Yami
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Speak as little as possible. Spirits understand. Time doesn't wait — and the fog advances with every wrong move.
What it's about
An open world shrouded in fog, where every hand is a whisper
The Kingdom of Kakapo has been overrun by the Lyken vines. A thick fog covers everything — cutting off communication between adventurers, but revealing the forest spirits forgotten for centuries. Yami is their call.
Designed by Hiroki Ohba, Anthony Perone, Ryoji Suzuki, and Hiraku Tezuka, with illustrations by Makoto Takami, Yami blends two mechanics no one had ever thought to put together: cooperative trick-taking with limited communication and polyomino placement. In 22 independent missions, you must surround the Mission tiles with your Spirit tiles by playing a series of hands — each mission has a different map, rewards, and rules.
Time is against you. Win or lose, each mission brings you closer to the end and accumulates penalties. Only intelligent play and silent cooperation will allow you to reach Mission 22 — before the Lyken vines cover everything.
Two seemingly opposite mechanics — trick-taking and polyomino placement — fit together here as if they were always meant to be.
The secret of Yami in one sentence
Playing without being able to speak changes everything. A gesture, a discarded card, a glance — it's enough to build a strategy. When it works, it feels like magic.
From the game experience
Yami
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, Hiroki Ohba's design, and play sessionsYour arsenal
What you have in hand to save the Kingdom of Kakapo
Your hand of cards
Each trick assigns Spirit tiles — but communication is limited. Every card played is a silent message to the table.
The Spirit tiles
Polyominoes of different shapes that you must place around the Missions. The shape of what you win decides where you can place it.
The Mission tiles
Each mission is a different map, with its own rules, constraints, and rewards. Sometimes the rewards are hidden — you have to trust.
The Lyken count
The vines advance every mission, won or lost. Penalties accumulate. There is no draw: there is Mission 22, or the fog wins.
At the end of a Yami evening, you will have spoken little and understood much. That's what makes it different.
🃏Recommended sleeves1 size · 43 cards total
📖RulebookEnglish · Official PDF
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
The map on the table, the whispered rules
Open today's Mission. This time it's a strange one: rewards are hidden, placement has constraints no one had seen before. Deal the cards, arrange the Spirit tiles. No one speaks. Let's begin.
The first trick — and the first doubt
Someone plays a high card too early. Another hesitates. The trick ends and the won Spirit is the wrong shape — it doesn't fit where it was needed. Quick glances around the table. No one complains. The plan is adjusted.
The moment you understand each other without speaking
Someone plays a low card when no one expected it. The others understand instantly: they are giving up the trick to let the right Spirit be won by the one who truly needs it. No words. Only eyes meeting. This is the game.
The tile that closes everything
The right trick comes, it's won by the right person, the Spirit has exactly the shape needed. It surrounds the last Mission. The hidden reward flips over — and unlocks a bonus for the next mission. A smile goes around the table.
We're at fifteen. Seven left.
Progress is noted. The Lyken's vines advance nonetheless, even after a victory. Someone checks the clock: there's time for another. Someone else reaches for the tiles. Mission 22 is still far — but tonight it seems closer.
How to play
The flow of each mission
Four clear phases that repeat. You learn in twenty minutes, master after three missions.
The Mission tile is opened — each one has its own map, placement constraints, and rewards. Cards are dealt. Communication is limited by clear rules.
Each player plays a card. The trick winner gets a Spirit tile — its shape depends on the cards played and who won. Each card is also a message.
The conquered Spirit must be placed on the map, respecting the mission's constraints. The goal is to surround the Mission tiles. The wrong shape in the right place doesn't help.
After the mission — won or lost — the Lyken's vines advance. Penalties accumulate, progress is updated. You decide whether to open another Mission or end the evening.
Why it's different from others
Six mechanics that make a difference
Tricks + polyominoes, never done before
Two beloved and proven mechanics that no one had yet combined. The result is not the sum of the two — it's a new experience, where the card played becomes a shape on the map.
Limited communication as the heart of the game
You can't say what you have in hand. Every card played is a signal, every gesture a message. It's a cooperative game based on trust and mutual understanding — not on chatter.
22 missions, open world
It's not a linear campaign. It's an open world that you explore as you wish. Each mission is independent, with different rules, constraints, and rewards. Some can be approached lightheartedly, others not.
Sometimes hidden rewards
Some missions ask you to trust: you don't know what you're going to get. An unexpected reward overturns the strategy of the next two missions — and changes the way you play long-term.
The Lyken that doesn't stop
Winning is not enough. Every mission, even successful, makes the fog advance. Penalties accumulate — and you always have to decide whether to risk another mission or consolidate what you have.
Japanese JRPG aesthetic
Makoto Takami's illustrations bring the atmosphere of classic JRPGs to the table — silent spirits, colorful fogs, a kingdom that seems straight out of a video game you've always wanted to play.
How it ends
One victory, many ways to lose
In Yami, players don't compete — they try to reach Mission 22 together before the Lyken covers everything.
Victory
- Successfully complete Mission 22 before the Lyken expands too much
- Each completed mission unlocks useful advantages for subsequent ones
- Hidden rewards can change the course of an entire campaign
Defeat
- The Lyken reaches its limit: the fog has covered the entire Kingdom of Kakapo
- Accumulated penalties make it impossible to face the final missions
- A lost mission is not the end — but even a won one advances the vines
Yami is one of the most original cooperative games in recent years. It's quickly learned, long remembered, and returned to between Missions to close the loop.
Frequently asked questions
Yami FAQ
What distinguishes Yami from other cooperative games?
The combination of two mechanics no one had yet put together: cooperative trick-taking and polyomino placement. In Yami, every card played transforms into a specific shaped tile, to be placed on the map with precise constraints. It's not a cooperative game played by talking — it's a cooperative game played by observing each other. Limited communication and hidden rewards make it a different experience from Pandemic or Spirit Island.
Is Yami suitable for casual gamers?
Yes, but with some caveats. The basic rules are explained in about 20 minutes and the first mission is designed as a tutorial. However, the limited communication mechanic requires a bit of patience — those who have played The Crew or Hanabi before will have an advantage. It's a great gateway to medium-complexity cooperative games, not a filler for absolute beginners.
How many players does Yami work best with?
With 3 or 4 players, the experience is complete — limited communication has more nuances and polyomino placements become more strategic. It works with 2 players, but some dynamics of mutual deduction lose depth. The game does not support solo mode.
How long does a session really last?
Each single mission lasts 15-30 minutes. A typical session tackles 2-4 missions in a row, so it ranges from 45 minutes to just over two hours. The complete campaign of 22 missions can be spread over several evenings — and is designed to be played in stages.
Is the campaign a Legacy game with permanent elements?
No, Yami is not Legacy. No cards are destroyed, no stickers are applied, there are no irreversible choices. The campaign is structured as an open world of missions that progressively unlock — but every time you restart, the game returns to the starting point.
Is it available in Italian?
This is the English edition. The icons on the game are clear and the symbology is designed to overcome the language barrier — but the rulebook and some mission texts are in English. A basic knowledge of the language helps to fully enjoy the atmosphere.
Yami is a cooperative board game for 2–4 players (ages 10+, 15–30 min per mission). Designed by Hiroki Ohba, Anthony Perone, Ryoji Suzuki, and Hiraku Tezuka, with illustrations by Makoto Takami, published by Musoka Studio. It combines limited communication cooperative trick-taking with polyomino placement in an open-world campaign of 22 independent missions. Each player plays cards to win Spirit tiles and surround Mission tiles while respecting unique placement constraints. A reimplementation of the Japanese The Kakapo: Buddy & Party with a post-apocalyptic JRPG theme, hidden rewards, and increasing time pressure from the Lyken. English edition. Available on FroGames.it.
Yami
Frequently Asked Questions
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