Ninja vs Ninja: Game Review

I’m a fan of Japanese themed board games (surprise!) and can rarely resist the siren call of a new offering. Review sites abound that cover every game I own in great detail, from Reiner Knizia’s Samurai to Dylan Kirk's Genji, so I've never felt compelled to blog about a game until now. I bought a fun family game this summer called Ninja versus Ninja that is worth a look if you are shopping for a short, easy to play game.

The game features a board with parquet floors (instead of tatami mats) representing each dojo and a tile roof marking the neutral territory between them. Based on the familiar game dynamics of Capture the Flag, it is easy to learn yet fun to play because of the variety of strategies a player can select. Best of all, the rules can be simplified for game play with children if you just race to see who can get their ninja to the other side of the board fastest.

All of the game pieces are well designed and show attention to detail. The playing pieces are made of durable rubberized plastic and feature comic-looking ninja along with two stereotypical wizened masters. The four-sided number cubes are inventive as well. Rather than using a pyramid die familiar to role playing gamers, Out of the Box invented their own rectangular prism impaled by a sword that can double as a spinner. The die's colours mimic a culturally appropriate red and black lacquer--a nice finishing touch.

I also appreciate that the rules are available in a variety of languages. If you happen to be in a bicultural marriage, this feature can be a boon so that one partner can’t accuse the other of having an advantage because they understand the rules better. Whether you read English, French, German, Japanese, or Spanish, you can find the rules at OTB's website.

Recently, the game has been gaining wider distribution outside of hobby stores to mall shops like Calendar Club. If you can find a copy, it would make a good Christmas present for that special someone in your life who appreciates a tongue in cheek ninja adventure.

Travis Belrose is the author of The Samurai Poet, a work of historical fiction set in 17th century Japan. Learn more here.