Onitama | 2-Player Abstract Duel with Modular Movement Cards | 5x5 Grid Chess-Like Tactics for Strategic Thinkers | Ages 8+ | 15-20 Minutes | Portable Martial Arts

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Brilliant Blend of Strategy and Simplicity Onitama is one of those rare games that feels like it’s been around for centuries—even though it’s modern. After plenty of plays, I can confidently say this is a masterpiece of elegant design. The rules are incredibly simple (you can teach it in under 5 minutes), but don’t let that fool you—this game has serious depth. Every move matters. The rotating movement cards create a constantly shifting puzzle where you're not just thinking about your next move, but also what options you're handing your opponent. It’s like chess distilled into something faster, sharper, and more dynamic. What really sets Onitama apart is how accessible it is. Whether you're playing with someone who’s brand new to board games or a seasoned strategist, it hits that sweet spot. Games are quick (usually 10–15 minutes), which makes it perfect for rematches… and trust me, you’ll want them. The components are also beautiful. The minimalist board, smooth pieces, and clean card design give it a calm, almost meditative vibe—until you realize you’ve just walked into a trap three moves ago. Pros: - Easy to learn, hard to master - Quick gameplay with tons of replayability - Perfect for 2 players - Gorgeous, minimalist design Cons: - Only plays 2 (though expansions exist) - Can lead to intense “just one more game” loops If you enjoy abstract strategy games or want something that captures the spirit of chess without the time commitment, Onitama is an absolute must-have. It’s the kind of game that earns a permanent spot on your shelf—and your table. Highly recommended.

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 5x5 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.

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!

Onitama is an incredible board game that offers a fresh, exciting twist on traditional chess! I absolutely love the unique gameplay—it’s easy to learn but offers strategic depth that keeps every game engaging. The concept of the “master” acting like a king and the “students” functioning like pawns is such a clever idea. It adds an interesting layer of strategy and keeps the game dynamic. The game is fast-paced, making it perfect for quick sessions, yet each move requires careful thought. The design is sleek and the components are high-quality. It’s quickly become one of my favorite games to play with friends and family. Highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys strategic games with a fun twist!

This is an interesting 2-person game. I've only played it a few times and watched others play a few times, so I'm no expert. It's easy to learn how to play, but it will take some more playing to really develop strategy. It's sort of like chess, but each game is different. You deal four move cards each game (so each game is different), and those cards rotate between the players throughout the game. Each card shows a few squares you can move a piece to in relation to where it is, and you choose which of your two cards to use, and then that card goes to your opponent. You have to pay attention not only to what moves you can choose to make this turn, but also what is coming up when you get the next card, and what moves your opponent will be able to make when (s)he takes the card you just played. I don't really like playing chess, but this game is better and faster, and I don't think serious players would have as great an advantage over casual players as in chess. I could be wrong....

It's a simple game, quick to learn, plays fast, and is pretty fun for a strategy game. I don't normally like strategy games, but when we're looking for something to play and we only have like 30 minutes this is usually one of our top choices now.

This game is great! It really challenges you to think two steps ahead, which keeps things interesting and strategic. It’s 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. It’s 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!

An easy game to learn but hard to master. It's kind of similar to chess but quite different at the same time. Gameplay: You can teach the game in less than 2 minutes. At the beginning of the game you shuffle the included deck of cards and give 2 to each player then 1 additional card is placed on the side of the game mat. The card on the side will have a color which determines the player who will start the game according to the figurines color of that player. You move depending on the movement specified on each card that you have and after moving, you replace the used card with the card that is on the side of the game mat, then the other player does the same thing. The game can be won by either eliminating the master figure from your opponent or taking the throne from you opponent. You can eliminate other pawns or the master by ending up in the same spot of your oponents pawn/master. Going through your oponents pawn will not eliminate it, you actually need to land on the same spot to eliminate the pawn. Components: The game includes beautiful figurines and also a mat that are of great quality. Pros: + Easy to learn but hard to master + Beautiful high quality components + 10 - 15 mins of gameplay + High replayability since you only use 5 cards of the 16 included each time is played + Lot of strategy Cons: - Not a fan of how its boxed

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Onitama es probablemente de los mejor juegos para dos personas que mantiene cierta sensación a ajedrez. A diferencia del ajedrez, no hay una comunidad de miles de personas que han llevado el juego a tal punto que debes saber ajedrez si quieres jugar con personas que saben ajedrez. tomando la misma comparación, el juego se explica en menos de un par de minutos y cada juego hace que las piezas se muevan diferente, por lo que no es posible memorizar estrategias, dandole ventajas a personas que ya han jugado. Hablando de los componentes, el game mat es de calidad y también las piezas, al igual que la caja. Lo único malo es que como cualquier juego exclusivamente de dos personas, puede que sea dificil encontrar una situación en la que solo sean dos jugadores. Se lo recomiendo a aquellas personas que les gustaría jugar un ajedrez menos serio y divertido

I really like this game. I actually enjoy the mousepad board as it makes the whole thing compact enough to throw in a bag and play anywhere, in fact, I recently took it to a bar for drinks with a friend and had a good time with Onitama and a pitcher. Everything fits very nicely in the box, there and aren't many components to keep track of. I highly recommend this as a travel friendly game. Games are fast to set up and tear down, an actual game doesn't need to take very long at all to finish especially if you impose some kind of time limit per turn (or just have your opponent pestering you whenever you spend too much time staring blankly between your cards, their cards and the board). The rules are so simple that without any prior knowledge of how it works, you'll pretty much "get" how the whole thing works in a matter of minutes, yet, if you allow for it, there is some very deep strategy involved and very very little luck. The rules are so elegant and straight forward I am thinking of teaching the game to my 6 year old. While I don't think he'll be able to fully grasp the concepts of thinking 6 steps ahead in the card rotation to try to envision how the board will play out depending on how you choose to move (and therefore, what options you'll be giving your opponent as a result of your move), it's really not even needed to simply play your turn and hope for the best. The only thing I can think to complain about is that the mousepad type board does suffer from some light curling when you unroll it and doesn't always sit completely flat though it does eventually loosen up and doesn't really affect the game at all.

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.

Good strategy game but fail to understand why the price is so high for a simplified version of chess