Haenyeo: Sea Divers of Jeju
2026 · Happy Baobab · Illustration
A game inspired by the haenyeo, the free-diving women of Jeju Island. Each round, players secretly choose how deep to dive without losing their link to the surface, and the litter brought up from the ocean counts towards the score too. Two to five players, ages nine and up.
Questions the project raised
- How do you portray a living heritage of Jeju accurately, without folklore, for Korean and foreign players alike?
- With five players around the board, can everyone see at a glance how deep each diver is?