I try not to buy too many 2-player games as it’s hard to get them on table, but when I first played Onitama, I couldn’t resist. Besides being gorgeously designed with an Asian theme, this game is compact, easy to learn and quick to play — all perfect elements to fill the time when waiting for others to join your game night.

Onitama plays about 15 minutes and comes elegantly packed into this long rectangular box. Inside, the game comes with a rolled-up mat, 10 player pieces (a Master Pawn and 4 Pawns for each player) and cards for game play. My friend asked if I had purchased this game because of the player mat, and that may or may not have factored into purchasing this game …

The goal of this game is to capture your opponent’s Master Pawn or move your own Master Pawn all the way to the other side of the mat into the center space. The game has a chess feel to it, planning your moves to avoid being captured.

Each person starts with their pieces on their side of the mat and 2 playing cards. A third playing card sits in the middle between them. On your turn, a player picks a movement and attack action based on one of the cards in front of them. Each card has an abstract design on a grid in which one pawn (Master or regular) can move. This grid represents the spaces on the mat. Upon taking an action on a card, the card moves to the middle and that player receives the card previously in that middle spot.

So each game has a total of 5 moves you can do. The cards just trade hands, and you can see what options your opponent has for this round and next. When you land in a space where an opponent has a pawn, that pawn is immediately captured and removed from the game. Also, you can never make a move that would cause you to fall of the board or into a space you already occupy.

And that’s the entire game. I love how each game is different, as the game comes with 16 move cards. There is also strategy involved in planning your moves out, while trying to avoid giving your opponent a move card that will hurt you. The components are sturdy, beautiful and perfect for those small pockets of down time, whether it’s just the two of you or you guys are waiting for others to join you.