Onitama

The game is played on a 5x5 board. Each player receives five pieces, one master piece, known as the Shrine, placed in the middle back row, and four pieces flanking the master, known as pupils. Sixteen movement cards dictate the movement of the pieces during the game. Five of the 16 movement cards are utilized per game.[4]

The goal of the game is to capture the opponent's master piece, known as Way of the Stone, or to move their master piece into the opponent's Shrine, known as the Way of the Stream. Players shuffle the 16 movement cards and then give two movement cards to each player and one movement card is placed on the side of the board for a total of 5 movement cards in play.

Each piece can be captured, and captures other pieces, the same way which is based on the movement provided by the movement cards. After one player moves he or she must replace the movement card at the side with the used movement card, allowing both players rotating access to all 5 movement cards in play.[5]

Two expansion packs were also released "Sensei's Path" which includes 16 unique, new, cards that can be used as a standalone set of move cards instead of those found in the base game. The other expansion pack is "The Way of the Wind" which introduces a new neutral piece that can be moved by both players. The wind spirit is an impassable object, neither students nor masters may move into a space occupied by it. Also, if the wind spirit lands on a student pawn, it does not capture it, instead, it swaps places with the student.

• Onitama Publisher Page
• Onitama on BoardGameGeek