- BGG rank
- BGG #8,548
- BGG rating
- 6.5
Lutèce
- 2–5 players
- 30–90 min
- Complexity 1.9/5
- 2015
- BGG rank
- BGG #7,993
- BGG rating
- 6.4
Kenjin
2015
Rules assistance for Kenjin
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 30 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.0/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Kenjin
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Kenjin is a board game released in 2015 for 2–4 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Nicolas Sato and its main mechanics are Area Majority / Influence and Secret Unit Deployment.
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About the game
A merciless war is raging throughout feudal Japan, fueled by the hunger for power or the desire for peace of its great lords. As one of them, you must defend your territory from the enemy threatening your borders. Now it's time to command your troops and read through your opponent's strategy to take over the battlefield and prevail! Kenjin is a quick and subtle card game of bluffing and tactics. You share two random battlefields with each of the players next to you: one worth 4 points, the other 6. You get a hand of thirteen cards numbered from 0 to 3. They are your peasants, thugs, lords. On your turn, send two of them to one or two of your battlefields. When all the cards have been played, each battlefield is won by the player with the highest sum of card values there. Some cards are always played face up, others always face down. Some of them also have a special power: Use your peasants (0) to lure your opponent's troops to a battlefield, or to score more points if they survive. Play a Lord (2) early as it's strengthened by each new reinforcement thereafter. Terrains also impact a battle's outcome: Peasants take arms to protect their rice fields, while military strength is not always enough when you fight over a palace. Once each battlefield has been scored, the player with the most victory points wins.
Designers
Publishers
- Kaissa Chess & Games
- IELLO
- Superlude Éditions
Questions and answers
Kenjin supports 2–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Kenjin is 30 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Kenjin for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Kenjin has a complexity rating of 2.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Kenjin belongs to these categories: Card Game, Deduction, and Bluffing. Its main mechanics are Area Majority / Influence and Secret Unit Deployment. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Kenjin are: Nicolas Sato. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Kenjin as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.