Sushi Go

INTRO

In this game, players will be diners eating at a sushi restaurant as they try to collect the best combinations of dishes available. They will score points from the cards that they collect. The player that is best able to score the right combinations and collect the most points will be declared the winner.

OVERVIEW

To begin, all the cards are shuffled together. The number of players will determine how many cards each player will be dealt, from 10 cards in a 2 player game to 7 cards in a 5 player one. The rest of the cards are then placed face down in the center of the play area. You’ll need to get a pen and paper to keep score. Play can now begin.

The game is played over 3 rounds. At the beginning of each round, the players will simultaneously choose 1 of the cards from their hand and place it face down in front of them. Once all players have done this, everyone reveals the card that they chose. The remaining cards in a player’s hand are then passed to the player on their left. Player’s take the new cards that they were just handed and repeat the previous process, choosing a card and placing it face down in front of them. This will continue until the final card is passed and placed. This is the basics of the game, of course, the cards that you play will determine your score at the end of the round and the end of the game.

Each type of card score points in a different way. Maki rolls score for having the most maki roll icons. Tempura scores for sets of 2 and nothing for single cards. Sashimi only scores for sets of 3. Dumplings score points for each card played. The more of them you have the more points you will score. The nagiri cards are a bit different. Each of these will score a set amount, however, if they are on top of a wasabi card, they score higher points. Wasabi by itself scores nothing. Chopstick cards score nothing as well, but if you play them during the game, you can take 2 sushi cards on a future turn. To do this, you must have a chopstick card already out in front of you and can only play 1 of these per turn. Then when you reveal a card, you can yell “Sushi Go!” and take another card from your hand and place it. The chopstick card will then go into your hand and be passed on that turn.

Once you have scored your cards, you will announce your score for the scorekeeper to write down. All the played cards will be discarded except for pudding cards. New cards will be dealt to each player and the next round will continue just like before. Once the third round has been scored, the pudding cards are scored. The player with the most puddings gains points while the one with the least loses points. Once the pudding totals have been added by the scorekeeper, the point totals for all three rounds are added up. The player with the most points is the winner.

OPINION

COMPONENTS

This game’s only components are a deck of cards that come inside a really nice embossed tin. The tin is very cute and holds everything really well. The cards are very cute and sturdy. The artwork is really great and has a really fun design to them. I’m really a fan of the art and like how adorable it is. The cards are easy to shuffle and seem thick enough and sturdy enough for repeated gameplay. The only thing that’s missing is a better way of keeping score than using a pen and paper. I know that originally the game came with scoring cards that made it possible to keep track of your score without writing it down. I’m not sure how well that works as I haven’t tried it but I think it’s a neat idea. In any case, the game’s components are still great.

9/10

RULEBOOK

The rule book is a really neat artistic design. It’s in full color and has lots of pictures and explanations throughout. The cute artwork and designs permeate every page. There are several different variants including rules for 2 players. On the back is a quick game summary that includes how each card scores points. It’s really helpful and provides lots of information. It’s not very big but it packs a lot inside. Everything is really easy to read and understand. There’s nothing difficult here at all.

10/10

GAMEPLAY

This game is a lot of fun. I really enjoy the card drafting mechanic in games like 7 Wonders and Fairy Tale. This game is no different. It’s well crafted and plays off the mechanic superbly well. This is something that the kids really seem to enjoy. The cute artwork is something that the girls will especially like. There’s plenty of player interaction just like in any good card drafting game. It’s really easy to learn and play. It doesn’t take much time to play either. Most games are usually done in less than 15 minutes. It’s small enough that it can be taken and played almost anywhere. It’s great fun and is very competitive. I really enjoy it.

10/10

OVERALL

Sushi Go is a light game of card drafting with a Sushi restaurant theme. It’s something that everyone can and will enjoy. Kids and adults both will enjoy playing it. It’s simple enough that everyone can learn. I love the card drafting mechanic and this one does it really well. It’s played in less than 15 minutes, so you won’t be spending a lot of time playing it. It’s a great filler or lightweight game for novice players. I highly recommend this game. It’s something that fans of 7 Wonders and Fairy Tale will definitely enjoy. The artwork is really cute and it might just get your girlfriend or wive interested enough to play it with you. Any game that does that gets a high score from me. With a low price point, it’s something that is affordable as well as fun to play.

10/10

This review of Sushi Go! was written by guest-star Jonathan Nelson. The original review can be found here.