Sushi Go Game

The Basics:

1. Sushi Go Game Amazon
2. Sushi Go Game Target
3. Sushi Go Party
4. Sushi Go Game Instructions
5. Sushi Go Game Directions
6. Sushi Go Game Age
7. Sushi Go Game Rules

Mar 15, 2019 Roll with your favorite sushi go! Characters in this dice version of the best-selling card game! Load up the conveyor belts with savory sushi dice – then pick one and pass the rest! Earn points for winning combos like two tempura or a set of sashimi. The Deluxe Pick and Pass Card Game. It’s a party platter of mega maki, super sashimi, and endless edamame in this expanded version of the best-selling card game. You still earn points by picking winning sushi combos, but now you can customize each game by choosing a la carte from a menu of more than 20 delectable dishes.

• For ages 7 and up (publisher suggests 8+)
• For 2 to 5 players
• Approximately 20 minutes to complete

We can't find Sushi Go Party anywhere anymore- and everywhere else we could find it online had it for twice as much or more. It is a fun game and my daughter wanted her own to take to college to play with her friends there. Takes the card-drafting mechanism of Fairy Tale and 7 Wonders and distills it into a twenty-minute game that anyone can play. The dynamics of 'draft and pass' are brought to the fore, while keeping the rules to a minimum.

Geek Skills:

• Counting & Math
• Logical & Critical Decision Making
• Memorization & Pattern/Color Matching
• Hand/Resource Management

Learning Curve:

• Child – Easy
• Adult – Easy

Theme & Narrative:

• Grab the best sushi before your opponents do

Endorsements:

• Gamer Geek mixed!
• Parent Geek approved!
• Child Geek approved!

Overview

Sushi has been referred to as “art” and “dead uncooked fish on rice”. It’s both, if the truth be told. Some visibly turn green when asked if they would like a bite and others just cannot eat enough. Regardless of which extreme you tend to lean towards, sushi is best in moderation. Pick your pieces with thoughtful consideration and take the time to enjoy each bite. Then, devour the pudding!

Sushi Go!, designed by Phil Walker-Harding and published by Gamewright, is comprised of 108 cards. The cards depict all things sushi. This includes, but is not limited to Tempura, Sashimi, Maki rolls, and several different versions of Nigiri. Chopsticks, dumplings, wasabi, and pudding are also depicted. The cards are as durable as your standard playing cards and very colorful. The illustration by Nan Rangsima are outstanding and make the game a pleasure to look at. Not included with the game, but necessary to play, is a pen or pencil and something to write on to keep track of players’ scores.

Getting Ready to Eat

To set up the game, first shuffle all the cards.

Second, deal out cards to the players, face-down. The number of cards dealt is dependent on the number of players in the game.

Third, place the remaining cards face-down in the middle of the playing area. You’ll use these later in the game.

That’s it for game set up. Time to eat!

Quick Table Etiquette

There are two special cards that need to be explained a bit in detail before the game is played.

Wasabi Cards

Ah, the spicy wasabi. It’s a great addition to any meal when you need a little heat. In Sushi Go! the Wasabi card kicks your Nigiri cards up a notch by increasing their point value times 3. When a Wasabi card is played, it’s matched to 1 Nigiri card. Only 1 Nigiri card can be matched with 1 Wasabi card at a time. If the player has an unmatched Wasabi card when the player plays a Nigiri card, the Wasabi and Nigiri card are immediately matched.

Chopsticks Cards

Believed to have been used in China as early as the Shang dynasty (1766-1122 BCE), these simple sticks have been the table utensil of choice for thousands of years. Elegant and simple, they allow the user to deftly eat their food with a quiet dignity. That is, if the user knows how to hold them properly. In Sushi Go!, the Chopsticks card allow the player to select 2 cards on their turn instead of one. The Chopsticks card is then added to the hand and passed on so another player might make use of this very worthwhile utensil. Best of all, the Chopsticks card can be played in front of the player for future use. Just make they are used, however, since the Chopsticks card isn’t worth any points.

The Art of Eating Sushi

Sushi Go! is played in rounds and turns. Each game will consists of 3 rounds in total. A round of play is summarized here.

Step 1: Select One Card

The first thing all players do at the start of a new round is look at all the cards in their hand. From their hand, the players will select 1 card to keep. The kept card is placed, face-down, in front of the player. Once every player has selected 1 card to keep, all players reveal the card they selected. Then all the players pass the remaining cards in their hand to the player on their left.

Step 2: Repeat

Players now repeat step 1 and continue to select 1 card from the hand they are passed. All selected cards are kept in front of the player, face-up. This continues until all the cards have been played face-up. Note that the last card passed to the player is immediately played face-up in front of them.

End of the Round Scoring

After the last card has been played and revealed, it’s time to calculate the score.

Maki Rolls

The Maki Roll cards have a maki roll icon on them numbering from 1 to 3. Players group their Maki Roll cards and count the total number of icons. The player with the most maki roll icons (not the most Maki Roll cards) scores 6 points. If there is a tie for most maki roll icons, the players split the points evenly ignoring any remainder. No second place points are awarded if this is the case.

If only 1 player has the most maki roll icons, the player with the second most maki roll icons scores 3 points. If there is a tie for second most maki roll icons, the players split the points evenly ignoring any remainder.

Tempura Rolls

The players now group their Tempura Roll cards into sets of 2. For every set of Tempura Roll cards the player has, they score 5 points. Single Tempura Roll cards score nothing. Tempura Roll cards can only be scored once per set per round.

Sashimi Rolls

The players now group their Sashimi Rolls and group them into sets of 3. Each set of 3 Sashimi Roll cards scores 10 points. Any remaining Sashimi Roll cards score nothing.

Dumplings

The player’s aren’t done yet! It’s time to get to the dumplings! Players now group their Dumpling cards and count the total number of Dumpling cards they have collected. Points are awarded as follows:

• 1 Dumpling card = 1 point
• 2 Dumpling cards = 3 points
• 3 Dumpling cards = 6 points
• 4 Dumpling cards = 10 points
• 5 or more Dumpling cards = 15 points

Now those are some tasty dumplings!

Nigiri Rolls

Finally, we come to the Nigiri Roll cards. Nigiri Roll cards are worth points on their own, but they are worth even more when paired with a Wasabi card. Points are awarded as follows:

• “Egg” Nigiri Roll = 1 point (or 3 points with a Wasabi card)
• “Salmon” Nigiri Roll = 2 points (or 6 points with a Wasabi card)
• “Squid” Nigiri Roll = 3 points (or 9 points with a Wasabi card)

Note that a Wasabi card not paired with a Nigiri Roll card is worth zero points.

Pudding and Chopsticks

Pudding cards are not scored during the round, but they will be scored at the end of the game. Chopsticks cards, if the player has any, are worth zero points.

All played cards are now collected, except the Pudding cards, and discarded. Pudding cards remain in front of the player for the entire game and are only counted when the third and final round is completed. Players are now dealt a new hand to start the next round.

End of the Game Scoring

After the third round has been scored, it’s time to eat all the pudding the players have been collecting. The player with the most Pudding cards scores 6 points. If there is a tie for most pudding, the players split the points evenly ignoring any remainder. The player with the LEAST amount of Pudding cards is penalized 6 points. If there is a tie for least pudding, the players split the point reduction evenly ignoring any remainder.

The puddin’ points (as I like to call them) are then added to the score. The player with the most points wins the game.

Game Variants

Sushi Go! comes with two game variants you can choose to use or completely ignore.

Passing Both Ways

Normally players will always pass their cards to their left. This game variant changes the direction the cards are passed every round. During round 1, pass to the left. During round 2, pass to the right. On the third and final round, pass to the left again.

Table for Two

Sushi Go Game Amazon

Sushi Go! is normally played with a minimum of 3 players. This game variant allows 2 players to enjoy the card game when a third friend is nowhere to be found. In summary, a “dummy hand” is created and players take turns playing the dummy hand to the table. The catch here is that a player gets to play 2 cards on their turn (1 for themselves and 1 for the dummy player), but they get to draw 1 card from the dummy hand before they make their choice. Control of the dummy hand changes every turn during the round. Other than the use of the dummy hand, the game is played as described above. It’s perfectly possible that the dummy player scores more points than a real player. Which, as you can imagine, really makes the ego sting.

To learn more about Sushi Go!, visit the game’s web page.

Final Word

The Child Geeks, even the younger ones, immediately understood how to play Sushi Go! According to one Child Geek, “This is just a set collecting game. I can totally play this!” And play it they did, but not as well as they should. I observed several cases where Child Geeks either forgot what cards they had seen or simply didn’t care and just collected the cards they wanted. Which, in one Child Geek’s case, was absolutely true. According to this Child Geek completest, “I think it’s fun to get a whole meal before the round is over.” A worthy goal, but not one that brings victory. Only the older Child Geeks were visibly making thoughtful choices, taking their time, and clearly had a plan. Unfortunately, looking at their younger opponents’ played cards provided little information to suggest what they should or should not play. One older Child Geek said it best when he mumbled, “It’s impossible to tell what my younger brother is thinking.” All the Child Geeks voted to approve Sushi Go!, finding it to be a fun game to play and a joy to look at.

My 7-year-old smugly waits as his older brother ponders which card to keep

The Parent Geeks, both non-gamers and casual gamers, adored Sushi Go! One Parent Geek said, “What I like best about this game is how easy it is to teach and to play. I can enjoy the game with my kids and my adult friends all at the same time.” Indeed! Sushi Go! proved to be a game that challenged all its players, but never excluded anyone based on age or skill. Another Parent Geek said, “What I like is how fast the game plays. I have played other games like this that take too long to explain and play. I can play this game while I’m waiting for the pizza to bake with time to spare.” Finally, another Parent Geek said, “Good game. Simple and fun. A good game to bring to the table whenever a game is requested.” All the Parent Geeks voted to approved Sushi Go!

The Gamer Geeks were very familiar with the game’s mechanics and quickly jumped in. The first round took less than 5 minutes, the second took about 6, and the last round took about 5 minutes. When the first game was over, a second was immediately started followed by a third. After several games, the Gamer Geeks quietly reflected. One Gamer Geek said, “I think this is a solid game, would make for an excellent game filler or starting game, and should be played more often. I give it my thumbs up.” Another Gamer Geek said, “A good game with solid game play, but I found it to be too light for me. I want a meatier game with more to think about.” Another gamer Geek chimed in saying, “I don’t think this is a game I would want to play every night, but I would play it again and most certainly with family and friends who are not gamers.” Finally, one unimpressed Gamer Geek said, “All I did was pick cards each round and count scores. That’s not fun or interesting.” When all the votes were counted, the Gamer Geeks gave Sushi Go! a mixed endorsement. The more hardcore Gamer Geeks disliked the game and the more casual Gamer Geeks loved it. Everyone agreed that the Pudding card was adorable.

I’ve heard it said that Sushi Go! is like a watered or stripped down version of 7 Wonders. I cannot disagree with this comparison. Sushi Go! and 7 Wonders share the same game mechanics, such as simultaneous card selection, card drafting, and set collecting. But that’s where I think the similarities end. If an individual wanted to teach younger players how to play 7 Wonders, introducing and playing Sushi Go! would be an excellent first step. Much in the same way that one must learn how to crawl before they run. But knowing how to play Sushi Go! does not mean a player knows how to play 7 Wonders. They are two different games.

As for me, I really liked the game. It’s light enough to be enjoyed without much fuss and quick enough to keep everyone engaged without taxing a player’s interest. Best of all, the game play isn’t fluff. Competitive players will have to think and remember which cards they have seen and match that to the cards they see on the table. Not that you need to do that in order to play, but the door is open to those who want to take Sushi Go! to a deeper level.

My biggest hope for Sushi Go!, oddly enough, is to play it enough times so my Child Geeks are no longer interested in it. I want to expand their game playing experience by introducing the “next level” of card games that Sushi Go! perfectly prepares them for. Specifically, 7 Wonders and Lost Legends. Sushi Go! introduces and uses the core game mechanisms of these more complicated games beautifully. To a point where I would gladly sit down and play Sushi Go! with anyone because it delivers a solid game playing experience. Not as robust and deep as I would like, but I have yet to walk away from a single game not feeling happy. Do try this adorable card game. I think you’ll find it to be worth your while.

Finally, and in hopes of showing you just how strange and wonderful the interweb can be, I want to share this video with you. When you are dong watching it, you will know why pudding is worth getting excited about.

This game was given to Father Geek as a review copy. Father Geek was not paid, bribed, wined, dined, or threatened in vain hopes of influencing this review. Such is the statuesque and legendary integrity of Father Geek.

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I am going to assume you are already familiar with how to play. If you are expecting a review or instructions, skip it and just buy the game it’s super fun and I guarantee you will enjoy it. Now, let’s get into the deep end.

During every round of Sushi Go you have a limited number of picks. Only 8 per round in a 4 player game for example. It is important that you always consider how many points you are potentially getting per pick. I say potentially because often times you are only drafting an opportunity for points, in the case of Maki, Sashimi, Tempura … pretty much anything but Nigiri. Sashimi, for example, is worth 3.33 points per pick, with the risk of totally failing and getting you 0. Needless to say, you should try to stay risk-averse unless you have confidence you will be able to complete the combo.

Before analyzing all of the cards let’s take a look at the card count.

14x Tempura
14x Sashimi
14x Dumpling
12x 2Maki
8x 3Maki
6x 1Maki
10x Salmon Nigiri
5x Squid Nigiri
5x Egg Nigiri
10x Pudding
6x Wasabi
4x Chopsticks

We have 108 cards total. This is important for expecting a certain distributions of cards in fresh packs. This data tells us that 14/108 cards are sashimi. That is slightly more than 1 out of 10 cards. Basically you are slightly lucky to even get 3 sashimi in your pool, so draft carefully.

Anyway, let’s get back to points per card and evaluate each pick. I will use the abbreviation PPC for point-per-card. After the general evaluation I am going to evaluate the first pick potential. After the first pick the answer to everything becomes “in depends” and it is impossible to evaluate. First pick is clean and easy.

Nigiri

PPC – 1/2/3 (+Wasabi – 1.5/3/4.5)
The single egg nigiri is worth a pathetic single point. It is only worth picking over items that give you 0 points and often not even then if doing so will block an opponent from completing a sashimi/tempura combo. Salmon and squid nigiri, on the other hand, are both excellent value. They deliver a good point value without having to worry about hitting a combo; when combined with a wasabi they generate some excellent scores.

First Pick – Squid Nigiri is an excellent first pick. It offers a stronger ppc than tempura (2.5) and nearly as strong as sashimi (3.33). Egg nigiri is obviously terrible. Salmon is probably not good enough to first pick although I can fabricate some fringe hands which would make picking salmon right. For example sashimi, egg nigiri, sashimi, 1maki, pudding, 2maki, salmon, salmon.

Tempura

PPC – 2.5
Tempura is a pretty decent pick. It appears weaker than sashimi, and it is point wise, but it’s consistency actually makes it a stronger pick. You can frequently manage to grab back to back tempura without giving opponents an opportunity to block you.

First Pick – Rarely. It just isn’t worth enough points to justify taking over wasabi, chopsticks, 3Maki or squid nigiri. However if none of those are in your pack, this is probably your pick.

Sashimi

PPC – 3.333
It’s a trap! Sashimi is very tantalizing, especially if you open a pack with 2 right in it. The problem with sashimi is how easy it is for other players to block you from getting the third one. It only costs an opponent a single dead card to create a pair of dead cards for you. A profitable block, especially deeper in the pack when good picks are thinning out. On top of that, there is a reasonable chance 3 sashimi aren’t even in the pool and you are drawing dead. I would recommend simply avoiding this and taking the easy points.

First Pick – Rarely. I want to say never, however sometimes it’s a fair gamble, especially on pack three if you are already satisfied with your pudding count. Opponents will often prioritize puddings on round three to get out of the danger zone letting you sneak sashimi. However there are massive risks of players simply blocking you out and of course the full trifecta not existing in the pool.

Sushi Go Game Target

Dumplings

Sushi Go Party

PPC – 3 at best
Dumplings are also a bit of a trap, but unlike sashimi, they always score something. The massive dumpling combo might seem enticing until you realize that even at max combo they are only worth 3 per pick and anything lower than the max is pretty lackluster. You shouldn’t even attempt dumplings unless you are confident you can get four. They appear at the same frequency as sashimi, except they are worth less points. Keep in mind that 6 dumplings is actually worth the same as 5 dumplings. Once your combo is complete all additional dumplings are worthless.

First Pick: Almost never. The only time I would consider first picking a dumpling is if the pack contains 3 or more. That way you can take 1, and be certain at least 1 more will come around. In the mean time you can sneak 1-2 more dumpling picks and catch your opponents unaware. By the time your first pack comes around opponents probably won’t be able to block you. Of course this gambit depends on 5+ dumplings existing in the pool.

Maki

PPC – 6 at best
Maki are the opposite of dumplings. Meaning the more you have the less points each one is worth. A single maki, if it wins the high, is worth a whopping 6 points and it’s actually possible! However each maki you draft after the first reduces your value per card. That being said, grabbing a 3-maki is an excellent investment because in most pools it will be enough to at least get you 3 points either from taking 2nd place, or grabbing another later-pick maki for 1st place.

First Pick: Sometimes. Showing a 3maki early is often enough to demoralize/frighten your opponents from investing. A maki count of 5-6 is often enough to secure first place unless someone invests considerable cards. If that is the case, keep in mind how much value each maki will bring you compared to other cards. You do not want to take 3+ picks just to get second place on Maki count if you could have taken stronger picks. Even taking 1st place on maki might not be worth it if you blow through a bunch of picks.

Pudding

PPC – 6 at best
Pudding is probably the hardest card to evaluate. Pudding cards go up in value as the drafting rounds progress and your future possibilities are reduced. But so does demand for pudding. Generally speaking you should take any card worth 2.5+ over a pudding in hopes that another pudding will appear in the future, letting you make a more profitable pick. However everyone else will be targeting the desert with more ferocity on later picks (just like you are). Sometimes it’s smart to front load your pudding count in pack one when people tend to let it float around so you can avoid the melee on later packs and score some strong cards.

Sushi Go Game Instructions

First pick: Sometimes. There are many dependencies on when to take pudding. I would say never first pick pudding in pack one. In packs 2 or 3 you should first pick pudding if it is going to put you into first, or get you out of last. In pack 3 you need to make a choice. You are either going to fight for pudding or not. If the answer is yes, then first pick the pudding and draft each one you see.

Wasabi

PPC 4.5 or 3
Obviously the goal with wasabi is to pair it with a squid nigiri for a whopping 9 points. That is the best value in the entire game, barring the miracle single-maki 6 pointer. Even the fallback plan of salmon nigiri gives you a respectable 6 points; better than a tempura combo. However, the strength of wasabi tapers off quickly. After the third pick it usually becomes egg nigiri fodder… Or worse.

First Pick: Always. The chance that you will score a squid or salmon in the next two picks is good enough that this is the best first pick in Sushi Go. You might need to show some discretion if you are playing with strong enough players to first pick squid nigiri, since they might cut you out of it right away. But even then, you should be able to snag a salmon which is fine.

Chopsticks

PPC – 3-6
Like wasabi, the sticks are very strong early and taper off in value quickly. I think it’s fair to say that chopsticks are worth about 6 points as a pick if you take them early because of the combo potential the offer you.

First Pick: Always. If you take them first the chances that you can grab a solid combo like 2x tempura, combo-wasabi, double maki or even double sashimi is very high.

Drafting Tips

Dead Last Picks

Often this is unavoidable since so many picks can be dead. However you can do something to extract maximum value by planning ahead. For example in a 3-player game, once you get passed a 4-card pack, you need to realize that 1 of those cards is going to be your last pick. Let’s say the last four cards are:

Sushi Go Game Directions

chopsticks, salmon nigiri, 1maki and egg nigiri

Assuming the maki is irrelevant, taking the salmon might seem like a no-brainer, but that pretty much ensures that your last pick is going to be chopsticks. If you take the chopsticks instead your last pick is probably going to be maki, or maybe the egg nigiri if another players finds the maki useful. In the mean time you can probably still get some minimal value from the chopsticks in the next pack. Just something to keep in mind. When you get a pack that is (numbers of players + 1) one of those cards is going to be your last pick. Plan around that.

Memorize the Packs

The most fundamental drafting skill is to remember what you have already seen. You have 100% information after you have seen all of the packs. Have you ever said “I hope there is a 3rd sashimi” after you have seen every pack at least once? If you have, you have some practicing to do. It’s easy to just take what you need from a pack and pass it. But if you want to get better at this game (or any drafting game) you need to try to store as much pack information as possible. Obviously you can play Sushi Go and never memorize the packs, but this is about winning right?

Pudding Counting

There are only 10 puddings in the entire deck. In a standard 4-player game your group will draft 96 cards, thats 88% of all the cards. That means statistically, you should see 9 puddings total in a 4-player game. Because the pudding stay in play throughout the rounds, you can get a pretty good feel for what to expect. For example if one 1-2 puddings end up out after the first drafting rounds, the pudding concentration is going to be higher than usual in packs 2 & 3. This information is slightly less useful in a 3-player game since only 81 cards are seen, but still relevant.

Don’t Over Eat Maki

Remember you only need enough maki to be first or second. You cannot be MORE first. I often see people taking 1maki over other cards to “secure the lead” when they already have 7 and no one else has more than 3. If you are leading the maki race you need to be diligent about keeping track of how many maki exist in the pool. You probably already first-picked the 3maki right? Do you know how many maki you passed? After you have seen every pack you have 100% knowledge of how much maki exists. Taking other peoples picks into consideration, you should be able to deduce exactly how much you need to stay in first. Do that. Do not just start taking all the maki to make sure.

Wasabi or Chopsticks!?

I realize I said “Always” first pick both of these items. But what if your pack has one of each? Well wasabi is more powerful because it will usually score you 6 or 9 points. However there is a chance it will miss the good stuff and only catch an egg for 3. Chopsticks on the other hand will get you a more modest 5-6 points, but they will never give you 0. It is probably a matter of style. They are both excellent picks.

Sushi Go Game Age

Understanding Deltas (Know the Score)

A score delta is the difference between two scores. Reducing or increasing a delta (depending on which side you are on) is just as good as gaining points. For example if you have the option to take a squid nigiri for 3 points, or hate-draft a single sashimi for 0 points to block the player to your right from making the sashimi combo you need to consider the delta. If you take the nigiri you gain 3, and he will gain 10. The delta between your scores is 7 (you might call this -7 since you are losing). Now what if you took the sashimi for 0 points, and your opponent takes the nigiri for 3? Well now he is only +3 points on you. A much better outcome for you.

But before you get all excited about your epic block, you need to make sure it helps you! That is where knowing the score comes in. You can’t just play deltas in a 3+ player game because crushing player A might put you behind player B. In the above example if you were in 2nd place, and the player to your right was in 3rd place and your delta with him was already +15 then letting him have the sashimi while getting a +3 with the player in 1st is the better play. Or, if you are in last place (which you shouldn’t be if you read this guide) then you probably shouldn’t worry about deltas very much at all and just try to draft maximum points. The whole delta thing gets really complex when you are trying to figure out pudding… What a headache.

Sushi Go Game Rules

The point is, you need to know the score. You need to know what position you are in relative to your opponents. That information will tell you if you should draft for points, or draft to block your opponents.

Conclusion

Just because all the Sushi images have silly smiley faces on them doesn’t mean this is an easy game. Drafting rewards analysis and there is less luck involved than most people think. Let me know if this guide has helped you, and certainly let me know if you have some tips of your own!