Shōbu is a singular combat game, but they can also gather up to eight brave warriors to face each other, both in a team battle (up to four members) and each one on his own in a hectic skirmish of lone samurais (ronin).
In the team battle, each team has a captain. In dōjō level, each turn is for only one member of the team, who is chosen by the captain. If the captain is slain, he must use his last breathe to appoint his job to another teammate.
If the number of players is odd, one of they will be a ronin with freedom to choose who to help and who to harm. The ronin's turn goes at the same time to each team turn. If someone in the team die, the captain can offer to the ronin to join the team until the end. If this doesn't happen or the ronin doesn't accepts any offer, in the end the winner team decides if let him go or try to kill him, according to how he behaved with them during the game.
In the ronin skirmish, each player will watch for itself and will try to win being the last warrior standing. In dōjō level, turn goes clockwise, and each one in their turn must to decide who to attack. This means you can temporarily ally with some player according to not attack each other, but don't forget that you will must face sooner or later...
In takenomori level all play at the same time, trying to survive as they can to all incoming attacks. You can play blocks to protect another players, at the expense of being totally exposed. In the battle team the captain gives orders to coordinate the team and keep it cohesive.