Fool Opponents with Traps and Steal Their Treasures in Light Card Game Ninjitsu!

It's so easy to steal from your opponents, but do so with caution because you never know when a trap will be lurking!

A stand-alone sequel to Jellybean Games’ Scuttle, Ninjitsu! is a light, family-friendly card game with plenty of bluffing and direct player interaction.

Gameplay

The deck is shuffled, four cards are dealt to each player, and the remaining cards are placed in the center to form the draw pile.

On your turn you must choose one of the following actions: draw two cards, steal a secret from another player, play a card from your hand either into the discard pile for its action (such as moving cards around, stealing cards, or drawing cards), face up in front of you as a treasure, or face down in front of you as a secret.

Most cards have a point value and when you have twenty-one points divided between your treasures and secrets at the start of your turn, you win the game. When you play a card into your treasure pile, you ignore any action on it. When you steal a secret from an opponent, you turn it face up. Some cards are worth more points when acting as secrets, while others are traps. Traps cause a negative effect to occur when they are stolen.

Photo by Erik Yurko, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0.

Review

Ninjitsu! is an extremely light little card game that blends bluffing with take-that elements and fast gameplay. How you divide your cards between secrets and treasures is key, and tricking your opponents into drawing trap cards is quite satisfying.

The components are high quality. The cards are made from a nice material, are sturdy, and pleasant to handle. The artwork is adorable and unique, and gives the game a fun personality. (As a fun bonus, if you own the publisher’s other game Scuttle! both decks are compatible with each other and can be mixed together.)

The luck factor in this game is high, with a lot riding on what you draw. However, the game is so fast that most players won’t object to this.

Perfect for when you only have a few minutes for a game, or want to play multiple rounds in quick succession, Ninjitsu! fits the bill and fills it well, particularly for a group that’s a fan of take-that mechanics.

Pros: High quality components, fast gameplay, simple rules, fun bluffing and take-that elements

Cons: Some players may find it to be too luck based

Disclosure: we received a complimentary review copy of this game.