Game Description

Immerse yourself in the heart of medieval Japan with Samurai board game, a strategy masterpiece by Reiner Knizia. This captivating board game transports you to an era of daimyō and honor, where your strategic skill will decide the fate of the Empire. Compete for the favor of three powerful factions – the noble samurai, the industrious peasants, and the wise priests – represented by helmets, rice paddies, and Buddha statues scattered across the islands of the Japanese archipelago. Deep strategy and crucial decisions await you at every turn to dominate feudal Japan.

The battle for influence unfolds through the clever placement of hexagonal tiles. Each tile allows you to increase your prestige with one or all three factions simultaneously. You can launch swift attacks with mounted ronin and ships, quickly conquering key positions, or adopt a more methodical approach, consolidating your territory control. As the figures (helmets, rice paddies, and Buddhas) become surrounded, they are assigned to the player who has exerted the greatest influence over the corresponding factions, making every move decisive.

The game concludes when all symbols of one type have been removed from the board or when four figures are removed due to an influence tie. Ultimately, players compare the captured symbols of each type, vying for the majority in each of the three categories. Ties are common and are resolved based on the number of other "non-majority" symbols collected. Samurai, published in 1998 by Fantasy Flight Games, is a cornerstone among majority games and part of Reiner Knizia's acclaimed tile-laying trilogy, offering a refined and timeless gaming experience.

Perfect for lovers of strategic board games seeking depth and replayability:

• Players: 2-4
• Duration: Approximately 60 minutes
• Publication Year: 1998
• Publisher: Fantasy Flight Games