UMATAKA
UMATAKA Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
The source lists the following components. Its component captions are transcribed in the order printed.
- Double-sided player board: front for four players, back for two to three players.
- 5 of each type (caption as printed).
- Production board: 1.
- Start player token: 1.
- Earthenware tiles: 30.
- Animal chips: 30 (10 fish, and 4 each of raccoon, rabbit, chamois, pheasant and bear).
- Jade chips: 36 (12 each of 1, 2 and 3).
- Player storage tiles: 4. Only used at the 4-player count.
- Tiles for 2 players: 6 neutral movement tiles and 4 tiles with no placement bonus.
- Exploration tiles: 38 (5 A tiles, 4 B tiles, 5 C tiles, 4 D tiles and 4 S tiles), plus 4 tiles for each season: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.
- Round marker: 1 (not shown in the source illustrations).
- Per player, in red, blue, yellow and green (not pictured): 7 family pieces, 4 dog pieces, 1 exploration piece (meeple with spear), 4 pit-dwelling pieces and 1 scoring marker (the arrow head).
- Temporary white pieces: 4 family pieces and 15 dog pieces.
- Wood pieces: 30. Clay pieces: 30. Inspiration pieces (fire): 15. Nut pieces: 30.
Note: the source refers to wood, clay and inspiration pieces collectively as "resources". The general supply is made up of the family pieces set aside, the season tiles and the resource, hut and nut pieces. The source's own terms are kept below.
Game Overview
The game consists of four rounds: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.
Each round progresses in the following order: the preparation phase, the activity phase, and the rest phase.
- During the preparation phase, at the beginning of a round, tiles on the game board are exchanged and actions are performed.
- During the activity phase, which is the main part of the game, each player takes turns. A turn consists of three actions performed in the following order: the placement action, the search (exploration) action, and the production action.
- During the rest phase, at the end of each round, each player receives various bonuses depending on what they did that round.
In the placement action, players place family pieces and dog pieces on action spaces to gather resources and hunt.
In the search action, the exploration piece advances the same number of spaces as the number of pieces used in the placement action, and the effect written on the space where it stops is carried out. If the exploration piece passes through a crafting icon, a crafting action is performed.
In crafting actions, players use the production board. A player can pay the resources they have on hand to either improve a building level or craft pottery. A player can also do neither and instead exchange wood for inspiration.
"Improving building levels" increases the number of usable family and dog pieces, or reduces the resources required to make pottery. This action gives an advantage in the game.
"Making pottery" is an essential action for life in the Jomon period. Pottery is the main source of points in the game, and cooking nuts gives additional points. The points for pottery gradually decrease, so the timing of its creation must be considered carefully.
When all players have used all their family pieces, the round ends.
The game ends after the four rounds, from Spring to Winter.
The final score is calculated by adding the bonus points based on the number of cooked nuts to the points obtained during the game from pottery, buildings, jade, nuts and animals. The player with the most points becomes the head of the clan, lives the richest Jomon life, and wins the game.
Common Rules Throughout the Game
- Whenever a player acquires a resource or a piece, they take it from the supply unless otherwise specified. Likewise, they return it to the supply unless otherwise specified.
- Players keep the resources, animal chips, family pieces, dog pieces, jade chips and other tiles they have acquired in front of them, so that they can be seen by other players.
- Animal chips are placed face up. Jade chips are placed face down, so that other players cannot see the side of the chip with the value written on it. The player who owns a jade chip can check its value at any time.
- When a player gets points, they move their scoring marker on the score track by that amount. Each player's current total score can be checked at the position of their marker.
Game Set-Up
- Place the game board in the centre of the table, using the side that corresponds to the number of players (there is an icon for the number of players in the bottom left corner). Place the production board next to it.
- Each player chooses a colour and places 5 family pieces, 2 dog pieces and a storage tile (cardboard hut) of that colour in front of them. Place the remaining family pieces and dog pieces together next to the game board to form the supply.
- The player who most recently made pottery is the starting player. If there is no such player, choose a start player by any method. That player takes the start player tile and takes the first turn of the game. The game is played in clockwise order: the player to the left of the start player is the second player, the next player is the third, and so on.
- With three players, the third player places one additional white dog piece in front of them.
- With four players, the third and fourth players each place one additional white dog piece in front of them.
- Place all the fish chips face up next to the game board. Mix the remaining animal chips face down and place them together next to the game board.
- Shuffle all the jade chips face down and place them together next to the game board.
- Place the wood, clay, inspiration and hut pieces together next to the game board.
- Place the season tiles by type next to the game board. Together with the family pieces set aside earlier, these form the general supply. Wood, clay and inspiration pieces are hereafter collectively referred to as resources.
- Place the S, A, B, C and D exploration tiles randomly in the corresponding exploration spaces on the game board, face up.
- With two or three players: the A and C exploration tiles marked "four plus" are not used and go back in the box. Also randomly choose one of the S exploration tiles and return it to the box.
- Sort the pottery (earthenware) tiles by type. Place each stack alongside the corresponding position on the production board, with the higher-value tile on top.
You are now ready to play the game.
New Round Procedure (Preparation Phase)
The game consists of four rounds. Each round consists of three phases: the preparation phase, the activity phase and the rest phase.
At the start of the preparation phase:
- Remove all animal chips from the game board and return them to the box.
- Randomly select 5 animal chips from the supply and place them face up on the corresponding positions on the game board.
- Remove all season tiles from the game board and return them to the box.
- Take a season tile from your supply that corresponds to the season of the current round and place it randomly on the corresponding spot on the exploration track. Season tiles are used in the following order: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter.
Note as printed: "this will not be done in the first round (spring) only animal chip placements will be done, in the first round only the placement of Spring season tiles will be done." [The source gives two different descriptions of the first round here. The printed text is kept as it stands.]
Activity Phase
During the activity phase, players take turns in clockwise order, starting with the starting player.
Turn order within a turn: the placement action, then the search (exploration) action, then the crafting (production) action.
If a player has no more family pieces to take a turn, they pass and leave the activity phase.
Placement Action
The placement action is carried out on the left side of the game board. The action spaces are the white circles, for placing family pieces and dog pieces. There are multiple action spaces for each type of placement action.
- As a placement action, a player places family pieces and dog pieces from their hand on any action space and performs the effect corresponding to that space.
- Place the family and dog pieces from your hand according to the number of circles connected by lines on the action space. You must place exactly that number: not more and not fewer.
- A piece cannot be placed on an action space that already has a piece on it.
- White pieces can be placed in the same way as pieces of the player's own colour.
- After performing a placement action, the player performs a search action.
- Dogs cannot be placed alone; they must be placed together with family pieces. A placement cannot use more dog pieces than family pieces.
- For example: 1 family piece with 1 dog, or 2 family pieces with 1 or 2 dogs, is a valid placement. A single dog, 2 dogs with 1 family piece, or 1 family piece with 3 dogs is not a valid placement.
- Action spaces do not necessarily have to be used in top-down order.
Placement actions (the source lists them as follows):
- Logging: the top part collects 2 wood pieces (placing 1 or 2 pieces). The bottom part collects 3 wood pieces (placing 3 or 4 pieces).
- Mining: the action obtains 2 or 3 clay pieces.
- Praying: the icon looks like fire. This action provides an inspiration token at each level.
- Going out (footsteps icon): move the exploration piece forward one space and carry out the effect of the exploration space it stops on. The exploration piece moves forward past squares that contain other exploration pieces. This is discussed in more detail below.
- Hunting (bow and arrow icon): take any 1 animal chip from the board.
- Dog action: get 2 or 3 white dog pieces.
Search (Exploration) Action
Move the exploration piece in the direction of the arrow on the exploration track a number of times equal to the number of family pieces and dog pieces used in the placement action for this turn. Then take the benefit written on the exploration square where it stopped.
- The effects of each exploration square are given on the back page of the source, which is not included here (see the source note above).
- If there are other exploration pieces on a square, jump over them to move forward.
- The source's example on page 7 (not reproduced): the red player places two family pieces and one dog on an action space, using three pieces, so the exploration piece advances three spaces. The blue and yellow exploration pieces are in the way; the red player jumps over them and moves forward three spaces. The space where it stops has two wood on it, so the player gets 2 wood.
- The corner (orange) spaces do not count towards the movement total, and jumping over other players' pieces does not count either.
Crafting icon: each corner of the exploration track has a crafting icon. When an exploration piece passes a crafting icon, the player may perform the crafting action once the exploration action is completed.
- Orange corner areas with crafting icons are not exploration spaces; exploration pieces cannot stop there.
- If the exploration piece has not passed a crafting icon, the turn ends and the next player in clockwise order takes over.
Production (Crafting) Action
A crafting action can be performed once for each crafting icon passed during the exploration action. Crafting actions use the production board.
On each crafting action, the player may either improve a building level or make pottery by paying the resources they have on hand (the resources paid are returned to the supply). Alternatively, the player may do neither and exchange wood for inspiration, once.
Building level improvement
- Choose any type of building on the production board. There are four types of building: pit dwelling, dog kennel, workshop and cultivation.
- Pay the specified resources to the level space immediately to the right of your pit-dwelling piece, and move your pit-dwelling piece to the right to level up.
- Then immediately receive the effects and points listed for that level (level 1, 2 and 3 give 1, 2 and 3 points respectively).
- The effects of each building are given on the back page of the source, which is not included here.
The example on page 7 of the source (not reproduced) shows the red player improving the pit dwelling. They spend 2 wood and 1 clay, the resources needed to reach the next level, and move the pit-dwelling piece to the right. Increasing the level gives them 1 new family piece and 1 point.
Note: unlike placement and exploration actions, a pit-dwelling piece may be moved onto a space that already contains another player's hut.
Making pottery (earthenware)
- Choose any type of pottery under the production board. Pay the required resources from your hand and acquire the pottery tile. Place the acquired tile in front of you, so that other players can see it.
- Immediately gain the number of points written on the pottery tile. If there is a jade chip on the pottery tile, gain it as well.
- Important: only the first player of each type of pottery can earn the jade chip by crafting that pottery. Jade chips on pottery tiles are placed only during set-up and cannot be placed during the game.
Exchanging wood for inspiration
- Instead of improving a building level or crafting pottery, the player may pay 1 wood and get 1 inspiration. In other words, by passing a crafting action, the player exchanges wood for inspiration.
- Inspiration is a valuable resource. Sometimes it is a necessary choice to pass on improving a building level or crafting pottery in order to gain inspiration.
Once the crafting actions are completed, the turn ends and passes to the next player in clockwise order.
If a player is unable or unwilling to improve a building level, make pottery or exchange wood for inspiration, the player may end the crafting action without taking any action.
Note one: going out and crafting icons. When a family or dog piece is placed on the going-out action, the exploration piece first moves one space, and the effect of the space it stops on is carried out. If the exploration piece passes a crafting icon at this time, the player does not immediately perform a crafting action; instead, they gain the right to perform one crafting action later in this turn.
After going out, the player takes the rest of their turn in the usual order: the exploration action, then the crafting action (the crafting action is not performed immediately after going out, but at the usual time).
The example at the bottom of page 8 of the source (not reproduced) shows the red player using 2 family pieces for the second "go out" action. The player moves forward one space and carries out the effect of the space it stops on. The piece passes a crafting icon but does not yet perform the crafting action. It then moves forward 2 spaces (because 2 pieces were used in the placement action) and carries out the effect of the space it stops on. Finally the player performs the crafting action on the production board (or swaps a wood for an inspiration token).
Note two: multiple crafting actions. When performing crafting actions more than once (if the player passes 2 or more crafting icons), the player may choose a different action each time.
- For example: the first time, exchange wood for inspiration; the second time, use that inspiration to make pottery.
- Another example: the first time, improve a building level and advance the workshop level by 1; the second time, make pottery. In this case, one wood or one clay can be omitted when making pottery, because of the beneficial effect of the workshop.
The Village Square (Plaza)
The yellow circular space at the bottom left of the game board is the village square.
- During your turn, you can place family or dog pieces on the square at any time to obtain wood or clay. You obtain 1 wood or 1 clay for every family piece you place, and 1 for every 2 dog pieces you place.
- A player can place a piece on the square as many times as they like during their turn, and can place a piece on the square even if there are other pieces on it.
- There are no white circles on the square, so placing a piece on the square does not move the exploration piece.
- A player can place either their own coloured piece or a white piece on the square.
Pass: Leaving the Activity Phase
If a player cannot, or does not want to, take a placement action at the start of their turn, they pass.
When a player passes, they place all of their family and dog pieces on the village square and take wood or clay pieces according to the number of pieces placed. All of that player's turns during the current activity phase are then skipped.
Once all players have passed, the activity phase ends and the game moves on to the rest phase (half-sunset icon).
Rest Phase
During the rest phase, the following are carried out in order: the exploration bonus, the placement bonus, cooking nuts, and the return of family and dog pieces.
Exploration bonus
Players receive bonuses based on the ranking of their exploration pieces in this round.
- First, rearrange the exploration pieces, starting with the piece immediately behind the leading exploration piece, and then move the rest in order. This lining up is for clarifying the rankings and for the next round. No exploration or crafting actions are performed while lining up.
- After lining up is complete, start with the leading player on the exploration track and give each player an exploration bonus according to their rank.
- With four players: 1st place gets 2 jade chips; 2nd place gets 1 jade chip; 3rd place gets no bonus; 4th place gets 1 wood piece. [The printed list reads "2 jade chits, 1 jade chip, no bonus, 1 wood piece" for 1st to 4th place.]
- With two or three players: 1st place gets 2 jade chips; 2nd place gets 1 jade chip; 3rd place gets no bonus. [The printed list reads "2 jade chits, 1 jade chip" for 1st to 3rd place; the rank mapping is read in printed order.]
- In the next round, the exploration pieces start from where they were lined up.
Starting-player example (bottom of page 9 of the source, not reproduced): when the activity phase ends, the red exploration piece is at the front of the exploration track. It does not move, because it is in the lead. The blue exploration piece moves to the square immediately behind the red piece; the yellow piece moves to the square immediately behind the blue piece; and the green piece moves to the square immediately behind the yellow piece, where it starts the next round. The source notes that the green piece also misses out on the crafting action.
Placement bonus
For each type of placement action, the player who has placed their piece on the lowest action space, compared with the other players, receives a bonus. The types of placement action and the bonuses are as follows:
- Logging, mining, praying and going out: the player receives one nut.
- Hunting: the player receives the start player tile and becomes the start player for the next round.
- Dog: no placement bonus.
Placement-bonus example (top of page 10 of the source, not reproduced): at the end of the activity phase, the green player has a token on the bottom action space for the mining action. The green player receives 1 nut as the placement bonus for mining.
Cooking nuts
Players may use the rest time to cook nuts.
- Each player places all of their nuts on their crafted earthenware tiles and begins cooking them. Nuts are placed on the nut spaces at the bottom of the pottery tile, filled from the left, and each nut instantly gains the number of points written on its space.
- Each nut space can only hold one nut.
- If a player has more than one pottery tile in hand, they are free to choose which pottery they cook the nut in. Nuts are left on top of the nut space.
- If there is not enough space to cook a nut (it cannot be placed on any pottery tile), it cannot be carried over to the next round, because it will be eaten by insects or rot. All nuts that cannot be cooked are returned to the supply.
- Once a nut has been cooked and points gained, it cannot be taken back or moved to another earthenware tile.
Pottery example (bottom of page 10 of the source, not reproduced): the player has three uncooked nuts on hand. The earthenware tile in hand still has two empty nut spaces. The player cooks two nuts and gets 4 points (1 for the first plus 3 for the second). Any remaining nuts that cannot be cooked are returned to the supply.
Collecting family and dog pieces
All players return their own coloured family and dog pieces from the action spaces to their own hands. White family and white dog pieces on the action spaces are returned to the supply. White pieces are not carried over to the next round.
Moving the round marker
If the current round is Spring, Summer or Fall, advance the round marker to the next season and move on to the next round, restarting from the preparation phase. If the current round was Winter, the game is over: calculate the final score and determine the winner.
End of the Game
After the Winter round (the fourth round) is over, final scoring begins. Each player receives the following bonus points.
1. Animal chip bonus
Players receive bonus points depending on the number of different types of animal they have:
| Types of animal | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonus points | 2 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 20 | 30 |
- If a player has multiple animals of the same type, they receive additional bonus points, as the source's example shows.
- Example (source): 2 bears, 1 rabbit and 2 fish make 1 set of three (bear, rabbit, fish) and 1 set of two (bear, fish). The set of three is worth 9 points and the set of two is worth 5 points, for a total of 14 points.
- [The source does not spell out the set rule in general terms beyond this example; the table is the printed bonus scale.]
2. Starting player bonus
Whoever has the start player tile gets 2 points.
3. Bonus for most cooked nuts
- The player who cooked the most nuts gets 10 points, and the player who cooked the second most gets 4 points.
- If more than one player cooked the most nuts, they all get 10 points, and no one gets the 4 points.
- If there are multiple players tied for the second most nuts, [unclear in the source translation: the printed text reads "oversee four Points"].
- Players who did not cook any nuts do not receive any bonus points. [The printed text reads "Players who found to cook any nuts do not receive any bonus points"; "did not" is read as the intended meaning.]
4. Jade chip bonus
Reveal the jade chips in hand and receive the bonus points written on them.
5. Remaining resource bonus
Get 1 point for every 5 wood, clay or inspiration pieces you have on hand, rounded down.
Winner
The player with the most points wins the game. In the event of a tie, the player further back on the exploration track wins. [As printed. The source does not say whether "further back" means behind or ahead on the track; check against the Japanese rulebook before relying on this.]
Strategy Advice
The source gives the following advice. It is not a rule.
- When placing actions, use dog pieces first. Actions cannot be taken with dog pieces alone, so family pieces must be used carefully.
- By increasing building levels, a player can use more pieces and make pottery more easily, which gives an advantage in the game. However, pottery points decrease little by little, so if a player only increases building levels, they will not gain enough points to win the game.
- If a player falls behind the other players on the exploration track, they gradually lose ground. By keeping pace with the other players, a player can progress further.
- Animal chips can give a large score, although not as many points as pottery. Even if a player cannot collect all six types of animal, they should not underestimate them.
- A player may feel they have lost out if they cannot use up all of their dog pieces or cook all of their nuts. However, these are not big losses. It is important to take a bold step sometimes, with the mindset of "lose to gain."