Game Play Review - Sushi Go!

Sushi Go! is a game published by Gamewright. The premise of the card game is for players to collect different types of sushi in an effort to gain the most points. After three rounds, the game end is triggered and the player with the most points is declared the winner.

This post is broken into the following 3 sections, feel free to jump directly to one:

1. General summary - consisting of information about overall enjoyment, theme, replayability, and upgrades
2. Complexity - consisting of information about the rulebook, setup, player turns, and overall learning curve
3. Player turns - consisting of game type, game flow, rule you are likely to miss, and favorite aspect

Number of players we had: 4
Our play time (not including setup): 20 minutes
Table size needed: Small, player based - enough room to place 7-10 cards each

Overall enjoyment

Overall our group enjoys playing this game every time we play it. Sushi Go! was one of the first games introduced to us by friends when we were looking for new board games beyond what we had. One of the things we love about this game is that it can be taught and played quickly. Also, the theme is fun and the images are adorable!

Theme

The theme of Sushi Go! is exactly what you would expect: Sushi! This game does not include a game board, player board or other tokens, it is a simple card game. Each card in Sushi Go! is related to sushi in one way or another. From sashimi to dumplings to chop sticks, all of the cards match the theme perfectly. Also, the colors are bright, the artwork is cute and the scoring is clever.

Replayability

The main things that increase the replayability of Sushi Go! are that it:

• Is easy to teach and learn.
• Has an extremely small footprint and is portable.
• Is appropriate for all player groups and families.
• Takes only about 15-20 minutes to play, making it perfect for beginning or ending a game night.

Upgrades

If you want to play a slightly more complex version of Sushi Go!, or play with more than five players, Sushi Go Party! is the way to go. This is a stand-alone version of Sushi Go! that has additional types of sushi, new point systems, a dual-layered board that holds the sushi chosen for that specific game, as well as tokens to track player progress.

Rule book

The rule book is very small and organized. One of the great things about Sushi Go! is that it does not have a bunch of rules so there is no need for a large rule book. This also makes it easy to learn and players can begin playing more quickly. Even with the minimal rules, there is a quick game summary on the back page of the rule book which is helpful and appreciated.

Setup

Sushi Go! can be set up within minutes. Deal the appropriate amount of cards to each player, which is dependent upon the number of players, and you are ready to begin playing. Aside from this, something to track scoring for all three rounds is all that is needed.

Turns

Turns are taken simultaneously as all players look at the cards in their current hand and choose one card to keep/play in their area. After everyone has chosen a card and placed it face down in front of them, players reveal together. Next, players pass their remaining hand and continue this process until all cards have been acquired.

Overall learning curve

The learning curve of this game is pretty low. The biggest thing players need to consider is what the players next to them are doing. For instance, if the player you are passing to is collecting dumplings, and you had not been, it might make sense to change up your game play and keep dumpling cards to prevent them from gaining too many points too quickly.

In other words, each player will have a strategy for collecting points, but they will also need to adapt and switch up their game at times to prevent other players from scoring really high during a round.

Play type

Sushi Go! is a symmetrical card drafting game where players are only able to keep one card out of each hand before passing it to another player. This means players must be strategic about the card they choose. At the beginning of each round there is no way to know what cards are in the hands of other players. Does it make sense to keep Wasabi? Should you take a chance with Sashimi?

These are all questions you have to make educated guesses about. Though you know what is in the hand you began with, all the cards you choose not to keep can be kept by another player and be gone when your original hand gets back to you.

Game flow

Sushi Go! plays fast and is a very fluid card game. Players choose and reveal their cards simultaneously. After all cards have been claimed, players count up their points and repeat this process for three rounds. At the end of three rounds, points for all three rounds and points for dessert cards are calculated and a winner is determined.

Rule you are likely to forget/miss

The one rule you might forget with this game is to determine points for second place. For example, the player with the most maki each round earns six points and the player with the second most earns three points. This means players must compare their cards each round to determine who has the most and second-most maki, which is unlike the other cards which provide points to only one player.

Favorite aspect

Our favorite aspect of this game is the adaptability required to win it. While you may start out with one approach, other players affect your game play with their strategy and the cards they choose to keep. This means players always need to pay attention to what those next to them are doing if they want to be successful. We also love the artwork, how compact the game is, and how quickly you can begin a game even when you have new players.

Sushi Go! is one of those games you can always find a spot on your shelves for as it is enjoyable each time. It is also a great introductory game for new players or on a day when you only have a little bit of time and want to jump right into a game.