Floating Floors Ninja-Themed Strategy Game Overview

As a board game family, we have to wrestle with the idea of playing less games so we can enjoy being outside. Sometimes we make a risky decision to bring the game outside to be played. Depending on the game, this can definitely be done. There are some games I would be terrified to see what would happen if we tried an outside session. 

Since the kids have been jumping, running in the sprinklers, throwing balls then tumbling through the grass, I thought doing some ninja training while playing Floating Floors by CardLords would be a great idea. They sent us a copy of this ninja-themed game to play and review, and this was just the perfect time to play outside.

The game was pretty easy to set up. The terrain is laid out in a 2×3 grid in a 2-player game or a 3×3 grid in a 3 or 4 player game. Players take their ninja meeple, Bansen seals depending on the number or players in the game, their Chakra token which represents their beginning location, and 3 Jutsu. 

Jutsu are placed out to support future floorboards, balancing these cards for when your ninja wants to move across it. They are also used to be placed on top of floorboards to help with balancing and moving. 

The goal to the game is to collect your Bansen seals. These are placed around the tiles, and you have to move 1 space at a time following the paths on the floorboards of your own color without falling and while maneuvering the changes that other players can put up against you. 

On a turn you will roll the 3 Jutsu dice and take the matching Jutsu to possibly use to help you with your task. Sometimes you will be able to take Jutsu from ones on the table already setting up others to possibly fail. You can take any number of four different actions as many times as you would like in any order. 1) Place out Jutsu to either make it so you can place down floorboards or move your ninja on a space that wasn’t your same color. 2) Add floorboards so you can move closer to your Bansen seals. 3) Move your ninja. 4) Claim a Bansen Seal if you are next it.

Navigating the floors is the main way to win, the biggest part of the strategy in the game, and the part in the game that takes the most time. The first ninja to recover all of their Bansen Seals restores honor to their clan and is immediately declared the winner. As you learn the game you can play harder levels with changes to the rules. In addition, the rule book has challenges that will help you to sharpen your ninja skills to be on par with the rest. 

Of course after playing this game, my little 6 year old had to go dig out his ninja costume to wear around, even with this heat. Maybe he felt like his skills were sharpened up by the game and was ready to take action. Floating Floors is an abstract strategy game so players good at those types of games will most definitely win. But like playing something like Chess or boop. which are also in this genre, it isn’t always about winning. The experience is part of the entertainment. My kids had difficulty fully grasping the need for strategic thinking, but they did understand that winning isn’t everything. They were still fans of the game and wanted to play is multiple times after bringing it outside on such a beautiful day.

If you gravitate toward abstract strategy or ninja-themed games, add this one to your wish list. Visit your local game store to ask about availability of this and other CardLords titles, order direct from their website or from Amazon. Check out our overviews of some of their other titles including The Pirates Flag and Folded Wishes.

What types of games will you take outside to enjoy?