Basically, instead of pieces having move sets, you get a deck of cards that give you move sets you can use on whatever piece you want. Genius design, replay-ability, easy to learn, endless to master. Recommend the light & shadow expansion, best one by far, the other ones are also a solid choice to upgrade!Amazing two player game!Similar to chess, but easier to learn, typically quicker to play, and a more interesting replayability factor. There is also enough variety introduced with the cards to increase the level of startegy that can be used while playing. The only luck involved with this game is in the drawing of the cards at the beginning, other than that this game is all strategy. Simple enough for my 7 year old, but still interesting and fun for adults.Would love to see it in a tube for better transportation, but the components are decent quality and I'm really happy with this game. I'm sure I will buy the expansions and I'm sure this game will be going camping with us since it's so portable.I love demolishing my gf in this game.Onitama is one of those perfect 2 player games that lives up to all of the hype you may have seen or heard before. I have nothing but praise for the game myself; I often like playing the app version of it as well with friends or random opponents. It is quick, simple to learn, and the victories are quite rewarding. Players who are very experienced with the game and love strategy and planning your moves in advance will find a wealth of possibility and options for how each game plays out.After opening the amazing magnetic box that Onitama comes in, you'll unfold a high quality neoprene mate, place the Master and Student pawns along the bottom of the board and select randomly 5 cards from the deck of 16 that come with the game. These 5 cards form your pool of movement cards which detail how your pieces may attack and position themselves. Unlike something like Chess or another favorite 2 player game Hive; your pieces do not have set moves they can perform. Practicing the different forms of martial arts in Onitama allows all pieces to move in any direction so long as it mimics the positions on one of the two movement cards you currently have access to. When you have completed a move the card you just used move off to the side and will eventually be a card in your opponent's hand. This cyclic movement of cards keeps games fresh and always changing even between individual turns.You can win this tournament of skill either by capturing your opponent's Master or by moving your Master across the board to their seat of Power. Having two victory conditions and random movement cards each time really makes for exciting games. Much like Chess you can try to bait someone into a trap or focus on being aggressive in how you play, much will depend on how far in advance you can visualize some of the end game moves and the luck or hope that your opponent plays the card you need to advance your plans. It's a wonderful back and forth dance between players with movement cards being themed around martial arts styles and having correlated flavor text at the bottom of the cards to enjoy.Game length can vary a lot just as it would with Chess, you might fall victim to a feigned sacrifice and the game end early or the both of you might find yourself in a clear stalemate situation and it take someone losing a bit of focus to turn the tides. I never mind how games of Onitama play out, they are all fun and I think each time you play you'll pick up a bit more skill and strategy for next time. An absolutely wonderful game, amazing production quality, and is a great choice for anyone who likes and enjoys Hive or Chess. We play all three of these games pretty regularly and love when Onitama is out on the table, it also falls into a category for us of games that travel well and can be played anywhere!GAME OVERVIEW:2-player, abstract strategy game of a martial arts masters with their student in a courtyard. Goal is to defeat the opponent's master or get your master into to the other player's throne/chair/colored space.Each player will use cards to direct the moves of the their units -- very similar to Low Stress Chess, which is the first game I saw this type of mechanic used.COMPONENTS:> The pawns look strange, but they should last forever. Still wish they looked not so. . .strange. I'm not sure how else to describe it. It is almost like they are aliens instead of Shaolin monks acolytes.+ The masters look better and also should last the test of time. Nice and durable+The Neoprene mat (yes, same as a mouse pad) works perfectly for a no-slip play mat.+ Cards are great with the Asian characters, which brings great flavor to the cards and they are of adequate durability for a game. This is the one thing you'll be handling the most, so after a few hundred games you may be ordering a new copy of the game or replacement cards. . .but only after a few hundred games.THEME:+ The theme feels strong in this game.In many ways, it feels similar to a chess King and pawns battle -- but primary through card directed movement -- and with an Asian theme.LEARNING CURVE:+ Low learning curve.Very easy to learn, but difficult to master. Much, much easier to learn and teach than chess, since there are very few rules.BALANCE:> There are several comments on BoardGameGeek and other places that the Tiger and Ostrich cards are unbalanced in the original version and in the newer version Tiger remains an overpowered card. Many players simply remove the cards from the deck.LUCK:+ Low luck, as the first hand is random but after that players are maneuvering with a set of cards that each sees. By the way you cannot move without directions from the cards drawn and made available to each player.Thus, some people who hate randomness may be put off by the idea of cards directing your moves, but the randomness is very brief and only at the start of the game.STRATEGY:+ You can see the cards that your opponent is going to use to move and you see the cards you're going to use. Thus the decisions you have to make are very important and if you lose the game, it is because you let your opponent capitalize on moves that you either didn't see, didn't plan for or simply couldn't stop as you had limited choices in front of you.FINAL THOUGHTS:+ A very good 2-player, abstract game. Lots of strategy. Some people hate not being able to move pieces based on rules, like in chess, but the cards work out very well and keep it random each game play. . .thus lots of replayability.> Only recommendation for improvement is to have a grid identifier for the play area, so you could play remotely with a friend who has a copy of their own game. Not sure if having Alpha on one side and Numeric on another would break the immersion of the theme or not, but it would be very helpful.Overall, nice fun two-player game that also comes in a cool Jenga type box. When I take one of my kids to $1 Tuesdays at Baskin Robbins this will be one of the games we play while enjoying some yummy ice cream.I bought this game twice in the past month. The first time I purchased for myself and we loved it, when my daughter came home for a weekend we showed her the game and she loved it also, so I decided to buy her a game for her home also. When her game arrived she came down to pick it up and we opened it so she can play it and one of the blue student pawn pieces was missing. I did not know how to rate the game considering we love it but we would like all the pieces to it. I would like to request the missing piece sent to me but unsure of how to contact for the missing piece.I’m a high school teacher and every student I’ve taught this game to has picked it up quickly and enjoyed playing. Great little battle of wits that’s easy to learn, quick to set up, and always a good time.Oh wow, if Chess had a much cooler, trendy younger cousin, this would be it.I love how each game is different due to only using 5 of the movement cards a game. Then they are shuffled and another 5 chosen for the next game. Not only that but it is easy to teach new players because the cards illustrate how you can move, you don't need to memorise them and be at a disadvantage while you learn.It also looks AMAZING on your shelf, I love the stylised art. TIP: keep any long distance movement cards as they keep your opponent wary.This is a fantastic 2 player game if you like strategy or chess type games. Is dead simple mechanics that just require thinking and an element of luck. Has an Oriental theme , the pieces are a good size and the board and cards feel and look good quality. In fact , the "box" it is stored in is very clever and is a pleasant surprise when first opened. Makes a really cool gift visually and playability. Recommended !Brought it as me and a friend have started to enjoy board games and wanted something more strategic but not overly complicated. Was very easy to pick up as the moves you can make are on the cards you deal out and don't have to remember a load of rules that will often be forgotten. By the end of the first game both had gotten the rules and how to play down and ended up playing multiple times on a weekend away upwards of 15 games. was very enjoyable and very accessible.Brilliant present for my bro. Instantly played several hours towards midnight the evening we received it! The game is wonderful chess variation but simpler and shorter. The only problems are the box should have been a "travel size" and hence cost a bit less (like the first iteration by the designer!) and the actual pieces are a bit tacky plastic. So I suggested we get some wood and carve our own pieces.If you're looking for a new boardgame, this is probably the one for 2 players to "must" own and use.This is an amazing game, a little like programable chess.When you lose at this game, its so frustrating, because it was your own fault. You litterally gave your opponent the moves needed to win.Plays in only a short time, and takes seconds to teach someone how to play.Nice components, and a great play mat to play on, which is like a printed mouse mat.I love this game, it will stay in my collection for sure.I even made my own travel version for when on trains :-)