A board game box for "Kamisado" by Peter Burley with two game pieces on top, one black and one white, both featuring Asian characters, and a "HUCH & friends" logo on the bottom right corner, all placed on a grey woven surface.
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Kamisado (2008)

ByMichail

Kamisado

Kamisado is an abstract strategy board game for two players that is played on an 8×8 multicolored board. Each player controls a set of eight octagonal dragon tower pieces. Each player’s set of dragon towers contains a tower to match each of the colors that appear on the squares of the board (i.e., a brown tower, a green tower, etc.). One player’s towers have gold dragons mounted on the top, while the other player’s towers are topped with black dragons. The game was designed by Peter Burley and published by Burley Games.

Interview with Peter Burley

In an interview, designer Peter Burley said that the design of Kamisado dated back to a chance observation in a men’s room in the 1970s. “I noticed that the floor had an interesting pattern of small colored tiles”, he said. “I mentally made a note that this could possibly be used as a basis for a board game – this is something that I do quite a lot, whenever I see something a bit different”.

Why is Kamisado Popular?

Kamisado is a game of pure skill and strategy with no dice, cards, or other chance element. It is just you against your opponent. The game has won a number of awards, notably a nomination for Spiel des Jahres (Game of the Year) in Germany in 2011. It was also the winner of UK Games Expo’s Best Abstract Game Award in 2014.

Game Components of Kamisado

– 8×8 multicolored board
– 16 octagonal dragon tower pieces (8 gold and 8 black)

Game Setup of Kamisado

Place the board between the two players.Each player takes eight dragon tower pieces of the same color (either gold or black).Players place their towers on the first row of the board, with the gold player placing their towers on the first row closest to them and the black player placing their towers on the first row closest to their opponent.

Gameplay Mechanics of Kamisado

The game is played in turns, with each player moving one of their towers on their turn. The player must move the tower of the color that matches the color of the square on which their opponent’s last moved tower is located. The tower can be moved in any direction, but it must move as far as possible in a straight line. If a player’s tower lands on a square occupied by an opponent’s tower, the opponent’s tower is pushed back one space in the direction of the push. If a player’s tower reaches the opposite end of the board, that player wins the game.

Game Objective of Kamisado

The objective of the game is to be the first player to move one of their towers to the opposite end of the board.

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Michail, a seasoned tabletop enthusiast, dives headfirst into worlds of fantasy and strategy. Whether commanding a party of adventurers through perilous dungeons or engaging in tactical showdowns on the board, Michail is the maestro of the tabletop realm. Michail's gaming table is a realm where the clatter of dice and the shuffle of cards create a symphony of strategic chaos.

Hobby: Miniature painting guru, turning pewter into masterpieces
Preferred Game: Dungeons & Dragons, but always up for a board game brawl