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Hokito
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Mana
1988
Rules assistance for Mana
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 10–30 min
- 8+
- Complexity 2.0/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Mana
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Mana is a board game released in 1988 for 2 players, 10–30 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Claude Leroy and its main mechanics are Point to Point Movement and Square Grid.
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About the game
Your goal in Mana is to capture the opponent's Daïmio, but sometimes getting captured yourself will prove to be the best plan of attack. Each player has six pieces — one Daïmio and five ronin — with these pieces, either white or black, set up on the back row of a 6x6 game board. Each square of the board has 1, 2, or 3 markings in it. The starting player (black) moves one of their pieces, moving it 1-3 squares depending on the number of markings on its starting location; a player can move a piece orthogonally in any direction, making 90º turns if they wish. A piece cannot move through other pieces, but if it ends its movement on an opponent's piece, that piece is captured and removed from the board. After the first movement, the player looks at the number of markings of the square where their piece landed, then they take the neutral mana bird from the side of the board and place it on an unoccupied square that has the same number of markings. The next player must move one of their pieces standing on a square that has the same number of markings as the square where the mana bird is located — moving that piece a number of squares equal to that number — then they'll move the mana bird in a similar manner based on where that piece lands. If the opponent places the mana bird on, say, a 2 square and you have no pieces on a 2, then you can either (a) move any of your pieces a number of squares equal to the markings on its starting location or (b) reintroduce one of your captured ronin on any unoccupied square of the game board. If you can't move a piece on the appropriately numbered square since they're all blocked, then you can move any of your pieces. Whoever captures the opponent's Daïmio first wins! A winner of the 1987 Concours International de Créateurs de Jeux de Société.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Jactalea
- Fi Du Dé
- Cosmoludo
Questions and answers
Mana supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Mana is 10–30 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 Mana for ages 8 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.
Mana 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.
Mana belongs to these categories: Children's Game and Abstract Strategy. Its main mechanics are Point to Point Movement and Square Grid. 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 Mana are: Claude Leroy. 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 Mana 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.