
- BGG rank
- BGG #249
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Captain Sonar
- 2–8 players
- 45–60 min
- Complexity 2.2/5
- 2016

Rules assistance for Senjutsu: Battle For Japan – The Ghost in the Night
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Senjutsu: Battle For Japan – The Ghost in the Night is an expansion for Senjutsu: Battle For Japan released in 2023 for 1–4 players, 15–20 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Paul D. Allen, James Faulkner, and Dan Knight and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Simultaneous Action Selection, and Grid Movement.
This add-on consists of a Ninja miniature with ability cards and a solo deck. The Ninja or Concealed Warrior, is quick and deadly. Armed with the Kusarigama, a chained flail and sickle, he moves with the environment as his ally. His unique Ability Cards feature tracks, secret weapons and smoke bombs. Use these unusual cards to escape from tight spots on the battlefield and fight on. However, beware long combats! The Ninja suffers when exposed to the light of day.
Senjutsu: Battle For Japan – The Ghost in the Night supports 1–4 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 Senjutsu: Battle For Japan – The Ghost in the Night is 15–20 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 Senjutsu: Battle For Japan – The Ghost in the Night for ages 14 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.
Senjutsu: Battle For Japan – The Ghost in the Night has a complexity rating of 3.5 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
Senjutsu: Battle For Japan – The Ghost in the Night belongs to these categories: Fighting, Deduction, and Expansion for Base-game. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Simultaneous Action Selection, and Grid Movement. 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 Senjutsu: Battle For Japan – The Ghost in the Night are: Paul D. Allen, James Faulkner, and Dan Knight. 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 Senjutsu: Battle For Japan – The Ghost in the Night as an expansion for Senjutsu: Battle For Japan. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Senjutsu: Battle For Japan to use it. Check that your edition of Senjutsu: Battle For Japan is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.