Umami (Saturday Review)

Under the glow of the moon, the forest stalls sizzled and steamed. Ramen bowls, takoyaki, and miso soup filled the air with rich, savoury aromas. Woodland chefs scurried between stoves, each eager to cook the most delicious dishes, only to be outdone by competitors who stole their patrons right from under their noses. The question is whether you have what it takes to serve up the best culinary creations that burst with Umami by Don Eskridge from Heidelbär Games with art by Ikuko Nakai.

Stirring Strategies

Umami is all about creating dishes from three ingredients each, all of which are represented by cards: objective cards that define what ingredients are required and ingredient cards that you play to make up the dishes. Yet, despite its cutesy artwork, the game is very fierce and cutthroat. While your first couple of games will mostly be chill multiplayer solitaire experiences, as you all get to grips with the rules, some of you will soon realise that the best way to win is by stealing objective cards from your opponents by cooking up better versions of their dishes.

On your turn, you select one ingredient from your hand and one from the shared market, both of which you play in front of you. Deciding which cards to choose feels both simple and deceptively tactical. Given that the market loses a card and gains a new one every turn, Umami is very dynamic. The game state changes every turn, so you must never lose sight of what is happening, and given that you’re trying to outdo your opponents means you have to constantly check what they might be planning.

Choosing to complete a dish yourself is tempting, yet outcompeting another chef by creating a more delicious version often yields greater rewards, because not only does your opponent lose points, but you also gain them. You are even able to steal an ingredient and add it to your larder. That’s what gives Umami such a deliciously sharp edge. It’s like sharpened cleavers at midnight.

Timing is also crucial. You don’t want to finish a dish too early, because that can leave it vulnerable to being outdone by the other players. However, waiting too long risks that another player steals one of the ingredients and overtakes you.

Umami Aroma and Ambience

Visually, Umami is like a cute animal manga. I was going to say that the art by Ikuko Nakai is really fitting, but actually, as I said, the game is far from cute. Even so, it draws players into the forest festival setting with strong colours and expressive animal characters. The ingredient cards evoke a Studio Ghibli atmosphere and are visually bright and strong, making it easy to distinguish the colours, even if you’re colour-blind. The tactile quality of the cards is satisfying, with sturdy cardstock that supports repeated plays. Overall, components are very clear and legible, reflecting a thoughtful balance between functional design and thematic storytelling.

Yet, the setting, while visually charming, doesn’t feel integral to gameplay. You can easily treat Umami as an abstract game of outbidding other players with better card combinations. Maybe the cutesy illustrations try to soften the blow when another player ruthlessly steals an objective card or an ingredient from you. Maybe the game tries to remind players that they are not just great chefs, but also performers competing to attract the most patrons.

Whatever it may be, Umami excels at creating memorable moments through its direct negative player interaction, as long as you like this sort of thing. The satisfaction of successfully outcompeting an opponent, or the sudden stabbing pain of having one’s dish stolen, is the heartbeat of the game. For the right group, this will be a lot of fun. For others, it may feel a bit too much.

The Complete Creation

Either way, Umami is a delicious blend of strategy, interaction, and visual charm. It’s a great choice for casual gamers and competitive groups alike. Its easy-to-learn rules, super quick setup, and lovely components make it inviting to new players, while the push-and-pull of stealing and timing offers a good amount of depth for the seasoned chef among us. Each session carries a sense of story and tension in a very short amount of time. The juxtaposition of cut-throat gameplay and cutesy art style creates a weird sensation. Players are going to be surprised when they realise how cruel this game actually is.

As a light game, you will find that Umami will get a little repetitive after a number of plays. Despite the shuffled ingredient deck and set collection strategies creating a lot of variation, over time, the tactical options will start to feel very familiar. It’s not a game you want to play all night long, but as a game to start everyone off with or to finish a game night on, it works perfectly.

Useful Links

• Umami: https://shop.heidelbaer.de/products/umami-english/342974000008765072
• Rulebook: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/303599/umami-rules-english
• Heidelbär Games: https://shop.heidelbaer.de/
• BGG listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/449542/umami

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