From the source rules

Who goes first in Yami?

CrowD Games · English summary of the Russian base rules · opening training mission · 2–4 players

For the opening training mission, choose the first player by any method and give them the Kakapo pawn. That player leads the first trick; with two human players and Automa, a human must start.

Rule details

The first player leads any spirit card from their hand, then participants play clockwise. Follow the led color if possible; otherwise play any card.

In a two-player game, Automa is an artificial third participant. It receives ten cards: six form a face-down deck and four are face up on its board. The Kakapo pawn belongs to a human, who makes Automa’s decisions.

Cards are dealt before the first player is selected. The four-player setup deals nine cards to each of the first three recipients and eight to the fourth; that hand-size table does not appoint the opening leader.

If another round is needed within the mission, the previous trick winner leads it. Automa may lead a later trick, but never receives the Kakapo pawn; when it leads, the human holding the pawn chooses its play.

This answer covers the opening teaching setup and basic trick order in the main manual. The separate travel journal, later mission instructions, envelope contents, kingdom-map file and promotional campaign material were not reviewed.

The source link opens the publisher-linked folder. Select “Ями. Правила игры.pdf”; first-player choice and the human-only opening exception are on PDF and printed page 4, with later-round and Automa rules on pages 5–6.

Source & edition

Yami — Russian rules: Ями. Правила игры.pdfCrowD Games — Russian edition and official shared-folder distribution; MUSOKA STUDIO imprint · Folder file Ями. Правила игры.pdf. Opening teaching setup, 2–4-player deal and two-player Automa (PDF/printed 3–4); any-method first-player selection, Kakapo pawn and clockwise first trick (4); Automa controller and possible later lead (5–6); later trick winner leads (6); transition to separately referenced travel journal (7). PDF page 8 has unnumbered Russian CrowD Games credits and MUSOKA STUDIO logo with no visible copyright year; PDF page 1 is unnumbered. · Checked 2026-09-26Cited PDF pages: 4, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 1, 2

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