Kamisado is a game of pure skill and strategy with no dice, cards or other chance element — it's just you against your opponent!
The aim in each round is to be the first to get an octagonal "dragon tower" to the opposite side of the board; towers move in straight lines, either forwards or diagonally forwards. The twist is that you must move the tower of the color matching the space on which the opponent moved on her previous turn. As the game progresses, you'll find that the routes you want to use are blocked by enemy towers — and sometimes your own! If you can't move, your opponent moves again immediately, moving the tower matching the color of the space occupied by the stymied tower.
As the game unfolds, your towers will be promoted to "Sumos" and have the ability to push your opponent's pieces backwards, earning you extra turns. The situations continue to become more complex and challenging, until one player accumulates the required winning total and can be declared a "Kamisado Grand Master" — until the next game!
- tense and pure abstract gameplay
- short playtime and high skill expression
- no luck or hidden information; everything is transparent
- minimal theme may limit appeal for some players
- board setup can feel bulky for casual players
- color-matching competition; no strong narrative
- abstract two-player board with colored towers
- abstract
- five-in-a-row style abstractions
- other Chris Byrne two-player abstracts
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- abstract strategy / movement — move a colored tower forward (diagonally or straight); no backwards movement
- color-determined turn order — the color of the landing square dictates which color tower the opponent must move next
- perfect information — no hidden information; all moves are visible and planned ahead
- race to the far edge — the goal is to get one of your towers to the opponent's back rank
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- oh my god this is one of the most tense abstract games I've ever played
- it's that fast
- I will teach you the game in 30 seconds and chances are we'll finish in the next nine and a half minutes
- this is really solid
- Keyflower is just stuck with me
References (from this video)
- tight, elegant play
- quick rounds with deep decisions
- less accessible to absolute newcomers
- the visuals may feel plain to some players
- strategic rook-like movement with a unique push mechanic
- Japanese themed abstract duel
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- abstract_strategy — move pieces forward to land on opponent's color, influencing next move
- color-driven_move — landing on a color compels the opponent to move a specific piece next
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Nar is a Viking themed whole thing, but the whole timing, the sequencing when you get to fire off those banners, when you're actually making that, it's one of those games that is a small footprint, but I think it builds really well.
- With the expansion, I think it's fantastic. And they integrated some of that stuff in the new version, Sakura Slam.
- I love Clask so much.