Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun

Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun is a single-player real-time tactics game. The story is set in 17th-century Japan during the early Edo period. A newly established Shogun has unified the land and now relies on a group of specialists to suppress uprisings and eliminate threats to his rule. The player commands a team of five assassins, each with unique skills and personalities, as they undertake missions across villages, fortresses, and wilderness landscapes. Their objective is to dismantle a growing conspiracy and protect the fragile peace.

Gameplay focuses on stealth-based tactics. Each mission takes place on a large map where guards patrol fixed routes and environmental hazards can be used to the player’s advantage. Characters cannot withstand direct combat for long, so the emphasis is on remaining unseen, using disguises, or setting traps. Enemies react to noise and suspicious behavior.

The team includes distinct specialists: a swordsman who excels in direct confrontation, a marksman with long-range rifles, a kunoichi who disguises herself to infiltrate enemy ranks, a trapper who lures and eliminates guards with snares, and a nimble thief who distracts foes with thrown items. A key mechanic is the “Shadow Mode”, which allows the player to record actions for each character and then execute them simultaneously. This makes it possible to synchronize kills or maneuvers that would be impossible to perform sequentially. Each mission supports multiple solutions, from patient stealth to quick coordinated strikes.