Masked Shogi
Also known as: Fukumen Shogi / Kagemusha Shogi
Masked Shogi is a 2-player shogi variant, about 20 minutes: a piece you secretly chose (your mask) replaces the king, and if it is captured you lose. You cannot see your opponent's. Free, no sign-up.
Play with friendsJust send the invite link. No sign-up for them either
Find an opponent onlineComing soon (October)
Masked Shogi in 30 seconds
- Set upSet up as in shogi and secretly pick one non-king piece as your mask.
- The maskYour mask replaces the king. You cannot see your opponent's.
- Take turnsOne move each. The king is an ordinary piece; captured kings can be dropped.
- WinCapture your opponent's mask.
At a glance
| Item | This game |
|---|---|
| Players | 2 players |
| Play time | About 20 min |
| Type | Board |
| Ranked play | No |
| Practice against the CPU | Yes |
| Price | Free (no account needed) |
| Rights holder | A public-domain classic game |
| Last updated | 2026-09-25 |
How to play Masked Shogi online with friends
- Tap "Play with friends"A party is created with a 6-character code. No account is needed.
- Send a link or QR codeShare it on LINE, or just read the code aloud.
- Everyone opens it in a browserOnce 2 players have joined, the host taps "Start".
Rule highlights
Setup, play, winning, and house rules
Setup
- Set up the pieces as in shogi.
- Before the game, tap one of your pieces other than the king to make it your mask, then tap Done. Your opponent cannot see it. Your mask carries an M badge that only you can see.
- When both players are done, Black moves first. In the next game the players swap sides and choose again.
How to play
- The mask takes the king's role: if it is captured, you lose. You may move it into attack or leave it there. When your mask is attacked, only you are told (check).
- The king is an ordinary piece. Losing it does not lose the game, and a captured king goes to the capturer's hand and can be dropped.
- A mask that promotes is still the mask.
- You may give check to a mask by dropping a pawn (there is no pawn-drop mate rule). Everything else — piece moves, promotion, drops, two pawns on a file, pieces with no further move — is as in shogi.
Winning
- Capture the opponent's mask to win. At the end both masks are revealed.
- You also win if your opponent has no legal move.
- If the same position appears four times, the game is drawn (repetition). Repeated checks lose for the checking side.
House rules
| Name | Description | Default | Changeable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Treat the mask as a kingTreat the mask as a kingThe mask is the piece you secretly pick before the game to stand in for your king. Normally (the source rule) you lose when your mask is captured, but you may leave it or move it where it can be taken. Turn this on to treat the mask like a shogi king: you may not leave it open to capture, and the game ends by checkmate, so nobody loses to a careless oversight. | You may not leave your mask under attack, and a checkmated mask loses (like check in shogi). Not in the source (Wikipedia); a house rule that plays closer to regular shogi. | Off | Yes |
| Show legal squares | Mark the squares a selected piece can reach. | On | Yes |
| Swap who starts | Swap who plays Black after each game. | On | Yes |
| Move limit | Draw the game once this many moves have been played. For tables that want to cut a long game short. | None | Yes |
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FAQ
How many players?
Two. Playing alone, you can take on the computer.
How long is a game?
About 20 minutes.
Does the computer know my mask?
No. The computer plays only from what its own screen shows.
Can I play on a phone?
Yes. No app is needed — just open it in a browser. You can join the same party as people on a PC or tablet.
Can two people play?
Yes. This game supports 2 or more players.
Rights holder and physical edition
This is a public-domain classic game. The rules follow the standard reference rules.
Related games
Same type (Board)
Same player count
Last updated 2026-09-25 · Run by Qdan, Inc.