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Playable heritage game

Karesansui

Also known as 枯山水 · dry garden raking

A karesansui is a dry garden of Japan made of gravel, stones and a little moss, with no pond or stream. The gravel is combed with a rake into lines, waves, scrolls or checks that suggest flowing water, and stones are set in small groups, often three together, rarely in straight or mirrored layouts.

Play the previewAbout this tradition
Karesansui: photograph by Naokijp
Photo: Naokijp, CC BY-SA 4.0, source on Wikimedia Commons
Karesansui: the game in attract modeLive previewPlay

Runs in your browser, works offline once loaded.

How to play

  1. Pick a gravel pattern, a stone or a moss patch from the tray under the garden.
  2. Touch a square to lay it down; touch it again to clear it. Each square shows the raking of that part of the garden.
  3. Copy the small garden shown above, then press Check.
Rules at a glance
  • Every square holds one gravel pattern, a stone or a moss patch; nothing is repeated for you.
  • A square counts only when its pattern and its colour both match the target garden.
  • Three stars need a nearly perfect copy; you can undo or clear as often as you like.

About the tradition

Dry gardens developed in Japan during the Muromachi period (14th to 16th centuries). The gravel is raked by hand and the raking is renewed regularly, because wind, rain and visitors disturb the lines.

Origins

A living tradition passed from person to person; it is not tied to a single dated origin. It belongs to the cultural world of Japan and Korea.

Credits

Sources

Get the app

Karesansui is one of 8 craft designs in the Craft Designs of the World app for iPhone, iPad and Android. Submitted to the App Store and Google Play; in review. Store links appear here the day it goes live. One app, many traditions, no account needed.

See all 8 craft designs in the app

In review on theApp StoreIn review on theGoogle Play

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