Stats:
No. of players: 2
Amount of time to play: 10-30 min
Age requirements: 8+
Set-up time: minimal

Onitama is a quick-playing, abstract strategy board game for two. It looks great and is very portable too.

Onitama Rules Description:

Onitama is played on a 5×5 grid. You start with four pawns and one master. Your pawns start in the back row of the grid with your master in the middle. This center square holds your temple.

You and your opponent each have two unique movement cards and there is one you share. So each turn you execute one of the three moves you have access to. Then you take the shared card and the card you used becomes the new shared card.

You cannot move off the board but if you land on an enemy pawn it is captured. If you land on the opponent’s master or get your master to their temple you win.

A Quick Review of Onitama:

Onitama is fun and looks great. It requires some thought and planning to get your pawns into position to win. But there is no luck in this abstract strategy board game.

This game is really beautiful. Everything from the box to the play mat to the pawns looks fantastic. The components are all high quality and the rules are easy to read and follow.

The way the movement cards change from game to game is really nice. This helps with replay value and keeps games unique. It would take a while to get the same combination of movement cards in two games.

I also like how the movement cards you use switch be shared. There is a good bit of strategy in trying to keep the cards you need to get into proper position or trying to deny your opponent cards with unique movement.

Onitama can be set up and explained in five minutes or so. It is very accessible and is fun for both gamers and non-gamers. But be aware some players that suffer from analysis paralysis might make this game take longer than it should.

If you enjoy abstract strategy board games and are looking for a fairly quick, accessible game for two try Onitama out.

Score and synopsis: (Click here for an explanation of these review categories.)
Strategy 4 out of 6
Luck N/A
Player Interaction 6 out of 6
Replay Value 5 out of 6
Complexity 2 out of 6
Fun 4 out of 6
Overall 4 out of 6