Forest of Tataraba (2016)

Overview

In たたらばと森 (Furnace and Forest), each player represents a Toryo clan engaged in the production of tatara steel with the long-term goal of allowing for perpetual production — but to do this, the players must learn to coexist with the forest of Okuizumo. The forest is ever-changing through the semi-predictable forces of maturation and succession, and players who don't manage their woodlots effectively will fall behind rivals with more secure and robust sources of the tools and charcoal necessary to upgrade and fire up their furnaces (tatara).

During the game, players plant trees and harvest other trees that were already on the board, paying for the privilege of cutting a tree planted by an opponent. Five different species populate the forest and grow at different rates, with the planted trees growing somewhat randomly at the end of the round. Players must predict where the forest will grow, while adjusting the balance of their harvesting and planting in order to improve their production.