A Purchase Decision - Sushi Go!

The game in question for this week’s entry is…

Sushi Go!

Sushi Go! is designed by Phil Walker-Harding.

Some of his other designs include Cannonball Colony & Archaeology.

Sushi Go! is a simple card drafting and set collection game for families.

Game Info

Sushi Go! plays 2-5 players

Published playing time is 20mins
Mechanics – Card Drafting / Set Collection / Simultaneous Action Selection

How it Might Play

The objective in Sushi Go! is to score the most points after 3 rounds of play.

Each round plays the same where each player is dealt a certain number of cards depending on the number of players.

Each player then chooses a card he/she would like to play and places it face down in front of them. Once all players have chosen a card, they reveal them simultaneously and place it face up in front of them. Any remaining cards are then passed to the left and players will once again select a card to play. This carries on until each player is passed a single card of which they will immediately play in front of them.

This signifies the end of the round and each player is assigned points based on the sushi cards they have in front of them. Once the points are recorded, all the cards ( with the exception of the pudding cards ) are discarded and new cards are dealt to begin the next round. If that was the last round, the pudding cards provide end game scoring points and then the player with the most points is the winner !

the Sashimi & Salmon Nigiri card - I wouldnt be THAT happy if I was going to be eaten

What I Like ( from reading the rules )

Artwork

The Sushi Go! artwork really appeals to me. It very kiddy looking and may not be for everyone, but it is the kind of artwork that I look forward to in simple card games.

Card Drafting & Set Collection

I love card drafting in my games. There’s just something about looking forward to what your neighbor will pass to you that gets me all excited and happy. Sure, the cards will likely be rubbish if they watch you closely, but nonetheless it adds some randomness and unpredictability to a game which is nice. Set collection is another aspect that I appreciate in some games. It gives you a small goal to aim for and it’s a simple concept that anyone can understand ( and block ).

Variable Scoring + Push Your Luck

Sushi Go! has multiple ways to score points through differing sets of cards.

I like that to score big points you have to ride your luck that the card you want will eventually come by and also that you can never be sure how many of those cards are being passed around that round.

how to score points in Sushi Go!

What I Dislike ( from reading the rules )

Open Information

With every card face up, it might make the game slightly boring near the end of each round as it may be too obvious what everybody wants.

Location of Artwork

As much as I like the art, with it being at the bottom of the card, when you fan the cards in your hand, most of the lovely artwork is lost.

Having it centered might have been nicer instead.

Conclusion – I have my Wasabi ready, now… Where’s my Sushi ?!? ( will very likely buy when the opportunity arises )

Sushi Go! sounds like a game that’s right up my alley.

As much as I enjoy heavy strategic games, I am always on a look out for fillers to play with my class and with my friends to end a gaming day.

So I’m very likely buying the game provided I can find it out there somewhere.

Jonathan