Description
The ninjas have brought rocks, scissors and paper into battle. In Ninjan you collect the strongest ninjas by using them to beat the cards in the middle of the table. The rules are the ones every child knows: rock beats scissors, scissors beat paper and paper beats rock. Each card also has a value from −6 to 10, so it matters which pile you take.
How to play Ninjan
Everyone gets 9 cards, and three cards are placed in the middle to start three piles. Each round, everyone chooses and reveals one card at the same time. You then resolve them from the highest value to the lowest. If your card beats the top card of one of the piles by the rock, paper, scissors rule, you take the whole pile and put your card in its place. If it beats none of them, you have to place it on one of the piles.
After nine rounds, you add up the values of all the cards you have collected. The player with the most points wins, and a tie is settled by a game of rock, paper, scissors.
Why you will like it
- Any child can explain the rules, yet the decisions are still interesting.
- A high card is resolved first, but a low one can take the pile the high card has just left behind.
- When you can't win, you can slip a card with a negative value onto a pile for your opponents.
- Everyone plays at the same time, so there is no waiting and the game moves quickly.
Who is Ninjan for
The game is for 2 to 5 players aged 7 and up and takes 15 to 30 minutes. It is easy to learn, and players like it best with two or three. There is no text on the cards, only symbols and numbers.
What you might not like
Because everyone reveals their cards at the same time, plans quickly fall apart, so it may not suit those who prefer games with long-term planning.
What's in the box
- 48 cards with values from −6 to 10 in three colours
- 5 player aids
- rulebook
