7 Ronin Review

"Find hungry samurai. Even bears come down from the mountains when they are hungry."

Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai is about as classic as they come. It paved the way for the modern action film and created a legacy that has stood like a wall against the test of time. It's also a movie that has been replicated in the tabletop format before, albeit without success. Grey Fox/Badger’s Nest realized this is a disease that must be cured and 7 Ronin is the prescription.

This small box, head-to-head game packs a wallop. One player controls the seven samurai that have taken up arms to protect the meager village while the other controls the ninja (bandits) that assault it. From a mechanic and component standpoint it is as modest as those fragile farmers needing protection. There are a couple small boards, player screens, tiles, and some diminutive ninja stars I can't help but repeatedly toss at my opponent's eyes.

The depth and interest arises from that soft space between enemies. Bluffing and double-think occur in waves as you attempt to outwit and either overwhelm or repel your adversary. This is completely a play the opponent not the game experience; one where victory is tenuous at best and defeat always looming. That's what keeps the atmosphere charged and the mind active.

"Go to the north. The decisive battle will be fought there."

Each turn consists of hidden planning followed by dramatic reveal. The samurai player places their wooden tokens corresponding to the unique Ronin on different vectors of approach to the village. Each warrior possesses a special ability which will trigger if conditions are met. This consists of benefits such as immediately killing an enemy, moving your Ronin to a contested space, or even healing a wounded ally.

The bandit leader deploys ninja to their private map attempting to overwhelm and sneak into the lightly defended areas of the village. Each sector awards a special action at the end of the turn performed by the ninja if they control it. You're weighing the desire to attack and wound the pesky Samurai while also wanting to claim the undefended areas.

Deployment is also further nuanced by the fact that the ninja win if they hold five territories at the end of a round. Typically you can't accomplish this early game as too many skilled warriors defend the approaches. Once a few have succumbed to their wounds, openings will be created and it will be up to you to predict which sections will be vacated during subsequent deployments. The fact that the Samurai are removed from the map and re-deployed every single round makes for a continual mental joust that requires gumption and ruthless tactics.

The Samurai achieve victory by destroying all of the attackers or holding out for eight rounds. The ninja player controls tempo by deploying a minimum number of assailants each turn. They can only invade a set number of territories as dictated by the turn track. This keeps the action somewhat tighter and teases out conflict.

"...although I understand the farmers' suffering and understand why you would take up their cause, it's your character that I find most compelling."

This is a great little game that connects to its source material directly. The role of the Ronin emphasizes Kurosawa's focus on humanism and individuality. Their faceless opposition more strictly parrots the rigid Japanese precepts of culture. The bandits are cogs in the machine and churned through with ease. The physical playing pieces are even miniscule and minimized alluding to metaphor.

It's a beautiful design that only suffers from a somewhat static structure. Setup never changes and the board remains the same. The play in between and shifting of attack vectors provides the dynamic element of the game. However, it can feel a bit similar upon repeated plays in a short period of time. Regardless, it's sharply honed in on what it wants to accomplish and it brings the tension in spades.

7 Ronin is a release that could easily fly under the radar. It's a two player small footprint game that doesn't espouse fantasy or sci-fi. Fighting through that thicket is the challenge but once it hits the table you will be pleasantly surprised at the underlying depth. The experience is meaty without being heavy and mentally impactful without being exhausting.