I received a copy of the game from Questing Gentlemen just after the successful completion of their Kickstarter campaign. I agreed to take a look as I didn’t have a lot of choices in my collection for quick/portable two-player games and this game looked like it fit that description and might offer some decent showdowns.
From the Publisher:
Overpower, Outwit, and Outmaneuver your opponent with Pocket Samurai!
Disclaimer: The publisher provided the copy of Pocket SamuraiThe opinions expressed in the review are completely my own.
Review:
Initial Impression/Components:
The game arrived inside its own tuck box which contained all of the cards, a folded rule sheet, and card sleeves. The tuck box itself is of a plastic/pvc type material and should stand up against consistent use and wear and tear. The cards themselves were thicker than standard and made for repeated shuffling. Even though there is a debate over sleeving in many circles, I admit I was happy to receive the sleeves inside the game box to further protect the cards – even better I knew they would fit sleeved inside the original box.
The art and overall appeal of the game met my expectations and theme of the game.
Favorite:
I enjoyed the double drafting within the 1st phase of the game (dojo phase) and how the cards you drafted stay face-up so that your opponent may react to your choices and make changes to strategy with each card if desired. Adding to that, I like how it didn’t give players with an exceptional memory and/or pattern recognition an overwhelming advantage because the information is known up until the 2nd and final phase (bushido phase).
Least Favorite:
It is a very fast game, so it doesn’t affect my desire to play, but it is easily possible to play 1-3 cards skillfully (or luckily) at the start of the game and win right away. I’d consider this game a “best-of” style game in which you play multiple games back-to-back and whoever wins the most games out of those is the overall winner.
Mechanics:
– Drafting
– Card Play Conflict Resolution
– Rock-Paper-Scissors (certain symbols are superior to other symbols)
In a nut shell, players take turns choosing one card each in an open draft until they each have 8 cards plus a “Strike!” card. Then, they will both play a card each turn and resolve them until one player is victorious or it ends in mutual defeat.
Areas they did well:
– Quick to learn and play
– Easy to interpret cards and rules
– Art for the theme of the game
– Portability
– Component quality
– Re-usability
– Combos that can be made with cards
– Double open-draft concept
Areas they could have improved:
– Had room to include a few more cards and added to the content
– Tuck box is a little stiff to open, but durable enough to take the added effort
– It was clarified that cards take precedence over the main rules however, I had one duel that had a card that said “defeats all” and another that said “cannot be defeated” it’s hard to say which card you should listen to – we chose to say cannot be defeated.
Interesting moment:
I had a rather fast game against my daughter when she defeated my first two cards and then her third card defeated mine again but gave the option to “Strike!” right after and won nearly instantly. It was an utter defeat but pretty funny at the same time.
Overall:
The game was exactly what I was hoping it would be: a quick, portable game that was easy to break out, explain, but entertaining enough that you’d want to play it and have on hand.
Final Thoughts:
I think they did a good job with this tiny, little battle in a tuck box. With only 27 cards, it packs a surprising punch (or slash) and I envision it being pulled out regularly by a certain kid that wants to get a little extra out of the day before being put to bed.
I’ll see you next time, back here at The Game Table,
After reading Brad’s review, if this sounds like a game for you at the time of this posting Pocket Samurai is available for only $15. Check it out and get yours HERE.
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Brad Hiscock, aka “Zerility”, is a construction project manager and electrician by trade who was the owner of a 6-time award winning electrical company. His passion for board games has led him from playing hundreds of original titles to creating a design and publishing company of his own, Convivial Games. As an up and coming collaborator on many projects, he is always eager to try new games and meet new people.
