Onitama: Light and Shadow

About this expansion

Onitama: Light and Shadow is a two-player game with an approximate 20-minute play time, released in 2022. As the third expansion for Onitama, it introduces a new type of pawn: the Ninja.

Unlike other pawns, the Ninja moves secretly, remaining hidden from the opponent’s view until it is ready to strike. This concealed movement offers a new way to explore Onitama’s elegant and simple system of martial tactics.

Light and Shadow includes two ways to play, each creating a different tactical situation:

• Way of the Shadow: a symmetrical game in which each player deploys their own Ninja.
• Way of the Light: an asymmetrical game that pits one Ninja player against a traditional Onitama Master and Students player.

In Way of the Shadow, both players use the expansion’s hidden presence, creating a balanced contest built around secret Ninja movement. Neither side is the sole wielder of this new type of pawn.

Way of the Light instead contrasts a Ninja player with a player using the traditional Onitama Master and Students. This asymmetrical format gives Light and Shadow a distinct identity, placing secret movement on one side and the established game style on the other.

Whether you choose the symmetrical or asymmetrical format, Onitama: Light and Shadow expands the game’s martial tactics with a Ninja that stays out of sight until the moment of attack. It is designed for two players and keeps the experience within a focused 20-minute play time.