Onitama FAQ
20 questions players ask · Updated Nov 11, 2026 · Full rulebook
Components and setup
How do I play?
- Can the Turtle card make both a pawn step and an opponent's onmyo step in one play?
- Can the Turtle move the opponent's onmyo onto a square held by your own pawn?
- Can you rotate a movement card before using it?
- Can the opponent see the two cards in your hand?
- What happens if you have no legal move on your turn?
- Can you run out of legal moves with the 16 base cards?
- Can you play a card if only some of its moves are legal for your pawns?
- Can a card's movement jump over pieces in between?
How do I win?
- Can a student capture the opponent's Master to win?
- Can you capture a Master standing on its own Temple Arch, and does a student entering the enemy Temple Arch win?
- If your Master enters the opponent's Temple Arch, is the win immediate or can they respond?
- Can a game of Onitama end in a stalemate or draw?
- Do you have to announce check in Onitama?