There’s something about games based on miniatures that feels truly special. It’s probably in large part thanks to the way these games blur the lines between reality and imagination, making for a fully immersive gaming experience; but if you ever collected figurines as a kid and came up with unique stories for every one of them, miniatures will bring up lots of nostalgia too.

We spoke to game designer Hideki Hanida about his wonderfully unique games, Miyamoto and Fallen of the Round, and how miniatures can open up a world of dynamic gameplay.

Step into Miyamoto and Fallen of the Round, and you’ll feel like you’re actually holding board game pieces in your hands. Both are easy strategy games – Miyamoto embodies a Japanese style, with characters on the board wearing kimonos, including samurai, ninjas, sumo wrestlers, musketeers and assassins; Fallen of the Round takes the action to dark dungeons and features pieces that have a notably realistic texture to them.

“The visuals we created for Miyamoto were pretty flat,” says Hanida. “So I wanted Fallen of the Round to have a different image. In order to create a more immersive world, we recreated the texture of metal and rock glinting in the dark, as well as the glossy paintwork that is unique to miniatures.”

Make sure to check out the sheen on the knight’s armour and skin of the enemy’s monsters, which will change depending on the angle of the light. They look so real, you’ll no doubt find yourself wanting to pick them up and hold them.

“Incorporating realistic elements makes the miniatures more compelling. These include the boxes, bags, and swords featured in Miyamoto, which are larger than the miniatures, and the armoured hand that appears when the pieces are positioned in Fallen of the Round,” explains Hanida.

The joy of Hanida’s creations is that you’ll feel as though you’re right there moving the miniatures around. Miyamoto’s board game design is the perfect setup to appreciate the detail of every character, while Fallen of the Round’s armoured hand feels incredibly realistic.

“When I decided that Miyamoto was going to be a samurai card game, I had the idea to use board games as inspiration,” says Hanida. “From there, the actual scale of the game was decided, and it began as a game inside a box. Although it was small, we tried to create a world that people could get immersed in.”

While strategy is key in both games, matches are settled in a short amount of time, usually ending in one to three minutes. This style of gameplay was a conscious decision on the part of Hanida.

“Our concept was for the game to be strategic, but not mentally draining,” he explains. “We designed the game around the number of elements the player needs to consider and how much effort one needs to put in as they think through those elements. For example, the main element in Fallen of the Round that requires the player to think carefully would be the initial selection of pieces and their placement.”

The mechanics in Fallen of the Round, which involve pulling pieces back and firing them at enemies, make for exhilarating entertainment, and the combination of attacks and moves allows for a smooth playing experience. Although the level of difficulty increases as you progress through the stages, players can concentrate on selecting and moving pieces according to their circumstances.

It’s a perfect balance that makes the makes the game challenging yet easy to play, an approach that Hanida pays careful attention to when designing his games: “I try to imagine and design what kind of experience I can create in exchange for the time that gets consumed, and after that I try to create the world in the game.

“It’s a personal challenge for me to see whether I can make games that are worth the time they consume, and whether I can turn them into something that people want to experience, without worrying about how much time it takes to play them.”

From the design of the miniatures to the visuals and game controls, Hanida’s games have been meticulously crafted to leave lots of room for one very important element: your imagination.