Layout Table~~~~594~594~~

Ninja!~Age Range: 6+
Each player is a Ninja, assigned to kill a specific enemy Ninja. Write each player’s name on a piece of paper, and put them in a hat. Each player draws a name out; if it’s their own name they have to put it back and pick another. The name you pick out is your Target; you are your Target’s Hunter. If you kill your Target, you take his piece of paper, and his old Target becomes your new Target.

You’re only allowed to kill your own Target, or your own Hunter (if you work out who they are). If you kill someone who isn’t your Target or your Hunter, you lose. If you kill your Hunter, check their piece of paper to make sure you killed the right person, but leave it with them so that their own Hunter can pick it up and know they have to come after you next. Last person standing wins.

This game works well using just the small size of Battling sword, as daggers.

Variant: You can only kill your Target if there are no witnesses. In this game, a witness is another Ninja; grown-ups who aren’t playing don’t count as witnesses. This works quite well if you’re doing other activities as well as playing this game. E.g., play Ninja! during a party or trip to the park, only killing your target when all the other Ninjas are looking the other way or doing something else.

Concept by Ian Sturrock.~~~594~596~~