Card Game Review: Sushi Go!

Card Game Review:

Sushi Go!

Rating: 7.2 out of 10 stars

Intro

Sushi Go! was one of the first card games I played that I recall actually enjoying. I’m not much of a card gamer. I’m more of a board gamer. Now it’s a staple of my collection, played quickly and easily by friends and family alike.

Objective

What I hope to accomplish with my card game reviews is to introduce you to a new game and help you determine whether the game is a good fit for you. I will consider and rank five criteria: gameplay, design, strategy, originality, and replayability.

Description

Sushi Go! is a drafting and hand management card game for 2-5 players. It is recommended for ages 8 and up.

Gameplay (7 out of 10)

The game is extremely simple. Each player picks a card in their hand, and then passes their hand to the player on their left. Players reveal their chosen card and then choose a card from their new hands. A round ends when all cards are played, and there are three rounds. Scoring occurs after each round.

The real game lies in making combos with the cards you choose and keeping cards from landing in your opponent’s clutches. Each type of card has a different benefit. For example, if you manage to get 3 sashimi, you get 10 points. Whoever has the most maki rolls gets 6 points, the one who gets the second most maki rolls gets three points. Dumplings get more points per dumpling, a risky move unless you get a lot of them. There are many other cards with different abilities.

My main complaint is that it is hard to be coordinated and remember to wait for cards to be revealed, but that may be just because of distractions or the player group.

Design (9 out of 10)

Design includes two categories: art and components.

The art on the front of the cards is amazingly cute and thematic. I love its simple charm. The leaves on the back of the card do not fit the theme as much, but that may just be a Gamewright thing. Not sure. The backs aren’t unappealing, they just don’t match the theme, which is why I didn’t rate the design a 10.

Components are just cards, but they are good quality and no complaints there.

Strategy (6 out of 10 stars)

Strategy is fine, since you have to consider what cards you are letting your opponents have when you choose which card you want. Seeing what other players are up to and planning around it is also important to winning.

Originality/Creativity (6 out of 10 stars)

The game idea is not all that original, even if the theme is pretty creative.

Replayability (8 out of 10 stars)

I’d play this several times in a row or on several different days in the same week. It would get old eventually, but it’s simple and fun.

Conclusion

I’d say this is a very simple yet fun game, and it is a good way to introduce new gamers to the drafting mechanism in gaming. I recommend it for families, children 8 and up, and even maybe for college students.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Alyssa A. Wilson for her feedback on this article.