Onitama Board Game, 2 players
$29.99
Onitama is a two player abstract strategy game where players take on the role of a Master, guiding their monk followers, attempting to defeat your opponent armed only with a handful of moves, your cunning and your wits.
2 minutes to learn, 10 minutes to play, a lifetime to master
Second game in the dice tower essentials Line of games approved by Tom Vasel
A game of elegance and simplicity
Customers say
Customers find the board game fun and easy to learn. They appreciate the strategy and fast-paced gameplay. The game is described as unique and challenging, with different cards each time.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Onitama is a two player abstract strategy game where players take on the role of a Master, guiding their monk followers, attempting to defeat your opponent armed only with a handful of moves, your cunning and your wits.
2 minutes to learn, 10 minutes to play, a lifetime to master
Second game in the dice tower essentials Line of games approved by Tom Vasel
A game of elegance and simplicity
| Product Dimensions | 3.8 x 3.7 x 10.6 inches |
|---|---|
| Item Weight | 0.025 ounces |
| Country of Origin | China |
| ASIN | B01C05HZB4 |
| Item model number | ARWDTE20 |
| Manufacturer recommended age | 14 years and up |
| Best Sellers Rank | #23,594 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games) #816 in Board Games (Toys & Games) |
| Customer Reviews |
4.8 out of 5 stars |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Release date | April 13, 2016 |
| Language | English |
| Manufacturer | Publisher Services Inc (PSI) |
by New In Shrink
Out of box and playing in minutes!
Onitama is one of those perfect 2 player games that lives up to all of the hype you may have seen or heard before. I have nothing but praise for the game myself; I often like playing the app version of it as well with friends or random opponents. It is quick, simple to learn, and the victories are quite rewarding. Players who are very experienced with the game and love strategy and planning your moves in advance will find a wealth of possibility and options for how each game plays out.After opening the amazing magnetic box that Onitama comes in, you’ll unfold a high quality neoprene mate, place the Master and Student pawns along the bottom of the board and select randomly 5 cards from the deck of 16 that come with the game. These 5 cards form your pool of movement cards which detail how your pieces may attack and position themselves. Unlike something like Chess or another favorite 2 player game Hive; your pieces do not have set moves they can perform. Practicing the different forms of martial arts in Onitama allows all pieces to move in any direction so long as it mimics the positions on one of the two movement cards you currently have access to. When you have completed a move the card you just used move off to the side and will eventually be a card in your opponent’s hand. This cyclic movement of cards keeps games fresh and always changing even between individual turns.You can win this tournament of skill either by capturing your opponent’s Master or by moving your Master across the board to their seat of Power. Having two victory conditions and random movement cards each time really makes for exciting games. Much like Chess you can try to bait someone into a trap or focus on being aggressive in how you play, much will depend on how far in advance you can visualize some of the end game moves and the luck or hope that your opponent plays the card you need to advance your plans. It’s a wonderful back and forth dance between players with movement cards being themed around martial arts styles and having correlated flavor text at the bottom of the cards to enjoy.Game length can vary a lot just as it would with Chess, you might fall victim to a feigned sacrifice and the game end early or the both of you might find yourself in a clear stalemate situation and it take someone losing a bit of focus to turn the tides. I never mind how games of Onitama play out, they are all fun and I think each time you play you’ll pick up a bit more skill and strategy for next time. An absolutely wonderful game, amazing production quality, and is a great choice for anyone who likes and enjoys Hive or Chess. We play all three of these games pretty regularly and love when Onitama is out on the table, it also falls into a category for us of games that travel well and can be played anywhere!
by Tyler B
Became a favorite
I will start by saying my wife does not like chess, and while I dabbled with it I did not get into it much myself. Onitama is an improvement in all aspects. It’s simple yet it retains the strategy component of chess, in fact there is added depth in the form of using the move cards and planning around moves that are not optimal. You are still mentally dueling with your opponent but there is a lot more “fun factor” with this game. Matches move fast and it didn’t take long to become a favorite around here. It’s easy to pull this game out as an easy filler between other games like Star Realms but quite often we reach for Onitama first and just keep playing it until we need a break.The neoprene mat is very nice, it will flatten out with time especially if you fold it the other way every now and then. The pieces feel good and look good, and the box is very high quality. Physically this is a well made game set and worth every penny, it’s more premium than stuff you expect to buy at the target or walmart. The instructions are functional.In the game you have to deal with the cards you are dealt, literally. Your opponent may use a good move against you but then it’s shuffled to you the next turn to likewise use against them. Or you may save a good move waiting for the right time to strike. Sometimes you get hit in an unexpected way that surprises you even after you spent a few minutes looking at the board trying to predict your opponents possible next moves. I find it surprising how they boiled chess down to 5 pieces on each team on a 5×5 board and retained strategic depth. The speed of gameplay is a big part of the appeal to Onitama, a game is done much quicker than many other board games. This quicker turnaround time means you can play several games in a row and/or take breaks at the end of a match instead of in the middle of one.Highly recommended. The base game is a must-have, the expansion that adds another set of move cards is very nice and also recommended. The other two expansions with the wind spirit and ninjas are not needed in my opinion. They start adding unnecessary layers and complexity to the game that slow it down and throws off the delicate balance of speed, simplicity, and tactical depth that the base Onitama game has delivered perfectly.
by Brittany Goodner
Great Game with Endless Replay Value
This game is great! It really challenges you to think two steps ahead, which keeps things interesting and strategic. Itâs simple enough for my teenager to catch on quickly, but still engaging enough for adults to enjoy.What I love most is that no two games are ever the same. The mix of cards you get adds a lot of variety, and the fact that you can only use five cards at a time makes the strategy even more exciting. Itâs the perfect balance of easy-to-learn and hard-to-master, which makes it a hit every time we play.Highly recommend for family game nights or casual gatherings!
by Zloth
Easy to play, hard to master
Simple game with a lots of room for personal growth! Thematically, two martial arts clans face off against each other and attempt to claim one of two victory conditions by cycling through various maneuvers! It’s a perfect information game like Chess, so of the same principles will apply. However, instead of each piece having its own way to move, movement is determined by cards. These cards are drawn at the start of the game and will cycle between players as they are played. It creates a dynamic game flow and many interesting board states! If you like Chess mechanically, but don’t care for the openings & study culture around it, Onitama is an excellent game for you!
by Richard
Simpler version of chess
I like it, it’s fun game, I can play it with nephews and friends. There is a good amount of strategy to it. Their are some good YouTube videos on it too, the Dice Tower has one that I would suggest watching as they do a wonderful job explaining how to play it.Overall very good game and I enjoy it.
by Brody
I bought this game for a class of mine that focuses on strategy in board games. Anyone who played was instantly hooked! This is a very chess like game. Easy to learn and hard to master. Due to the many different cards for movements each game is different, which makes this game even more fun! I look forward to purchasing the expansions!This game is a must have for anyone who loves quick strategy games
by Vic Luna
Este es uno de los juegos de mesa más sencillos y divertidos que haya jugado nunca; su forma de juego es muy similar al ajedrez pero con la versatilidad de los movimientos inspirados en animales.Los materiales del juego son muy buenos, la forma de la caja es PERFECTA, ya que además de verse muy bien, todos los elementos caben de manera exacta ahorrando espacio y manteniendo todo limpio y en orden.Las tarjetas, las piezas y tablero son de buen material y cumplen de manera adecuada su función.Un excelente juego y con 3 expansiones diferentes que le otorgan aún más versatilidad y jugabilidad.
by Guilherme
Onitama pode ser resumido com a frase escrita em sua caixa: âUm elegante e simples jogo de táticas marciaisâ.Aqui, cada jogador assume uma escola de artes marciais, composta por 01 mestre e 04 discÃpulos, que duelarão (em um tabuleiro 5×5) para ver quem domina melhor as artes milenares de luta.Para isso, usaremos cartas que possuem movimentos pré-determinados, sendo que o jogo termina quando atingida uma (das duas) condições de vitória: capturar o mestre adversário ou fazer com que seu mestre chegue até os portões da escola adversária.A caixa contém: 08 discÃpulos, 02 mestres, um tabuleiro em neoprene e 16 cartas de movimentos.Em cada jogo, utilizaremos apenas 05 cartas do baralho, sendo 02 para cada jogador e 01 que será trocada ao final de cada movimento. Com isso, o jogo permite mais de meio milhão de combinações possÃveis, dando uma rejogabilidade enorme. As partidas são rápidas, a caixa diz 15 minutos, e não discordo, mas a medida que você vai entendendo a mecânica, e as cartas vão mudando de uma partida para outra, as estratégias evoluem e deixam tudo mais interessante.Uma evolução do jogo de Xadrez, que lhe trará horas de jogatina até dominar todas as táticas.
by Customer
The play pieces and play mat feel very sturdy and luxurious. The game itself is a lot like chess — but simple enough that others can enjoy it too! Quite enjoyable for those who like abstract strategy games.
by Sujasha Ghosh
Good strategy game but fail to understand why the price is so high for a simplified version of chess