- BGG rank
- BGG #222
- BGG rating
- 7.9
Thunder Road: Vendetta
- 2–4 players
- 45–75 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2023
- BGG rank
- BGG #7,511
- BGG rating
- 6.3
Ninja Taisen
2014
Rules assistance for Ninja Taisen
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 20 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.5/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Ninja Taisen
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Ninja Taisen is a board game released in 2014 for 2 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Katsumasa Tomioka and its main mechanics are Roll / Spin and Move, Dice Rolling, and Rock-Paper-Scissors.
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #7,594
- BGG rating
- 6.0
Ninja Versus Ninja
- 2 players
- 15 min
- Complexity 1.3/5
- 2008
- BGG rank
- BGG #8,491
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Thunder Road: Ignition
- 2–4 players
- 25–45 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 2026
- BGG rating
- 8.7
Thunder Road: Vendetta – Maximum Chrome
- 2–5 players
- 45–75 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 2023
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,402
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Warhammer: Diskwars
- 2–4 players
- 45–90 min
- Complexity 2.8/5
- 2013
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,148
- BGG rating
- 6.2
Pizza Box Football
- 1–2 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2005
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,761
- BGG rating
- 6.6
The Ares Project
- 2–4 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 3.3/5
- 2011
- BGG rank
- BGG #281
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Magical Athlete
- 2–6 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.2/5
- 2025
- BGG rank
- BGG #767
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Can't Stop
- 2–4 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.1/5
- 1980
- BGG rank
- BGG #843
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Escape: The Curse of the Temple
- 1–5 players
- 10 min
- Complexity 1.5/5
- 2012
- BGG rank
- BGG #952
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Deep Sea Adventure
- 2–6 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.2/5
- 2014
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,453
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Mountain Goats
- 2–4 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.2/5
- 2010
About the game
Ninja Taisen is a two-player, dice-driven open information abstract game with a random set-up. Both players have identical sets of ten fighters, with three fighters in each of three colors with values 1–3 along with a tri-colored boss valued at 4; these fighters are placed in small stacks of varying size onto a line that's eleven steps long. On a player's turn, he rolls the three colored dice and can make up to three moves accordingly, with the blue die moving a blue fighter, etc. Moving a fighter that has other fighters on top of him moves these other fighters as well. If, as a result of movement, his fighter (or stack of fighters) encounters an enemy, a fight between the two top cards in each stack occurs, the result of which is decided primarily by the color (via a rock-paper-scissors mechanism) and secondarily by the number (highest wins). If the boss wins a fight, its power is reduced by the enemy's power for the remainder of the current fight; if two fighters draw, they both retreat one step toward their own village, possibly precipitating other fights on the same turn. The fight continues until either pile is depleted. The first player to either defeat all of the opposing fighters or reach the end of the line (and clear out the opponent's fighters in his village) wins.
Designers
Publishers
- Portal Games
- IELLO
- minimalGames
- Table Cross
- Penta merone
Questions and answers
Ninja Taisen 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 Ninja Taisen is 20 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 Ninja Taisen 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.
Ninja Taisen has a complexity rating of 1.5 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a 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.
Ninja Taisen belongs to these categories: Fighting and Dice. Its main mechanics are Roll / Spin and Move, Dice Rolling, and Rock-Paper-Scissors. 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 Ninja Taisen are: Katsumasa Tomioka. 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 Ninja Taisen 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.