Reviews of Samurai

Samurai is, to my mind, one of Reiner Knizia’s best games.

There is something about this game that I absolutely love. It’s probably a combination of things: I love the well made components. I like the way the game pieces feel “substantial” and high-quality, and the decision-making and strategic elements are superb.

I’ve played Samurai about five times. So far, it’s a real favourite of my gaming group. I’m not usually interested in abstract games but, for me, Samurai feels less abstract (and a whole lot more fun) than such games as chess, Torres, or another Knizia game, Lost Cities.

This game does require some thinking, so I wouldn’t call it light-weight. You may have to wait a bit for others to analyse their next move, but this generally hasn’t been a problem in the games I’ve played.

In my book, Samurai is a “must have” game.