Having not played Samurai for many days, we decided to pull out Reiner Knizia's unique tile placement and bit collection masterpiece.

One of my biggest issues with the game is that it doesn't really allow for experimentation with strategy, by which I mean that you can't try one thing one game and try something totally different in the next. Sure, you can resolve to be more combative, more defensive, or more non-confrontational, but balanced collecting of buddhas, hats and rice is the only way to win. While I sometimes find that frustrating, I'll admit that it's a wonderfully simple mechanic.

This game was remarkably even. It was so even, in fact, that neither Mike nor Nick nor Greg nor myself managed to collect a majority in any of buddhas, hats or rice. We had to consult the rules and only then did the winner emerge, Greg's 8 total pieces just edging him in front of the rest of us, who each had 7.

Nick appeared to jump out to an early and unassailable lead using an initial bumper crop of fast tiles, which allowed him to play two tiles on his turn. He cleverly tried to end the game early by forcing 4 draws. Unfortunately, he slightly miscalculated.

The Samurai board game scores major points with me in a few categories, namely the board and the bits. It features a nice map of Japan, complete with the names of the major islands (Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku and Hokkaido) and a few cities (Edo, Kyoto and Sapporo). The bits are really the best part of the game. Solid, simple and elegant, they are perfect for Samurai.

Game: Samurai
Biggest Winner: Greg
Biggest Loser: Everyone else
Session Grade: B+
Overall Game Grade: A-