Game Classification

A conversion of the board game of the same name, Samurai is a turn-based strategy game set in pre-unification Japan.As a warlord trying to unite the country under one authority, it is the player's task to gain the support of as many cities as possible.

The game takes place on a hex map with the player placing different tiles next to cities to influence them. There are three different types of pieces (represented by different caste-symbols) that must be acquired: Clergy (represented by Buddha-symbols), nobility (represented by helmet-symbols) and peasants (represented by rice-symbols). Most cities contain only one piece, but larger cities can contain two or even three pieces. Placing an appropriate tile next to a city (for example a Buddha-tile next to a city showing a Buddha-symbol) increases the players influence over that city. Once a city is completely surrounded on land, its piece(s) go(es) to the player who has the most influence on them. That is, the numbers of all surrounding tiles are added up and the player with the highest number gains the piece(s). If two players have the same number, no one wins the piece(s). If a city contains more than one piece, they are not necessarily won by the same player; depending on how the tiles have been placed, different pieces from the same city can go to different players.

Apart from the normal tiles that only influence castes with a corresponding symbol, there are also special tiles. Samurai, Ronin and ship tiles influence all castes. Ship tiles are also the only type of tiles that can be placed on water. Exchange tiles are used to pick up already used tiles and play them again. Piece swap tiles can be used to switch pieces (castes) between two cities. Finally, tiles are divided into slow and fast tiles. Each turn, the player can play one slow tile plus as many fast tiles from his deck as he wants.

Samurai features two gameplay modes (classic and domination) with different winning-conditions and supports up to four players.

[source:mobygames]

Distribution : Retail - Commercial
Platform(s) : Macintosh - PC (Windows)

Links

• http://www.mobygames.com/game/reiner-knizias-samurai/