UMATAKA

About this board game

UMATAKA is a 2024 board game for 2–4 players, with games lasting around 90 minutes, set among the Jomon people of Niigata Prefecture, Japan.

Inspired by the region’s distinctive flame pottery artifacts and the historical trade value of jade, the game casts players as family leaders competing across spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Players earn points through a range of activities while gathering the precious jade that plays a crucial role in the region.

UMATAKA uses a worker placement system in which human and dog pieces serve as workers. Players place between one and four workers in designated spaces, carefully weighing how many they commit to each action.

• Craft pottery inspired by the Jomon setting.
• Hunt for resources and opportunities.
• Cook nuts to earn points.
• Gather valuable jade.

Dogs are relatively easier to acquire during the game, but they come with restrictions: they must work alongside humans. This makes the composition and placement of each group an important part of planning.

After workers are placed and their actions are taken, the number of workers used also affects a piece on the Exploration Track. The explorer advances and executes the action at the space where it stops, creating another layer of choice.

Because deploying more workers can change the result of exploration, placing extra workers is not always wasteful and may sometimes provide an advantage. With seasonal competition, distinct worker types, and linked actions, UMATAKA asks players to balance immediate rewards with carefully timed exploration.