Gunjin Shogi rules and how to play: a deduction game with a computer referee

Gunjin Shogi modes

• Random match (ランダムマッチ): find an opponent online
• Room match (ルーム対戦): play a friend using a room ID or a friend invite
• Play against the CPU (CPU対戦): three strength levels. The CPU does not know what your pieces are either

Basic rules of Gunjin Shogi

• A board 6 squares wide and 8 squares deep is split in two by a river, and only two bridges connect the two sides. Each player places 23 pieces face down in their own territory. The two center squares at the back are the headquarters, where only one piece can be placed.
• Pieces move one square forward, back, left or right. Cavalry and tanks can move two squares forward, engineers any number of squares vertically or horizontally, and airplanes any number of squares vertically, jumping over pieces and the river. Mines and the flag cannot move.
• Moving onto a square with an opponent's piece starts a battle, and the stronger piece stays. Two pieces of the same kind tie, and both are removed.
• From strongest to weakest: general, lieutenant general, major general, airplane, colonel, tank, lieutenant colonel, major, captain, first lieutenant, second lieutenant, cavalry, engineer, spy.
• The spy beats the general only when the spy attacks. A mine defeats any piece that attacks it, but engineers and airplanes can remove it. The flag fights with the same strength as the friendly piece directly behind it.
• You win if one of your officers (general through second lieutenant) enters the enemy headquarters. A player with no piece to move on their turn loses. If the game is not decided in 400 moves, it is a draw.

How to play on Asobi Lounge

• Place your pieces before the game. Tap two pieces to swap them, or use Auto setup (おまかせ配置) to rearrange them from a standard formation.
• Tap one of your pieces to show where it can move, then tap the destination. Choosing a square with an opponent's piece is an attack.
• Tap an opponent's piece to add a note such as "maybe the general". When the game ends, every piece is revealed.
• Online, you have 2 minutes to set up and 60 seconds per move. If you run out of time three times in a row, you lose.

Tips

• If you place a strong piece such as the general right behind your flag, the flag defends the headquarters with the strength of a general.
• Attack your opponent's pieces with weak pieces such as second lieutenants or cavalry, and narrow down what they are from the results.
• A piece that has never moved may be a mine or the flag. Checking it with an engineer or an airplane is safe.
• Once you know where your opponent's general is, look for a chance to attack it with your spy. The spy cannot beat the general when defending, so if the spy is found first, it will be taken instead.

Frequently asked questions

Can we play without a referee?

The computer acts as referee, so two people can play on their own. You do not learn what your opponent's pieces are until the game is over.

Is the CPU peeking at my pieces?

The CPU plays with only the same information a person has: where the pieces are, whether they have moved, and the referee's results.

Is Gunjin Shogi free to play?

Yes, it costs nothing. Games against the CPU and solo modes work right away without signing in. Online play (random matches and private rooms) and saving stats or leaderboard scores require signing in with a Google account. To play with a friend, your friend also needs to create an account and register as your friend.

More board games

• Honeycomb
• Checkers
• Mancala
• Backgammon
• Tic-Tac-Toe
• Shogi