Onitama
Onitama is a two-player, perfect information abstract game with a random starting set-up. On a 5x5 board, both players start with five pawns on their side, with the main pawn in the middle.
Each player has two open cards that each display a possible move for any of her pieces. There is a fifth card that cannot be used by either player. On a player's turn, she chooses one of her cards, moves one of her pieces according to the chosen card, then replaces the card she used with the fifth card. The other player then chooses one of his cards, moves accordingly, and exchanges that card with this fifth card - which is, of course, the card the first player just used.
Moving onto one of the opponent's pawns removes that pawn from the game. Taking the opponent's main pawn, or moving your main pawn into your opponent's main pawn's starting space, wins you the game.
Number of players: 2
Game duration: 10 mn
Complexity: 2 / 5
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Play Onitama and 943 other games online.
No download necessary - play directly from your web browser.
With your friends and thousands of players from the whole world.
Free.
Rules summary
Setup
- Both players have 5 pawns, 4 students and 1 master.
- The master starts on the temple arch.
- 2 students start on each side of the master.
- Shuffle the 16 move cards and deal 2 to each player face up as their starting hand.
- Put another card in the middle.
- Remove the remaining 11 move cards from the game.
Gameplay
- The player with the same colour as the stamp in the middle goes first.
- On your turn, do these two actions in order:
- 1. Move
- 2. Exchange
- If you can make a legal move, you must make it.
- If you can't make a legal move, you must skip moving and still exchange.
Actions
MOVE
- Choose one of the two move cards in your hand.
- Then, choose a pawn and move it as shown on the card.
- The square grid illustrates the possible moves.
- The black square in the middle represents the space your chosen pawn occupies.
- The coloured spaces show where your pawn can move in relation to its starting position.
- You can move your pawn to any one of the spaces indicated.
- Other pawns and temple arches don't block the movement of the pawn across the board.
- You can never make a move that would cause a pawn to move off the board or move onto the same square as one of your own pawns.
Capturing
- If your pawn moves onto a square that is occupied by one of your opponent's pawns, the opponent's pawn is immediately captured and removed from the game.
- Moving over or through a square occupied by an opponent's piece does not capture it.
EXCHANGE
- Add the move card in the middle to your hand.
- You may use it starting from the next turn.
- Take the move card you just used and place it in the middle facing your opponent.
- If you couldn't move, you can choose either of the two cards in your hand.
Winning
- There are two ways to win:
- Capture your opponent's master pawn.
- Move your master pawn to your opponent's temple arch space.