Onitama - Box Espansioni Ita
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The FroGames card
You play the tiger card, move forward two spaces, capture the opponent's student. The tiger card is now theirs. Next turn they might use it against you. That's why you're already thinking three moves ahead.
WHAT IT IS ABOUT
All official Onitama expansions in one box
Onitama is the abstract two-player duel by Shimpei Sato, released in 2014, inspired by Japanese martial arts. On a 5×5 grid, each player deploys five pieces — a master in the center, four students on the sides — and moves them following patterns dictated by five randomly drawn movement cards. The stroke of genius: the card you use passes to your opponent, so your arsenal continuously rotates. Perfect information, zero randomness in the game.
Onitama Expansion Box gathers in a single Italian edition all official expansions published so far: new Movement cards, unreleased pieces, and game modes that add depth without touching the elegance of the original system. Each module can be used alone or combined with others.
The base game won the award for best abstract game at the UK Games Expo 2016 and is among the Mensa recommended titles. Be aware, however: this box is an expansion. To play, you need a copy of Onitama.
In Onitama you don't play your cards: you play a shared deck that rotates. Every move you make is a weapon you hand to your opponent.
The secret of Onitama in one sentence
This box is the answer for those who have played fifty games and know the sixteen basic cards by heart: it makes everyone study from scratch again.
From gaming experience
Onitama — Expansion Box
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews and play sessionsWhat the Expansion Box contains
Four expansions, four ways to rethink Onitama
The Path of the Master
14 new Movement cards, usable alone as an alternative deck or shuffled with those from the base game to create ever-changing combinations. The most direct way to refresh the meta you know by heart.
The Path of the Wind
Adds the Wind Spirit, a neutral piece that both players can move and that constantly shifts the balance of the grid. It doesn't capture: it obstructs, protects, and overturns positions.
Lights and Shadows
Introduces the Ninja and two new game modes, one symmetrical and one asymmetrical, based on hidden movement, bluffing, and deduction. This is the expansion that truly changes the type of game.
Promo Cards
A collection of promotional Movement cards published over the years, until now difficult to acquire. They are added to the pool to further increase the variety of setups.
Sixteen cards kept you busy for fifty games. Now the count starts again from zero.
📦What's insideThe four expansions, one by one▼
The contents
Four expansions in one box
Each module can be explored individually or combined with others. All require the Onitama base game.
14 new Move cards. You can use them alone as an alternative deck, or mix them with those from the base game for ever-changing combinations with each setup.
Adds the Wind Spirit, a neutral piece that both players can move, constantly shifting the balance on the grid. It doesn't capture anyone: it blocks, protects, and moves other pieces.
Introduces the Ninja and two new game modes, one symmetrical and one asymmetrical, built on hidden movement, bluffing, and deduction. It's the module that most radically changes the experience.
A collection of promotional Move cards released over the years, difficult to acquire separately. They add to the pool to further expand the range of possible setups.
🎲How to playThe rules in four moves▼
How to play
The flow of each turn
Two very simple actions that generate emergent complexity. The expansions build upon this framework without changing it.
Each card shows a movement pattern relative to the pawn you move. You can move any of your pieces, student or master, following that pattern exactly.
You move the chosen piece according to the card's pattern. If you land on a square occupied by an opponent, you capture it and remove it from the game. The master can be captured like the others.
The card just used is placed aside, on the opponent's side: they will take it on their turn. You retrieve the card that was waiting on your side and once again have two.
The five cards in play thus rotate between the two players for the entire game. You are not managing your own hand: you are managing a shared arsenal, and every move you make hands a weapon to the other player.
⏱️Your first gameThe story, moment by moment▼
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
Asymmetric setup
Draw five random Move cards from the pool. You each have two, the fifth remains aside and indicates who starts. Already here you begin to study the patterns: that card allows a devastating leap forward, but after using it, it will be theirs.
First skirmishes
You move a student according to one of your cards, then that card passes to your opponent. They will do the same. After two turns, you've already exchanged the entire arsenal. You begin to understand: you're not playing your cards, you're playing a shared, rotating pool.
Positional warfare
The 5×5 grid tightens. Every square counts. You advance with your master to threaten the enemy Temple Arch, but exposing it is risky. You capture an opponent's student, and the card you used is now theirs: next turn they could use it to counterattack exactly where you don't want them to.
The deciding move
You see the opening: with the card in your hand, you can reach the enemy Temple Arch and close. But if you do it now, you pass them exactly the card they can use to capture your master next turn. You decide to sacrifice a student to force them to burn that card. It works. Or maybe not.
Victory (or lesson)
One of the two conditions occurs: master captured, or opponent's master reached your Temple Arch. The game lasted fifteen minutes, but you feel like you played a mental marathon. Reset the pieces, draw five new cards. Start again immediately.
🐸What to know beforehandThree honest things, from friends▼
What to know beforehand
Three things you should consider
It's an expansion, not a game
The box does not contain the board and base pieces: you need a copy of Onitama to play. If you're buying your first Onitama, start with the base game and come back here after a few games. If you already have it, this is the box you've been waiting for.
Real analysis paralysis
Perfect information and asymmetric setup mean that there is always an optimal move, in theory. Some players get stuck looking for it. If you suffer from decision paralysis in chess, Onitama can give you the same problem — even if the small grid and short games help.
Makes everyone study again
With the sixteen base cards, veterans recognize patterns at a glance. By adding new decks, the Wind Spirit, and especially the Light and Shadow modes, even those with a hundred games under their belt have to re-evaluate. It's the main advantage of the box, but if you were just looking for a few more cards, keep that in mind.
🏆Victory and defeatWhat the ending rewards▼
How it ends
How to win (two ways)
The game ends as soon as one of the two conditions is met. The expansions do not affect these rules: the Light and Shadow modes add their own conditions on top of these.
Victory
- Way of the Stone: you capture the opponent's master by moving one of your pieces to their square
- Way of the Stream: you move your master to the opponent's Temple Arch, the central square of their starting row
- In both cases, the game ends instantly, without counting
Defeat
- Your master is captured
- The opponent's master reaches your Temple Arch
- You exposed your pieces without calculating which card you were giving to the other player: that's how you truly lose
The Expansion Box does not change these rules. It changes everything else: the cards in circulation, the pieces on the board, and with Light and Shadow even the type of information you have available. It's Onitama, multiplied by four.
💬Frequently Asked QuestionsQuick answers before checkout▼
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ about Onitama Expansion Box
Do I need the base game to use the Expansion Box?
Yes. This box contains expansions: Move cards, additional pieces and materials. To play, you need the 5×5 board, masters and students from the Onitama base game. It is not a standalone product.
Which expansions are included?
All official ones published so far: The Way of the Master (14 new Move cards), The Way of the Wind (the Wind Spirit, a neutral piece), Light and Shadow (the Ninja and two new game modes), and the Promo cards released over the years. Each module can be used alone or combined with others.
Can I mix base and expansion cards?
Yes, and it's the recommended way. Draw five random cards from the complete pool for ever-changing setups, or build chosen combinations if you prefer to control the balance of the game. The system supports any mix.
What truly changes with Light and Shadow?
It is the most transformative module. It introduces the Ninja and two game modes, one symmetrical and one asymmetrical, based on hidden movement, bluffing, and deduction. Onitama was born as a perfect information game: here, for the first time, there is something your opponent cannot see.
What mechanics does Onitama use?
Pattern movement (each card dictates precise movements), hand management (you choose which of the two cards to play), capture by occupation (you eliminate by moving to an enemy square), 5×5 square grid, and perfect information, without dice or drawing during the game.
Is the edition in Italian?
Yes, it is the Italian edition curated by Studio Supernova: box, rulebook, and card names are in Italian. The Move cards still communicate through grids and symbols, so they remain readable even for those who have the base game in another language.
The people behind the game
Who invented it, who publishes it — and what else they've done.
Onitama Expansion Box is the Italian collection of all official expansions for Onitama, the abstract strategy game for 2 players by Shimpei Sato and published in Italy by Studio Supernova. Playtime 15-20 minutes, recommended age 14+. It includes Sensei's Path with 14 new Move cards, Way of the Wind with the Wind Spirit (neutral piece), Light and Shadow with the Ninja and two new game modes based on hidden movement, bluffing and deduction, and the Promo cards released over the years. Pattern movement system with cards that rotate between players on a 5x5 grid, perfect information and zero randomness in game. Requires the Onitama base game to play. Expected release September 2026. Pre-orderable on FroGames.it.
Onitama - Box Espansioni Ita
Frequently Asked Questions
The answers you're looking for, no beating around the bush.
📸Do the images match the actual product?
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📦Does the content of the box match what is indicated?
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