Sushi Go! (Second Edition)

Sometimes less is more. And I’m not just talking bout size, as there were enough good things said about Tiny Epic series. The unassuming Sushi Go! from Gamewright spots a minimalistic game design with cute theme and adorable art. Packaged in a neat tin box, it delivers tons of fun in fast-paced, easy to pick up game with a winning charm and universal appeal.

How it works:

Three to five players are competing in assembling the most impressive collection of adorably rendered sushi on their plates. The game consists of three rounds – each round the player starts with a certain amount of cards in their hands. On their turn, each player puts down one of the cards from their hands and passes the rest of the cards to the player on their left (a mechanic most will be familiar from 7 Wonders).

The cards score points – there are eight types and each has its’ own unique scoring mechanic. Sashimi for example will score you ten points but only if you play three of these during a round. Dumplings on another hand give you points that grow the more of these you play in a round. Not all cards are scored at the same time – for example all pudding played is left for dessert (of course!) and points it provides are calculated at the end of the game. Finally, chopsticks don’t provide any points on their own, but rather allow you to play two cards on a future turn instead of just one.

After a round is done (all cards were played), the scores of all players are counted up and recorded (unfortunately no scoring pad is provided with the game). After the third round the results are tallied, the dessert result is applied and whoever finishes with the most points is the winner.

How it plays:

The game rules are extremely simple and you can explain these without difficulty even to novice players. The different scoring mechanisms are conveniently illustrated on each card, serving as a useful reference.

The games themselves go very quick, especially after the first round. You are basically trying to maximize the amount of points you are going to score by picking which combinations of sushi you are going to go for – are you going to try to go for the high-scoring sashimi cards and take the risk that someone else is going to prevent you from collecting a set of three? Or play it safe with the trusty low-scoring unfortunately named nigiri for guaranteed points?

There is certainly very few opportunities for analysis paralysis and this simplicity serves the game very well, keeping the game moving gingerly. The competition aspect of the game is very indirect, mostly limited to maximizing your own score, while occasionally playing cards to prevent opponents from getting something they really want.

The game works equally well with three to five players, without much of a difference in game dynamic. There is a two-player option introducing a dummy player that provides an adequate substitute, but is not as fun as playing it with the intended group sizes. While the official number of players caps at five, it is conceivable to play with six, adjusting the number of cards dealt each round. It will be less balanced but in all honesty precise balance is not the reason you should be playing Sushi Go!

The game certainly does not overstay its’ welcome, wrapping up in a tight 15 minutes, placing it squarely in the light filler category.

How it feels:

In a word – great. The art on the cards is absolutely impossible to resist and immediately sets a positive tone for the game. You try feeling negative when there are little adorable tempura smiling at you from the card! The light mood of the game combined with the excellent art direction really hit the spot in making sure that Sushi Go! is a highly enjoyable experience – you might not be giving your brain the workout it gets during Terra Mystica, but you are definitely having fun.

The gameplay itself is also brisk. The fact that each round will contain a different set of cards due to completely random shuffling creates many unexpected scenarios to adopt to. Now sometimes it ends up feeling not fair, for example if you really need that third sashimi but there is simply no more in this round. Or you get a hand full of maki rolls that you can’t do much with. But the round is over so quickly that you are never left to dwell on these.

There is a good balance of figuring out how to score most points for yourself and watching for what others are trying to do in order to foil their plans. Expert players might try keeping track of the cards in all the hands as you see them through a few turns to devise the most efficient strategies. It is definitely a very light game though, dependent on the luck of the draw, so those craving s heavy euro will be getting a raw deal.

In Conclusion:

Sushi Go! sets a very modest goals for itself and absolutely aces these. It is a very affordable (under $15), kid-friendly game that feels fun and goes quickly. For a game about scoring points it manages to not devolve into a math exercise and it also introduces players to the card drafting mechanic used in more complex games (hello again, 7 Wonders). I would absolutely recommend you add this game to your collection – this likable filler will work well both as a break for experienced players and a starting point for new ones. I have to warn you though – by the end of three rounds you will be craving a delicious sushi roll!

If you enjoyed this review please visit Altema Games website for more reviews with photos and other cool board game stuff!

So you’re sitting down casually in a sushi bar with 4 other friends, looking to get a good fill late at night, when the chef announces the store’s about to close and he only has enough ingredients for 3 more rounds of dishes. You eye each other and raise your chopsticks as the chef unloads the first set of meals onto the bar’s conveyor belt..

Gameplay
In Sushi Go players draft meal cards over 3 rounds, trying to end with the most points at the end of the game. For those unfamiliar with the drafting mechanic, it means each player starts with a hand of cards, then plays one and passes the rest to the next player. They then receive a new hand of cards from the player previous to them, and choose another card to play then pass the rest again. This continues until all cards have been played and that marks the end of a round.

In the bar’s menu you can find :
-Egg Nigiri (1), Salmon Nigiri (2), Squid Nigiri (3) : worth a flat 1, 2, or 3 points each.
-Wasabi : playing this triples the point value of the next Nigiri card you get
-Tempura : every two tempura cards gives 5 points (1 card is 0, 2 cards are 5, 3 cards are 5, 4 cards are 10, etc.)
-Sashimi : every three sashimi cards gives 10 points
-Dumplings : more cards are worth more points :
— 1 card : 1 point
— 2 cards : 3 points
— 3 cards : 6 points
— 4 cards : 10 points
— 5 cards : 15 points
-Maki Roll : each card can have 1 to 3 rolls on it; at the end of the round the player with most rolls gets 6 points and the second highest gets 3 points; tied players split the points rounded down

There is also the Chopsticks, which gives no points at the end of the round (it is inedible). But while still drafting on any turn when you have Chopsticks in front of you, in addition to the one card you play from the current hand you can choose one other card in that hand and switch that with the Chopsticks you have, essentially pulling two cards from a particular hand that turn. Great move if all the lucrative cards are stuck in a single hand for that round. The Chopsticks card gets passed on to the next player with the rest of that hand, of course.

And finally there is the Pudding, which as a dessert does not immediately give points at the end of each round. Instead, unlike other meal cards and the Chopsticks, Pudding cards are kept across rounds and at the end of the three rounds (dessert time!) the player who hoarded the most Pudding cards gets 6 points, and the player with the least gets -6 points. Most total points after three rounds walks away from the bar most satisfied and wins the game.

Thoughts & Feel
Lightweight, fast, and very easy to teach and learn, yet is a drafting game that is still filled with meaningful decisions. Some measure of card counting can be useful to predict what other cards exist in a round, especially in a 4-5 player game where it takes more time before players get to see all the hands, and observation of what combos other players are going for is key as each round the cards are limited (may not have enough sashimi cards for two players trying to complete their set, for example). And yet the game is straightforward and simple enough that turns whiz by, so all of that consideration and decision-making never stops – here comes the next hand.

One round is enough for several sets or combos too, and so you’re often left in a good feeling of tension over which combo to pursue next. Perhaps you have several on the run – the Wasabi is still alone in your table, and so while waiting for the lucky hand that brings the Nigiri you need you’re building your Sashimi stack quietly. The next round, you saw a lot of Dumplings in your opening hand, and two or three more in the next hand – deciding that there is enough Dumplings to end with 5 at this round if you start early, you place a Dumpling card this turn – in doing so announcing to the rest of the table that they will have to compete with you if they go for a Dumpling strategy. Maybe they won’t take that hint and join in on the Dumpling bandwagon then, so you abandon early and go for Tempura and Maki Rolls instead.

You’re never left with an obvious choice, and each round and hand keeps you on your toes with interesting and deliciously agonizing decisions. Telltale signs of a good drafting game, really.

Art & Components
The cards are good quality and the illustrations are simple and exquisitely delectable. Cards are also color-coded in subtle yet distinguishable pastel tones, with concise and clear help-text in the bottom. But most of all is the heartwarming, cute sushi characters alive, bouncing, and smiling. Playing a game of Sushi Go full of 3 rounds of hands with the adorable critters coming and going, bellowing cries of “You took my dumplings!” aside it’s hard not to feel fuzzy and warm on the inside when all is said and done.

Though note that it does come in a tin – some people don’t like that. When sleeving the cards the insert needs removal and the space left, though fits the sleeved cards, is an awkward size that leaves the sleeved cards rattling in said tin. You’d need to plug the gaps with foam or your favorite lining material. Thus if you sleeve your cards or you hate carrying tins you’d need an alternative portable solution or fix the tin yourself. Other than that it’s hard to come up with arguments against Sushi Go. Perhaps the only thing is that the game *is* light and thus gamers who have a taste for heavier/meatier fillers may find it wanting.

Closing
Finally, at the low price point it asks for, Sushi Go is a title of great great value. Definitely a favorite filler in my group, and for me personally is a choice “gateway” title to carry around to introduce my family and other friends into modern boardgaming. Besides, who doesn’t like sushi? How about rows of cute, smiling sushi?

This is the game that got my girlfriend hooked into games, period. We both are sushi lovers, so the theme alone got her attention. The fact that you trade hands, rotating the sushi around like a robo-sushi joint – sealed the deal. We play this now at least 3 – 4 times every 72 hours.

It’s a great introduction for Card Drafting. In particular, my lady likes the fact that the set you create are done in different configurations with different payoffs, giving it a feel of a group of mini-games.

At first, we were all about grabbing the Pudding Cards at all costs (aka Pudding Arms Race), given that in a 2 player game, the person with the most puddings at the end essentially has 12+ points – quite a dramatic bonus. But eventually, we starting doing the math as we went along and you start to see when it’s a good time to simply let the Pudding Campaign go, as it may or may not benefit you at a certain point, and your efforts are best spent elsewhere.

It was a good 2 – 3 months before we felt like we grew into the different strategies that the game offers.

We did play it with 4 people once, which is practically a completely different game. The planning of making your sets – assuming what is possible in your next hand-return, watching what your opponent is creating and reacting properly – is quite difficult. We’ve only played a 4-player game three times, so we might need to play it more to grow into the possible strategies for that configuration.

But as a 2-player game – it is a weekly standard for us. My lady bring a copy in her purse when we go out. The artwork is adorable as well – it tends to attract attention from onlookers. Great gameplay, great graphic design – great game!

Overview
This is a card drafting game such as the likes of 7 Wonders but is much simpler. The theme is solid, you are dining out at a sushi restaurant and are picking dishes off a conveyer belt for 3 courses and desert, the artwork is lovely and is guaranteed to get you craving sushi or at least make you hungry!

Each player gets dealt a hand of cards, they pick one and then pass their hand around the group and repeat for three rounds (aka three courses) adding up scores at the end of each round, with pudding collected during all three courses being scored at the end of the game.

Each card scores differently but this is noted clearly on each card so you don’t need to remember everything at once, hence after one play you should be fluent in sushi go! Some examples include…
Tempura – only scores if you have a pair of them
Dumpling – one dumpling is worth 1 point, two are worth 3 and so on to five dumplings for 15 points
Wasabi – Wasabi can be placed before ‘dipping’ a nigiri card in wasabi to triple the nigiri’s point value
Pudding – Pudding is only scored at the end of all 3 rounds, the person with the most scores 6 points, the person with the least scores -6 points.

This is a small compact, quick game that is ideal for travelling or maybe whilst waiting for food at a restaurant.
I have recently played this with a group of non-gamer friends whilst having a girly weekend away… they all loved it and wanted to play a second game straight away.

I would say this plays best with 4 players, when playing with two the best way is to play with a dummy hand but this isn’t ideal.

Don’t be fooled by thinking this is a kids game, this is great for any age. Sushi Go! does what it sets out to do very well but is lacking in depth.

Who is it for?
This game has luck and light strategy so is more for the casual and family gamer or if you are trying to convert someone new to the hobby.

Pros
-Quick to teach / Easy to learn
-Good for both children and adults (don’t be fooled by the cute artwork)
– Quick filler game
-Lovely artwork
-Great theme
-Small and compact for easy travel

Cons
-Lack of depth, and hence this isn’t something you would play all the time
-Not great for two players

Should you own this game?
This game doesn’t cost much so even if you are buying this thinking you may only play It on one holiday / trip then I would say this is worth it. Definitely a great game for the whole family or just a nice filler game….but beware you may need snacks at the ready to combat the hunger inducing theme!

Sushi Go is a fantastic example of something that is deceptively simple and looks–to be honest–like there isn’t anything behind that, beyond the “simple game”. Wrong wrong wrong.

It’s flat out good and pretty **** addictive. Game mechanics are indeed simple but after a couple of games you see the different strategies begin to pop up. You also understand certain frames–for example…Everyone is dealt a hand of cards. What isn’t clear immediately is after playing one round you understand that round plays very independently of the one following. Each player turn has all the players rotating your present hand so you suss what’s available that round. You finish a round and dispose of all of those cards and re-deal for the next round. There are 3 rounds so you have different options. Simple and elegant.

Certain cards are played and held by the player to be scored on the last round–pudding for the dessert. This game is a lot of fun and around 20 minutes to play. It’s great for a travel game. I recommend it.

For our first game review, we decided to review one of our newest games – Sushi Go! Sushi Go! is a fast-paced card game for 2 – 5 players that takes place over 3 rounds. It only takes around 15 minutes to complete a game. The object of the game is to create the best combination of sushi dishes, by choosing from hands of cards that are passed either back in forth in a two player game, or around the table in a 3 – 5 player game. We love this games for several reasons – it is fast-paced, portable, and has adorable artwork. It is far more fun and strategic with 3 – 5 players, however, there is a two-player variant that involves a third “dummy” that the two players alternate control of. We highly recommend using the two-player variant for two-player games; the variant makes the game more strategic and less predictable, primarily because the dummy’s cards are in a facedown pile, so neither player knows what extra card they are going to draw when they control the dummy. With that being said, we definitely feel that Sushi Go! is a worthwhile game to add to any collection, especially because of its portability and low price.

Fun Factor: 3/5 (two players w/ dummy); 4/5 (three – five players)

-fairly easy to predict opponent’s strategy and work against each other in two-player game
-much less predictable and more strategic with 3 – 5 players

Learning Challenge: 2/5

-very easy to learn
-kid friendly
-involves strategy and probability

Cost: $/$$$$$

-around $11 at a local game store or online

Artwork: 5/5

-one of the cutest games we have ever seen
-creative sushi themed artwork

Originality: 5/5 (Amy); 4/5 (Nat)

-sushi theme is super cute and original
-game mechanics are similar to other games (trading card hands among players)

Replay Value: 4/5

-players’ strategies depend on particular card hands in each round
-good game for playing as a starter game or in between longer games

Luck vs Skill: 2/5

-winning is highly dependent on what cards are dealt each round and whether or not you gain the cards needed to score points
-skill involves predicting other players’ strategies, prioritizing which cards to take first, and anticipating the probability of gaining card sets needed to score points
-not necessarily a game one could master due to the level of luck involved in which cards are dealt each round

Two-Player Friendly: 2/5 (without dummy); 3/5 (with two-player variant)

-we recommend the two-player variant; it makes a two-player game more fun, less predictable, and more challenging

Overall Feeling: 5/5

-overall, Sushi Go! is a blast to play
-it takes a very short amount of time to play a full game and is easy to explain to someone who has never played before, making it a great starter game or filler in between longer, more intense games
-however, it is not a game we would play every day due to the high level of luck involved and low level of skill needed

Overall Rating: 3.7/5

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-Nat & Amy
#cathairday

This is an extremely light game with cute art and a simple drafting mechanism. The scoring is a little wonky but young kids can understand the game well enough to play even if they cant total their own score. Game plays very fast once every one knows the rules and you can get a complete 3 round game in under 15 minutes easily. The soy sauce add on cards are highly recommended to add a little depth (with soy this game is an 8).