Kumata (ML)

PRE-ORDER ITEM

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Expected Date: This item is expected around mid-November 2026. Occasionally, unforeseen circumstances may delay a product’s release. This date is not guaranteed.

The jungle of Kumata is the setting for a fierce battle where every clan wants to reach new heights. Monkeys, Snakes, Toucans, and Tigers compete for control of the canopy by stacking their dominoes, covering opponents' points, and protecting their most valuable positions. In this strategic domino game, the goal is simple: finish with more visible points than any of your opponents. As the structure rises in three dimensions, however, every placement becomes increasingly important.

With 3 or 4 players, everyone controls their own clan and arranges their dominoes into two piles. The nine Board tiles are randomly arranged in a 3 by 3 square to create the playing area. On your turn, choose one of the visible dominoes in your reserve and place it directly onto the board or on top of dominoes already in play. To stack a domino, the values must match: a 1 covers a 1, a 3 covers a 3, and so on. Empty spaces provide greater freedom because they can cover or be covered by any value.

This stacking mechanism gives Kumata its distinctive personality. Covering an opponent's domino can make valuable points disappear, but your newly placed domino may then become a target itself. You need to study the available values, anticipate your rivals' options, and decide whether to attack or strengthen your own position. Sometimes, leaving an opponent uncovered is even the smarter choice if attacking them would create a more profitable opportunity for the next player.

Your totem introduces another important dilemma. Once per game, you can place it on the domino you just played to permanently protect that domino from being covered. The totem also provides bonus points based on the height at which it is placed, so waiting can produce a bigger reward. Waiting too long has consequences, however: an unplayed totem costs you one point at the end of the game. This turns a straightforward defensive ability into a meaningful test of strategic anticipation.

Kumata also includes a dedicated two-player mode. Simply flip over the double-sided components to discover the Hippo and Crocodile clans. Each player then controls 15 dominoes divided into three piles and has two totems. The fundamental placement rules remain the same, but this configuration creates a direct duel where every opposing move demands your attention.

Kumata is for you if you enjoy family strategy games that are quick to learn, highly interactive, and tactical enough to make an immediate rematch tempting. Its core mechanism feels familiar to anyone who knows traditional dominoes, but vertical construction, blocking, and totems completely change how you approach each move. Observation, anticipation, and risk-taking are at the heart of games lasting approximately 15 minutes and accessible from age 8.

One particularly clever feature of Kumata is its double-sided components: one side is dedicated to 3 or 4 players, while the reverse is designed for the 2-player duel. The random arrangement of the nine Board tiles and the order in which dominoes become available also change the opportunities from game to game. The result is a compact tile placement game where straightforward rules consistently generate fresh tactical decisions.

Kumata was designed by Claude Leroy and illustrated by Mary Maka. Claude Leroy is also the designer of Gygès, Hokito, Mana, and Pantareï. The game was co-developed with Andréa Farkas and Tom Delahaye. Kumata also marks Mary Maka's first venture into board game illustration, bringing her nature, fairy tale, and mythology-inspired artistic style to the colourful jungle setting.

BOX CONTENTS
40 dominoes
9 Board tiles
4 Totem tokens
1 rulebook

Number of players: 2 to 4
Playing time: 15 minutes
Age: 8+