Shadow Ninjas

About this board game

Shadow Ninjas is a hidden-movement, one-versus-many game for 2–5 players, with a typical play time of 20 minutes. Released in 2024, it places a group of Ninja players against a Guard player in a contest of deception, investigation, and uncertain identities.

Several shadow tokens are in play, and some of them conceal the Ninjas belonging to individual players. The twist is that every Ninja player may move any of the shadow tokens. You could guide your own hidden Ninja toward victory—or accidentally move another player’s token into danger or away from success.

Because nobody can be sure which shadow conceals which Ninja, bluffing and a convincing poker face are central to the experience. Ninja players must act carefully, concealing their identities while influencing the movement of shadows across the game.

• Hidden movement: Shadow tokens conceal the locations of individual Ninjas.
• One-versus-many play: A Guard player faces all the shadows that must be investigated.
• Bluffing and misdirection: Ninja players can move any shadow token, creating uncertainty about their true intentions.

The Guard player is outnumbered but must not be overwhelmed while investigating the shadows. Their task is to protect the Shogun’s prized koi carp, even as the concealed Ninjas and their shifting tokens make it difficult to determine where the real danger lies.

With its compact play time and focus on hidden identities, Shadow Ninjas offers a concentrated test of deception and deduction. Every movement can raise suspicion, create an opportunity, or send the wrong shadow in exactly the wrong direction.