← SHŌBU Layer by Layer
SHŌBU

SHŌBU 2019

7.5 /10
BGG rating
#1492
BGG rank
1.9
Weight
2
Players
2
Best at
15–30
Minutes
8
Age

Location

Sign in to see where your copy sits: the shelf, drawn, and how the box sits on it.

My Copy & Notes

Sign in to see your copy here: the edition, when you added it, and what you paid.

My Notes

Notes are private to their writer. Sign in to keep yours here.

My Prints for SHŌBU

All 2 on LayerUp

Sign in to see the prints you marked Printed for this game, the insert in the box first.

Expansions & Promos

No expansions or promos on record for this game.

About the Game

SHOBU is a beautifully crafted abstract strategy game for 2 players. The game features 4 square wood boards (2 of each color) and 16 natural river stones for each player, in two colors, with a rope dividing the play area in half.

Your turn is in two parts. First, a player may move one of their stones up to two spaces in any direction, including diagonally, in what is called a passive (or set up) move. Second, they take a more aggressive move, which must be the same direction and number of spaces as the first move. It is this second move that allows you to push stones across the board - or off the board's edge. Remove all four of your opponent's stones from just one of the four boards to win.

SHOBU evokes the feeling of GO or CHESS but provides its own unique challenge. It feels immediately familiar and yet is wholly distinct and engaging.

-description from publisher

Filed Under

Categories
Mechanics
BGG ratings
2,319 · geek rating 6.44
BGG data
refreshed Sep 7, 2026

Matching filament