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Yamataï
Days of Wonder · 2017
2–440–80 min13+ yrs3.0/5 complexity7.2 BGG#875 BGG10 KCouples
⚡ short answer
How do you play Yamataï?
The main objective in Yamataï is to surpass your competitors by building the most prestigious city in the ancient Japanese archipelago. Players strive to construct buildings, collect valuable culture tokens, and recruit powerful specialists who provide unique abilities and crucial end-game victory points, all while managing boat fleets across the board's interconnected water routes.
To find the best price for Yamataï, howtoplay.ro compares deals from Romanian shops every day.
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the rules in 60 seconds▶ auto · 1/6
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01
Setup
Set up the board with islands, boats, buildings, and specialists, and give each player their starting pieces and player mat.
The rules, step by step
Setup
The setup of Yamataï involves placing the central board with its pre-printed islands, shuffle and place fleet tiles, buildings, and specialist cards in their designated areas. Each player receives a player mat, a set of standard buildings, and initial resources according to the player count. Specialist cards and culture tokens are distributed to populate the board, ensuring all components are ready for the strategic maritime empire-building ahead.
Objective
The main objective in Yamataï is to surpass your competitors by building the most prestigious city in the ancient Japanese archipelago. Players strive to construct buildings, collect valuable culture tokens, and recruit powerful specialists who provide unique abilities and crucial end-game victory points, all while managing boat fleets across the board's interconnected water routes.
On your turn
During a turn, players perform a sequence of actions listed on their player mat: first, select a fleet tile that determines turn order and boat distribution for the next round; second, optionally trade resources; third, place boats onto the board's water spaces; fourth, optionally build a structure or collect tokens; fifth, optionally place any remaining boats; and finally, optionally recruit a specialist. Careful resource management and path planning are essential for an efficient turn.
Scoring
Scoring in Yamataï is multifaceted, rewarding players for the complexity and prestige of their built structures, the influence of their recruited specialists, remaining valuable resources, and specific end-game objectives. Players must balance immediate resource acquisition with long-term point generation through careful board positioning and building placement.
Game end
The game triggers its end condition when one of the following occurs: a player places their final standard building, there are no boats of a single color remaining when setting up a new round, or the specialist track or building row cannot be fully replenished during preparation. Once triggered, the current round finishes and players calculate their final scores.
Tips
To succeed in Yamataï, players should carefully monitor opponents' moves and anticipate fleet tile availability. Managing culture tokens efficiently and leveraging specialist powers at the right moment can drastically shift the balance of power. While the rules are straightforward, long-term planning prevents the game from stalling and maximizes your scoring potential.
game anatomy
Complexity3.0 / 5
BGG rating7.2 / 10
Vibe
Couples
Language dependence
No in-game text needed
Play time
40–80 min
Players
2–4
Recommended age
13+ yrs
BGG rank
#875
from Trișache · verified
Frequently asked questions
Q1What is the goal of the game?
The main objective in Yamataï is to surpass your competitors by building the most prestigious city in the ancient Japanese archipelago. Players strive to construct buildings, collect valuable culture tokens, and recruit powerful specialists who provide unique abilities and crucial end-game victory points, all while managing boat fleets across the board's interconnected water routes.
Q2How do you set up the game?
The setup of Yamataï involves placing the central board with its pre-printed islands, shuffle and place fleet tiles, buildings, and specialist cards in their designated areas. Each player receives a player mat, a set of standard buildings, and initial resources according to the player count. Specialist cards and culture tokens are distributed to populate the board, ensuring all components are ready for the strategic maritime empire-building ahead.
Q3How does a turn work?
During a turn, players perform a sequence of actions listed on their player mat: first, select a fleet tile that determines turn order and boat distribution for the next round; second, optionally trade resources; third, place boats onto the board's water spaces; fourth, optionally build a structure or collect tokens; fifth, optionally place any remaining boats; and finally, optionally recruit a specialist. Careful resource management and path planning are essential for an efficient turn.
Q4How is scoring calculated?
Scoring in Yamataï is multifaceted, rewarding players for the complexity and prestige of their built structures, the influence of their recruited specialists, remaining valuable resources, and specific end-game objectives. Players must balance immediate resource acquisition with long-term point generation through careful board positioning and building placement.
Q5When and how does the game end?
The game triggers its end condition when one of the following occurs: a player places their final standard building, there are no boats of a single color remaining when setting up a new round, or the specialist track or building row cannot be fully replenished during preparation. Once triggered, the current round finishes and players calculate their final scores.
Q6What tips are there for beginners?
To succeed in Yamataï, players should carefully monitor opponents' moves and anticipate fleet tile availability. Managing culture tokens efficiently and leveraging specialist powers at the right moment can drastically shift the balance of power. While the rules are straightforward, long-term planning prevents the game from stalling and maximizes your scoring potential.
Q7How much does Yamataï cost?
No store is currently tracking Yamataï. Check the Prices tab — you can set a price alert to be notified when it appears.
Q8Where can I buy Yamataï cheapest?
Check the Prices tab — howtoplay.ro aggregates offers from 7+ Romanian board-game stores and tracks price history.
Q9How do you play Yamataï?
Yamataï is a mythology game, for 2–4 players, taking ~40–80 minutes, featuring action drafting. Check the Rules tab for setup, gameplay, and scoring, or ask Trișache anything about Yamataï — our AI assistant built by howtoplay.ro and trained specifically on board game rulebooks.
Q10How many players does Yamataï support?
Yamataï is played by 2–4 players.
2 shops
All prices
2 shops · sorted by priceupdated today
Regatul JocurilorEnglish editioneasyboxCultural voucher
Yamatai (2017 English First Edition)
○ out of stock
RON 229
Buy →out of stock
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Currently unavailable in all shops
Price history
See price by edition
Price trend over the last 90 days: minimum 229 lei, maximum 259 lei, now 229 lei.
Mechanics & categories