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Santorini vs Onitama (2026): both are short, beautiful abstract strategy games that feel like a modern answer to chess. Both reward thinking a few moves ahead, and both finish in about 20 minutes. They feel very different in your hands, though. Santorini is a building race on a three-dimensional island, with god powers that bend the rules. Onitama is a duel of martial arts masters where the moves themselves pass back and forth between players. Here is how they compare and which one belongs on your shelf.
Our pick for most tables: Santorini
Santorini plays two to four, looks stunning in the middle of the table and scales from a kid-friendly race to a cutthroat duel once you add god powers. If you want one abstract game for family and friends, start here.
Price band: $30+ (about $50) · Check today’s price on Amazon
Santorini vs Onitama at a glance
Two quick strategy games with very different hooks.
Santorini and Onitama side by side
| Santorini | Onitama | |
|---|---|---|
| Players | 2–4 | 2 |
| Play time | About 20 minutes | 15–20 minutes |
| Ages | 8+ | 10+ |
| Goal | Move a worker up to the third level | Capture the enemy master or reach their temple |
| Hidden information | None | None |
| Variety | Dozens of god powers | 16 move cards, 5 used per game |
| Price | about $50 | about $30 |
How a Santorini turn works
Each player controls two builders on a five-by-five island. On your turn you must move one builder one space in any direction, then build one level on a space next to it. You can climb up only one level at a time but drop down any number of levels. Towers rise from a ground floor to a second and third level, and a blue dome caps them so nobody can stand there. The first player to move a builder up onto a third level wins, and a player who cannot move loses.
God powers are the secret sauce. Each player can take a card that breaks one rule, such as building twice or swapping places with an opponent. Simple powers suit a first game, and the advanced ones create wild matchups. Our how to play Santorini guide walks through the full turn.
How an Onitama turn works
Each player has a master and four students lined up on a five-by-five board. Only five move cards are used each game: two in front of each player and one off to the side. On your turn you choose one of your two cards, move a piece in one of the patterns shown, and capture any enemy piece you land on. Then the card you used slides to the side, and you take the spare card. Your opponent will receive the move you just used on their next turn.
You win by capturing the enemy master or by moving your master onto the opponent’s temple space. Because you always know exactly which moves your opponent can make next, Onitama feels like a tiny, perfect puzzle. Learn the full rules in our how to play Onitama guide.
Where Santorini wins
- Player count. Santorini handles three or four players with team and free-for-all variants. Onitama is strictly two.
- Table presence. White cliffs, blue domes and chunky towers make Santorini a showpiece game.
- Variety. God powers keep it fresh for years, even for players who have mastered the base rules.
- Younger players. Without god powers, Santorini is simple enough for an eight-year-old.
Where Onitama wins
- Pure strategy. There is no randomness once the five cards are dealt. Every loss is a lesson.
- Speed. Setup takes a minute and games often end in ten.
- Portability. The roll-up mat and small box travel easily.
- Chess fans. Players who enjoy chess openings and traps usually fall for Onitama straight away.
Gifting Santorini or Onitama
Both make tidy gifts. Santorini comes in a larger box with sculpted pieces, so it feels like a centerpiece present for a family or a couple who already enjoys board games. Onitama is smaller and lighter, which suits a stocking, a desk at work or a friend who travels. If the person you are buying for loves chess, Onitama is the safer bet. If they love pretty games and hosting, choose Santorini.
Santorini or Onitama: our verdict
Buy Santorini if you want an abstract game that the whole family can play and that grows with you. Buy Onitama if you mostly play one-on-one and want a sharp, chess-like duel you can finish over coffee. Both are excellent, and they are different enough that owning both makes sense. For more choices, see our best abstract strategy board games roundup or compare Santorini with another classic in Santorini vs Hive.
Santorini vs Onitama questions
Which is easier to learn, Santorini or Onitama?
Santorini without god powers is a little easier. Onitama’s rules are short too, but reading the move cards takes a game or two.
Can Onitama be played by more than two people?
Not in the base game. It is designed as a two-player duel.
Is Santorini good for two players?
Yes. Two players is its most popular count, especially once you add god powers.
