Yokohama 2E revamps the Japan-set trading board game with a fresh look next summer
Gameplay untouched as Hisashi Hayashi’s game of rival merchants gets a makeover.
Yokohama, the trading game set during Japan’s Meiji period, is returning next summer with a revamped second edition.
Yokohama was originally released back in 2016, with designer Hisashi Hayashi’s game of rival merchants in the titular coastal city subsequently spinning out into 2018’s two-player Yokohama Duel and a roll-and-write adaptation in 2021.
Next year will see the release of Yokohama: Second Edition, which leaves the original’s two to four-player gameplay untouched while refreshing its artwork and components, along with tidying with the explanation of its rules in the manual.
"The redesigned visuals and upgraded components truly breathe new life into the game, allowing players to delve into the captivating world of Meiji-era Japan’s trade and strategy," said Carl Brière of publisher Synapses Games. "This new version of Yokohama is a must-have for any board game collection, and we can’t wait to share this gaming gem with fans."
Yokohama sees players’ merchants competing for contracts and goods including copper, silk, tea and seafood through a mixture of assigning their assistants (represented by pawns) to action spaces on the game’s variable triangular arrangement of boards, moving their company’s president between areas to charge their rivals fees, and constructing shophouses and trading houses on building sites to gain additional actions and rewards.
Fulfilling achievements and orders earns victory points, with the most points at the end of the game taking the win.
Synapses Games will release the second edition of Yokohama direct to retail in August 2024, skipping a crowdfunding campaign.
"The redesigned visuals and upgraded components truly breathe new life into the game, allowing players to delve into the captivating world of Meiji-era Japan’s trade and strategy," said Carl Brière of publisher Synapses Games. "This new version of Yokohama is a must-have for any board game collection, and we can’t wait to share this gaming gem with fans."