card & board strategy the wire-fu, black pajamas approach to ninjas - a bunch of stereotypes really. Sometimes I’m all in for silly stuff. But in Ninjato, we’ve designed a game with a more serious take on what a ninja is and what they did. Still mingled with myth and legend of course - and all the qualities you point out. But if you’re up for a full-on ninja experience and a deep strategy game, Ninjato delivers on fun. B: How would you describe the ‘scene’ set by the board llustration? The scene is a dark village right after dusk. The houses are ready for sleep, shadows have fallen over the area and only a few lamps provide light. it’s a great moment for a ninja to strike! It came about when I told Drew we wanted this village to set the tone for the game and I really wanted an bird’s eye view. We were looking at the game board for Witch of Salem and Yspahan. But of course it had to accommodate the design as well. Drew had never done a full game board before. I think it turned out wonderfully. Very evocative of the theme.
That’s alot to ask, but I hope so. In some ways, being associated with another well known game is a good thing. But you don’t want to be so close that you look like a rip-off. Ninjato isn’t a rip off of any of these games. By crediting things, you’re giving credit to those designers who have poured their sweat into mechanics and design and influenced yours. I believe art builds on the past. Sometimes you break out with something completely novel. Ninjato has a central mechanism that none of these games share and that I’ve never seen before. So for that, I hope we’re seen as a great game with original ideas. : Is there a way for a player to win by concentrating on a particular location on the board, or is it necessary to balance between the dojo, pavilion, clan house etc.?
You absolutely have to use all parts of the game to win. This creates a flow - you ready yourself in the dojo, you learn skills at the sensei and have to attack houses and you must influence envoys - and spread a few rumors too. In this game, you can’t ignore your opponents at all. Every move you make must anticipate their move. No move can be wasted. So even while playing, you have to think like a ninja, : You have credited Stone Age, Incan Gold train like a ninja and strike like a ninja. The and The Prince of Florence as significant influences on your game design. Do you hope game plays differently each time out because it evolves differently and depends on the play that Ninjato will stand out as an important around the table. piece of work in the history of gaming?
Players have three shuriken they can place on the board to perform their actions. The entire board is a village - so you can place your shuriken in the dojo and take cards that represent your martial arts, at the sensei to learn ninja skills, or invade a house to steal treasure. After collecting treasure, players can give them to envoys of the clans at the palace to gain their influence or use them to spread rumors at the pavilion.