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- BGG #10,759
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- 6.5
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Shinobi
2015
Rules assistance for Shinobi
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 4–6 players
- 15–20 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.4/5
Rules assistant for Shinobi
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Shinobi is a board game released in 2015 for 4–6 players, 15–20 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Josep M. Allué and its main mechanics are Player Elimination.
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About the game
The Great Daimyo of the Ninja Clans has died in mysterious circumstances, just as it happened with his predecessor, and his predecessor’s predecessor, and so on so forth back to immemorial times. In order to take his place and serve the Shogun, the Daimyos of each clan have started the choosing process, and yes, you are said Daimyos. If you want to become the next Great Daimyo, you only need to manage one thing: Be the last survivor. During your turn in Shinobi Assasins, you must attack the three rivals on your right, giving each of them an attack card face down. As you do so, you must tell each of them which weapon you're attacking them with — but of course this DOESN’T have to be TRUE. Remember, we’re Ninjas. Upon receiving the face-down attack, the assaulted player must mark the kind of attack he’s been told to be receiving by placing a black cube on top of the appropriate weapon icon on the back of the card. If a player has already received two identical attacks from other ninjas, be they true or not, you cannot repeat the same attack a third time. When you attack, you can say whatever you want and gesticulate frantically or subtly wink to another player, anything you deem necessary to confuse them as to which attack you’re really assigning. Remember, deceit will be your most powerful weapon. Once you’ve assigned three of your ninjas to attack your rivals, the following player will do the same. Once all the players have assigned their attacks, each of you will have before you three face-down attack cards, courtesy of the loving clans to your left. Each card will have a cube marking the weapon the attacking ninja is supposedly using. The time has come to use intuition, dodge and denounce.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Japanime Games
- GDM Games
Questions and answers
Shinobi supports 4–6 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 Shinobi 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 Shinobi for ages 10 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.
Shinobi has a complexity rating of 1.4 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.
Shinobi belongs to these categories: Card Game, Deduction, and Bluffing. Its main mechanics are Player Elimination. 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 Shinobi are: Josep M. Allué. 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 Shinobi 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.