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Ninjago: The Board Game
2011
Rules assistance for Ninjago: The Board Game
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 15–25 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.3/5
Rules assistant for Ninjago: The Board Game
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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Ninjago: The Board Game is a board game released in 2011 for 2–4 players, 15–25 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Cephas Howard and Bastiaan Brederode and its main mechanics are Roll / Spin and Move and Cooperative Game.
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About the game
Can you and your fellow ninja claim the four golden weapons and keep them away from the skeleton general and his army before they overrun the ninja fortress? You would think so, given that the weapons are hidden within your fortress, but ninja are sometimes so sneaky that they forget where they hid things. Start looking, ninja! In Ninjago: The Board Game, a spin-off of the 2011 line of Ninjago spin-and-attack figures from LEGO, players must work together to claim the weapons and fight back the skeleton guards you'll encounter. On a turn, you spin the die, then take one of the following actions: • On a two, you move your ninja up to two spaces, searching a guardhouse for a weapon if you stop in a space where a guardhouse is located. • On a one/guard, move one space, then place a skeleton guard on a space occupied by a ninja. • On a one/general, move one space, then move the skeleton general one space down the temple steps. • On a rope/general, attach a rope to your ninja's head (!) and a nearby guardhouse, then swing to any space that you can reach and land there, then move the general down the temple steps one space. If a skeleton guard is in your space at the start of your turn, spin the spinner. If it lands on your color or the color of any other ninja in that space, you defeat the guard and take a normal turn; otherwise, move the general down one step and lose your turn. If the general reaches the bottom of the steps, he steal one weapon from you, then climbs to the top of the steps once again to begin another descent. If you have claimed no weapons by the time this happens, you all lose the game. Once all the weapons are claimed or captured by the general, enter the final battle, taking turns with the spinner to see whether the general captures another weapon, whether the ninja do, or whether nothing happens. Your sensei awaits on the side of the board, ready to aide you once during this final battle to protect the weapons – unless you've already used his power during the game. As with all the LEGO games, Ninjago: The Board Game includes multiple variants, such as adjusting the power of the sensei, adding a memory component, adding or removing steps in the temple to tweak the general's effect.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- LEGO
Questions and answers
Ninjago: The Board Game 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 Ninjago: The Board Game is 15–25 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 Ninjago: The Board Game 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.
Ninjago: The Board Game has a complexity rating of 1.3 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.
Ninjago: The Board Game belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Fighting, and Children's Game. Its main mechanics are Roll / Spin and Move and Cooperative Game. 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 Ninjago: The Board Game are: Cephas Howard and Bastiaan Brederode. 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 Ninjago: The Board Game 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.