factorization. It allows players to funnily train their basic math skills, from fraction reduction for elementary school students to factorization for high school math. Like the card game "Speed," players use prime numbers in their hand to successively factorize the given numbers. With a wide range of difficulties from Level 1 to 4, it can be enjoyed by elementary school students to adults. Unlike study drills, its charm lies in naturally acquiring math skills while playing, making it a fun math game for parents and children or friends.
Target age: 10 years and older
Playtime: 5 minutes
Players: 2 people
Organic Tycoon
"Organic Tycoon" is a card game that makes learning organic reactions in high school chemistry fun. Players use compound cards to trigger chemical reactions one after another, envisioning the fundamental "reaction pathway diagram" of organic chemistry as the game board. The appeal lies in the strategic maneuvering, similar to the card game "Daifugo," where players anticipate opponents' hands. It is an innovative learning tool that allows players to naturally acquire challenging organic chemistry knowledge through a game-like experience. It can be enjoyed by high school students aspiring to science fields, as well as parents and children, to experience the fun of chemistry.
Target age: 10 years and older
Playtime: 5-15 minutes
Players: 2-4 people
Thermodynamics Workers
"Thermodynamics Workers" is a board game that allows players to experience the concepts of thermodynamics. Players move gas on a game board, which is modeled after the P-V graph used in thermodynamics, to earn energy. Its appeal lies in allowing players to learn thermodynamics, a crucial field in high school physics, experientially rather than just memorizing formulas. It has been highly praised by science students and educators and has been adopted for corporate training. It is a valuable analog game with a physics theme that also offers entertainment for large groups.
Target age: 10 years and older
Playtime: 30-60 minutes
Players: 2-4 people
[Rikei Games Co., Ltd. Company Information]
Location: 2-3-21 Misono-cho, Kodaira City, Tokyo
Representative Director: Akira Ochiai
Business Activities: Planning, manufacturing, and sales of various products with a science theme
Website: https://rikeigames.com/
[EST Co., Ltd. Company Information]
Location: 2-3-21 Misono-cho, Kodaira City, Tokyo
Representative Director: Akira Ochiai
Business Activities: Operation of individual tutoring schools for elementary, junior high, and high school students
Website: http://www.est1988.jp/
[Inquiries regarding media coverage, product handling, and introduction to educational settings]
Rikei Games Co., Ltd. Partner (EST Co., Ltd.) Kuroki
Phone number: 070-2252-7083
Email address: contact@rikeigames.com
FAQ
What is the "Rikei Games" series?
It's a board game series that translates school curriculum into analog games, allowing players to learn while playing. It covers science themes like mathematics, organic chemistry, and thermodynamics.
What is the significance of this M&A?
The M&A with a cram school operating company led to business foundation stabilization, sales channel expansion, and practical research in educational settings, resulting in over 20,000 cumulative sales.
When will the new board game be released?
Development is currently underway, aiming for the new product's unveiling at "Game Market 2026 Autumn," scheduled for October 2026.