Inindo: Way of the Ninja

The actual game begins in the year 1582. If the player does not kill Nobunaga by the end of year 1601, the game is over. Several hazardous dungeons stand in the path of victory, as well as a selection of optional dungeons which can be played in any order the player chooses. There are 18 dungeons overall.

Encounters with monsters and outlaws occur randomly in dungeons and in the game's world map, during which the player characters and NPCs can move around the battlefield in turn-based fashion to attack, cast magic spells and use items. To complete the game, the player must recruit NPCs in order to successfully survive dungeons and large scale battles. In order to recruit other characters, the player must build up a certain degree of trust by talking with them at tea houses and inns. Most of the NPCs can be recruited: characters of rival clans are not likely to join the player.

There are strategy and war simulation elements to game as well. By gaining the trust of a Japanese feudal lord (by spying or committing acts of sabotage on competing daimyo), the player can join in the battle for the provinces that characterized the era. The outcome of these battles changes the lords' possession of individual provinces, which can alter the outcome of the game and aid or hinder the player's progress. Neighboring provinces to Nobunaga's must be conquered in order to advance to the final section of the game.

In the middle of the stories, the player follows either the "normal" path or the "magician" path, which is randomly selected after completing the first dungeon quest. Each path leads to different enemies during random encounters. For example, the "magician" path causes Western mythological monsters such as Hellhound or Marchosias to appear.