Kahuna / Similar games

18 games like Kahuna

The best games like Kahuna are Iwari, War Chest and Samurai — the closest of 18 ranked alternatives, scored by shared mechanics and category. Iwari shares abstract strategy, area majority / influence, card drafting with Kahuna.

Every alternative below links to its own Kahuna-style fact page, drawn from MeeplePick’s abstract strategy shelf.

Ranked by shared category (3 pts) and mechanics (2 pts), bonus within 0.7 of Kahuna’s 2.1 weight, then BoardGameGeek’s Bayesian rating — one entry per series, 18 shown.

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1. 1. Iwari (2020)
   2–5 players · 45 min · ★ 7.4 · Medium-light
   Shares with Kahuna: Abstract Strategy, Area Majority / Influence, Card Drafting, Hand Management, Network and Route Building · 4 of Kahuna’s 5 mechanics (80%)
   vs Kahuna: both play at 2 · scales to 5 · ~10 min longer · +0.2 heavier
   View Iwari on Amazon →
2. 2. War Chest (2018)
   2–4 players · 30 min · ★ 8.0 · Medium-light
   Shares with Kahuna: Abstract Strategy, Area Majority / Influence, Hand Management · 2 of Kahuna’s 5 mechanics (40%)
   vs Kahuna: both play at 2 · scales to 4 · about the same length · +0.3 heavier
   View War Chest on Amazon →
3. 3. Samurai (1998)
   2–4 players · 30–60 min · ★ 7.5 · Medium-light
   Shares with Kahuna: Abstract Strategy, Area Majority / Influence, Hand Management · 2 of Kahuna’s 5 mechanics (40%)
   vs Kahuna: both play at 2 · scales to 4 · ~10 min longer · +0.4 heavier
   View Samurai on Amazon →
4. 4. Babylonia (2019)
   2–4 players · 60 min · ★ 7.7 · Medium
   Shares with Kahuna: Abstract Strategy, Area Majority / Influence, Hand Management, Network and Route Building · 3 of Kahuna’s 5 mechanics (60%)
   vs Kahuna: both play at 2 · scales to 4 · ~25 min longer · +0.4 heavier
5. 5. Mandala (2019)
   2 players · 20 min · ★ 7.7 · Medium-light
   Shares with Kahuna: Abstract Strategy, Card Drafting, Hand Management · 2 of Kahuna’s 5 mechanics (40%)
   vs Kahuna: both play at 2 · ~15 min shorter · 0.3 lighter
6. 6. Dogs of War (2014)
   3–5 players · 75 min · ★ 7.5 · Medium
   Shares with Kahuna: Abstract Strategy, Area Majority / Influence, Hand Management · 2 of Kahuna’s 5 mechanics (40%)
   vs Kahuna: no player-count overlap (3–5 vs 2–2) · scales to 5 · ~40 min longer · +0.6 heavier
7. 7. The King is Dead Second Edition (2020)
   2–4 players · 30–45 min · ★ 8.0 · Medium-light
   Shares with Kahuna: Abstract Strategy, Area Majority / Influence, Hand Management · 2 of Kahuna’s 5 mechanics (40%)
   vs Kahuna: both play at 2 · scales to 4 · about the same length · same complexity
8. 8. Blue Lagoon (2018)
   2–4 players · 30–45 min · ★ 7.2 · Medium-light
   Shares with Kahuna: Abstract Strategy, Area Majority / Influence, Network and Route Building · 2 of Kahuna’s 5 mechanics (40%)
   vs Kahuna: both play at 2 · scales to 4 · about the same length · same complexity
9. 9. Patchwork Winter Edition (2014)
   2 players · 15–30 min · ★ 7.7 · Medium-light
   Shares with Kahuna: Abstract Strategy, Card Drafting · 1 of Kahuna’s 5 mechanics (20%)
   vs Kahuna: both play at 2 · ~12 min shorter · 0.4 lighter
10. 10. Azul Summer Pavilion (2019)
    2–4 players · 30–45 min · ★ 7.8 · Medium-light
    Shares with Kahuna: Abstract Strategy, Card Drafting · 1 of Kahuna’s 5 mechanics (20%)
    vs Kahuna: both play at 2 · scales to 4 · about the same length · same complexity
11. 11. La Strada (2004)
    2–4 players · 30 min · ★ 6.2 · Medium-light
    Shares with Kahuna: Abstract Strategy, Area Majority / Influence, Hand Management, Network and Route Building · 3 of Kahuna’s 5 mechanics (60%)
    vs Kahuna: both play at 2 · scales to 4 · about the same length · 0.2 lighter
12. 12. Carolvs Magnvs (2000)
    2–4 players · 60 min · ★ 6.8 · Medium
    Shares with Kahuna: Abstract Strategy, Area Majority / Influence, Hand Management · 2 of Kahuna’s 5 mechanics (40%)
    vs Kahuna: both play at 2 · scales to 4 · ~25 min longer · +0.5 heavier
13. 13. The Rose King (1992)
    2–4 players · 30 min · ★ 6.8 · Medium-light
    Shares with Kahuna: Abstract Strategy, Area Majority / Influence, Hand Management · 2 of Kahuna’s 5 mechanics (40%)
    vs Kahuna: both play at 2 · scales to 4 · about the same length · same complexity
14. 14. Qin (2012)
    2–4 players · 30 min · ★ 6.8 · Medium-light
    Shares with Kahuna: Abstract Strategy, Area Majority / Influence, Hand Management · 2 of Kahuna’s 5 mechanics (40%)
    vs Kahuna: both play at 2 · scales to 4 · about the same length · same complexity
15. 15. Onitama (2014)
    2 players · 15–20 min · ★ 7.4 · Medium-light
    Shares with Kahuna: Abstract Strategy, Hand Management · 1 of Kahuna’s 5 mechanics (20%)
    vs Kahuna: both play at 2 · ~17 min shorter · 0.4 lighter
16. 16. Tsuro of the Seas (2012)
    2–8 players · 20–40 min · ★ 6.5 · Light
    Shares with Kahuna: Abstract Strategy, Hand Management, Network and Route Building · 2 of Kahuna’s 5 mechanics (40%)
    vs Kahuna: both play at 2 · scales to 8 · about the same length · 0.6 lighter
17. 17. GYM (2017)
    2–6 players · 10–20 min · ★ 6.3 · Medium-light
    Shares with Kahuna: Abstract Strategy, Card Drafting, Hand Management, Take That · 3 of Kahuna’s 5 mechanics (60%)
    vs Kahuna: both play at 2 · scales to 6 · ~20 min shorter · +0.4 heavier
18. 18. Bosk (2019)
    2–4 players · 20–40 min · ★ 7.1 · Medium-light
    Shares with Kahuna: Abstract Strategy, Area Majority / Influence, Hand Management · 2 of Kahuna’s 5 mechanics (40%)
    vs Kahuna: both play at 2 · scales to 4 · about the same length · same complexity

Looking for the original? See the full Kahuna fact page — players, play time, age and complexity.