by fathergeek

The life of a Samurai was one of stark contrast. One aspect of their life was the arts and a ridge code of honor focused on enriching and deepening one’s life. The other aspect was the sword, a brutal weapon designed to cut people down, take life, and cause suffering. The Samurai walked this path of duality, a living symbol of honor and horror. In this game, you must move purposefully and strike fast before your opponent takes your life. But strike with purpose and principle. Failure to do so will result in wasted effort and, perhaps, life.

This little game was easy to teach and fun for the Child Geeks, but they needed some help resolving the cards when played. This is due to the many different ways the cards can interact with each other. It’s not tricky, but some cards can be difficult for younger gamers to distinguish. Timing is never in question (you resolve the cards you just flipped), but how to resolve them confused a few of our Child Geeks. It only took a game or two until they fully understood and no longer needed help. One Child Geek said, “I liked this game and played it at the dinner table and the restaurant while waiting. I couldn’t play with my phone, but this was fun.” Another Child Geek said, “The game is really fast! If you didn’t win, you don’t need to worry about it because another game can start right away!” When the last sword was swung, the Child Geeks took a vote, and everyone agreed that Pocket Samauri was a cut above the rest.

The Parent Geeks also enjoyed the game, finding it fast, intuitive, and surprisingly strategic. One Parent Geek said, “This game originally appeared to be super simple. Draw a card and play it later. But that isn’t the case. When you draft your cards, you need to think about how you’ll use them with other cards you’ll collect or how to use the card to counter your opponent’s cards. I enjoyed it.” Another Parent Geek said, “This game is all about setting up for a killer blow. Timing is everything, but so too is preparation. This game is fast, and I love it, but I also think you want to take your time picking out a card. What you pick and when you play makes all the difference between winning the game and losing your head.” When the matches were over, the Parent Geeks took a vote, and all agreed to bow with deep respect to Pocket Samauri.

The Gamer Geeks thought the game’s theme sounded pretty good and were happy to try it. They were very pleased they did, as they quickly discovered – to their delight – that Pocket Samauri was a game that required quick strategic and tactical thinking. According to one of our gaming elitists, “This is a clever little boxed game. It implements drafting and strategic cards playing beautifully, quickly, and wonderfully cutthroat. I enjoyed every moment and have no doubt I’ll continue to do so.” Another uber gamer stated, “A great pocket game. Perfect for the pub, tap room, eating out, eating in, or whenever you have five minutes and someone to play with.” When all the Gamer Geeks exited the Dojo, they took a vote and unanimously decided that Pocket Samurai was a killer game.

Pocket Samauri is a lot of game in a little box. And by “a lot,” I mean what is happening at the table and inside the players’ minds, simultaneously taking only minutes to conclude. First, the drafting element of the game is to the point and easy to resolve. Pick a card, but before you do so, look at what you have and – sometimes more importantly – what your opponent has. Do this twice, building up your strengths and shoring up any weaknesses. Clever card drafters will identify where their opponent’s weak spots might lay early and work to exploit them.

After building your hand, you must play it wisely. Select the card you think will be hard to beat based on what you remember and what has already been played. Do you go big and hope for the best, or slowly work to maneuver for the killer blow? Either way, timing upon timing is key, as you must position yourself and swing before your opponent does the same. Best of all, you never know when your opponent will take a swipe, but that is all part of the fun and drama of the game.

Oh, boy, did I enjoy it! The game’s speed is heavily enriched by the simple yet deeply meaningful card selection and playing. The result is a game that I played once and liked. I played twice and loved it. It now lives in my satchel, so I can play it with anyone anytime. Do try this spectacular little game, which has been approved and enjoyed by all our players. I’m sure you’ll find it will leave a mark!

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