In Yamatai, named for a 3rd Century kingdom on the archipelago that is now Japan, players compete for the favor of Queen Himiko by clearing islands, constructing buildings and high temples, recruiting talented specialists, and gathering wealth.  Each round, players choose from a tableau of fleet tiles, which determine what actions they may take that round, and can use the advantages provided by the specialists they have recruited.

Cathala designed Yamatai in collaboration with freshman designer Marc Paquien, and features artwork by Jeremie Fleury (Oceanos, Histrio).  The game is intended for 2 to 4 players, ages 13 and up, and plays in about an hour.  MSRP is $59.99.

Days of Wonder recently launched a new series of expansion maps for its venerable Memoir ’44 game (see “‘Memoir ‘44 Battle Maps Series II’ Open With Japan-Soviet Conflict”).