Senjutsu: Battle For Japan

Players command one of four samurai warriors and fight duels on a modular battlefield. Each warrior has distinct strengths, weaknesses, and a personal playstyle rooted in Bushido. Build a 40-card Ability Deck from a shared pool of attacks, blocks, mediations, and special moves, then draw a hand each round. Players select cards facedown and reveal them simultaneously, compare initiatives, and resolve effects to move, strike, and manage wounds. A samurai who accumulates five wounds is removed from play. The game supports 1–4 players and uses detailed miniatures to represent positioning and combat.

Players: 1–4 best 2
Playing time: 15–20 min
Age: 14+
Complexity: 2.9 / 5

7.2 on Ludoya from $29.99DeductionGrid MovementHand ManagementDeck Construction

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Full stats in Ludoya

191
Plays logged: 77
Players: 48m 58s
Average play: 49
In collections: 12
On wishlists: 2
Pre-ordered

7.2/10

from 25 Ludoya reviews

Fun8.8
Interaction7.4
Replayability7.4
Uniqueness6.0
Looks7.4
Accessibility4.6

Blaine7.8
Senjutsu is a stunning and thematically brilliant skirmisher. Each character has clear design intent and varied playstyle which impacts your interactions and gameplay approach. The expansions add characters with further complexity above those in the base game allowing for a range of challenge and mental requirement. The game is especially beautiful when you have the all 3D scenery, rather than the 2D cardboard cutouts. Learning to use your card's abilities to manipulate your hand reduces the impact of random card draw and increases a player's agency, which becomes more apparent with time played and with deck building. Definitely a game that will stand the test of time for those who invest time into it! Sure enough Senjutsu's complexity is it's most off-putting trait; with card reading functioning like it's own language. For those who are willing the game offers rewards far outweighing the cost.