Sushi Go review: get ready and take the most valuable sushi!

In 1958, Yoshiaki Shiraishi opened the first conveyor belt sushi restaurant (回転寿司, kaiten-zushi) named "Genroku Zushi" in Higashi-Osaka. Conveyor belt sushi is a casual and affordable type of sushi restaurant.

Conveyor belts are typically installed along tables or counters in the restaurant and are used to carry plates of sushi past diners, who can choose to take whatever they want. Generally, the bill is based on the number of sushi plates, with different colors representing a particular price.

When Genroku Sushi opened a restaurant at the Japan World Exposition, Osaka, 1970, it won an award at the expo, and conveyor belt sushi restaurants became known throughout Japan. In 1973, an automatic tea dispenser was developed, which is now used in conveyor belt sushi restaurants today. When the patent for conveyor belt sushi restaurants expired, a chain of conveyor belt sushi restaurants was established, spreading conveyor belt sushi throughout Japan and further popularizing and lowering the price of sushi. By 2021, the conveyor belt sushi market had grown to 700 billion yen and spread outside Japan.

So grab your chopsticks and let's play Sushi Go!

Sushi Go is a 2-to-5 players game, age 8+, by designer Phil Walker-Harding, also credited for the game's art.

Sushi Go was released in 2013 by Gamewright. The main mechanics are: simultaneous actions and selections, hand management, gathering sets.

Since 2013, Sushi Go has been nominated and awarded for both Best Family Board Game and Best Card Game, and in 2015 it won Best Game at the Boardgames Australia Awards.

Playing the Game

In Sushi Go, you're dining at a Japanese restaurant, trying to grab the best combination of sushi and condiments as they pass by on the conveyor belt. Score points by collecting as many maki rolls as possible, a complete set of sashimi, or with other sushi combinations. Always have wasabi on hand to spread on your favorite nigiri and triple its value!

And after that, finish your meal with all the available dessert! But be careful what sushi you let your friends grab; it might be exactly what they need to defeat you.

That's the scenario of Sushi Go!

The game focuses on the "pick one and pass" mechanic, in this case, cards with dishes from a Japanese restaurant. Upon seeing the first cards, you must quickly assess and decide which type of card to choose. Then, each turn, you'll need to weigh which cards to keep and which to pass. The different scoring combinations allow for clever plays and spite plays against your "friends." Round after round, you must also keep an eye on the goal of having the most pudding cards at the end of the game.

The game's setup is as simple as it gets. Shuffle all the cards, deal "x" cards to each player (which varies depending on the number of players), and leave the remaining deck of cards in the center of the table. That's it!

There are 108 total cards, distributed in 10 different types:

14x Tempura

14x Sashimi

14x Dumpling

12x 2 Maki rolls

8x 3 Maki rolls

6x 1 Maki roll

10x Salmon Nigiri

5x Squid Nigiri

5x Egg Nigiri

10x Pudding

6x Wasabi

4x Chopsticks

At the bottom of each card, it explains how it scores points or what its action is, but we'll talk about this in a bit.

This is how a turn in Sushi Go works:

- choose a card from your hand;

- reveal the chosen card;

- pass the remaining card(s).

The entire game lasts 3 rounds, and at the beginning of each round, each player will have "x" cards in their hand. On your turn, choose a card from your hand, a card that you would like to keep, and place it "face down" in front of you. This action is simultaneous, meaning all players do it at the same time.

So, let's see what each card's action let you do!

The 3 Nigiri cards are worth:

- 1 point: egg nigiri;

- 2 points: salmon nigiri;

- 3 points: squid nigiri.

But wait! If you play a wasabi card before laying down any of the nigiri cards, you'll triple your nigiri's value.

Two important details about using wasabi:

- Each wasabi card only holds one nigiri card;

- If you play a wasabi card after a nigiri card, you cannot place it below a previously played nigiri.

A single sashimi card, or two of them together, scores absolutely nothing; you have to play 3 sashimi cards to get 10 points. Once you've done that, you can have more "trios" of sashimi; in fact, the more the better.

Dumpling rewards you for each copy you have:

- 1 Dumpling card already grants you 1 point;

- You get more points as you gather more Dumpling cards;

- The maximum number is 5, which grants you 15 points.

Now for the Tempura cards, with 2 of them you'll already score 5 points, which is the maximum for this card. This is a very sought after card, since it gets anyone a lot of quick points.

It's time for the maki roll cards! Whoever has the most maki rolls once the round ends gets 6 points, and the second-place gets 3 points. If there's a tie in quantity, divide the 6 points between the tied players, and then there's no point for the second-place finisher.

Finally, dessert time! Pudding cards are very unique:

- they award points only at the end of the 3rd round, when the game ends;

- the player with most pudding cards gets 6 points;

- the player with least (or none!) pudding cards lose 6 points.

If there's a tie in the pudding cards, split the points between the tied players. The idea with pudding cards is to play them when you don't have anything better to play; in other words, they're good, but not essential. As already mentioned, it will depend on the game state.

There's also the coveted chopsticks. They greatly help in playing cards. When you play a chopstick card, from your next turn onwards, you can play two cards instead of just one, which is a huge difference. After playing your two cards, put your chopsticks back in your hand; that is, you exchange one chopstick card for two other cards you wish to play.

When chopsticks are used, the player must also call out Sushi Go! Trust me, this adds to the fun!

Now that we know the cards, select one and place it face down in front of you. Remember, this is a simultaneous action: all players must also do this.

Now it's time for the 2nd action: reveal your chosen card. All players reveal their cards (choices) at the same time, giving you an idea of ​​what each player is "investing" in. Keep an eye on this.

Finally, now it's time to end this turn, the 3rd action, that is, pass the remaining card(s) from your hand to the player on your left and receive the cards from the hand of the player on your right. After that, repeat the 3 actions until you run out of cards in your hand, which marks the end of a round.

After the end of each round, score the cards as explained above, keep the pudding cards you played, and discard all other cards that have already been scored. From the deck of cards in the center of the table, deal "x" cards again to each player (which varies according to the number of players).

You're ready for the next round!

Ending the Game

The game ends once the 3rd round is finished. Now is the moment of truth, or rather, dessert: time to score the puddings!

Score as explained above. Remember:

- 6 points for whoever has the most pudding cards;

- minus 6 points for whoever has fewer, or no, pudding card(s).

Ties in pudding cards are resolved by dividing the positive or negative points among those tied.

Add this to your points from the 3 rounds; whoever has the most points in total is the winner. In case of a tie, among those tied, whoever has the most pudding cards wins!

Sushi Go is pure strategy, and also a little luck in the first few rounds, but you can mitigate that after a round and mess with your opponent by playing a card you don't even need just to avoid passing it to them – it's all part of the game! Here are some tips to maximize your score in the game.

Don't play an egg nigiri card alone, as it's only worth 1 point. To play it, have at least one wasabi card played first, and even then, be careful, as wasabi is better used on nigiri cards that are worth a little more, such as salmon (2 points) and squid (3 points). In fact, I strongly recommend not playing egg nigiri cards at all; pass them on and let another player use them.

And speaking of wasabi, I recommend playing it at the first opportunity you have, because you never know which nigiri you'll end up with, so be prepared. If you can, the tip is: always have 2 wasabi ready, it's a huge potential in points.

Sashimi gives a lot of points, but note that it usually takes 3 turns to match 3 sashimi cards, or 2 turns if you use chopsticks, so it's high risk, high reward. My opinion: it's worth it, invest in sashimi.

Gyoza scores the most points, 15 total points if you match 5 gyoza cards. So if you're doing the math, it will take 5 rounds to match 5 cards, or at least 3 rounds if you have 2 chopsticks for that. The advantage is that, unlike sashimi, gyoza scores points starting from just one card, so it's a long-term investment, but unlike sashimi, it's guaranteed to score points.

I strongly recommend playing the gyoza card as soon as one passes through your hand, because generally, from my own experience, people tend to "let go" of the gyoza card thinking it takes too long to combine them, which is true. So, inevitably, many gyoza cards will pass through your hand, which is an opportunity to be the one accumulating them. Take advantage of that!

Tempura are cards that everyone likes to play because they're 5 "easy" points, and only 2 cards. Don't let it pass through your hand without picking and playing it. It seems easy, and it is, but in reality, everyone thinks that way, so be the first to do it!

Investing in maki roll cards is "all or nothing". I say this because generally, given the number of maki rolls cards, it's "kind of easy" to combine maki rolls, then everyone starts doing it and suddenly it gets a lot harder. In the end, it's not worth it. I only recommend investing in these cards if you notice that not many people are playing them; otherwise, simply ignore them in the game.

Pudding cards, since they only count at the end of the game, that is, at the end of the 3rd turn, generally don't need to be a focus on the early turns. Maybe pick one or two pudding cards in the 2nd turn and then focus on them in the 3rd turn. Since there are only 10 pudding cards in the entire game, if you're a heavy gamer you can decide whether or not it's worth investing in them for the endgame.

Now it's time for the chopsticks. I strongly recommend playing them as soon as possible, because only through them can you "speed up" your game, that is, exchange your played chopstick card for two other good cards that you don't want to miss. If possible, always have a chopstick card "on standby" so you don't miss any opportunities.

Also, play the chopstick card at the beginning of the round, so that whenever you receive cards you will have the opportunity to play two more cards during the entire round. Remember this, you'll thank me later.

Based on these tips, plan your strategy and win at Sushi Go.

Unboxing:

Rules:

Gameplay:

Sushi Go is always a hit with kids, and it's no wonder it's recommended for ages 8 and up. It's very easy to explain and a lot of fun to play, and the illustrations capture children's attention.

I recommend the game because it simultaneously stimulates strategy in choosing cards, thinking "long-term," and decision-making. After all, choosing one card means passing other cards to the other player. Choices are never easy, and it's good to know they can practice this while playing.

No less important, the children will find themselves calculating their points, which involves logical-mathematical reasoning, to figure out how many points they've earned, or rather, how many they can earn when they play "x" cards of a certain type. They'll be doing basic calculations all the time, which is great, and in a lighthearted way.

In terms of fun, there's always that "good tension" when revealing the cards, and since it's a simultaneous action, there will be laughter when someone realizes they've chosen the same card – guaranteed competition during the game. These will be fun moments to remember, creating good memories!

Culturally, don't miss the opportunity to teach the names of sushi, seasonings, and Japanese kitchen utensils; it's important and enriching.

Pedagogically, Sushi Go stimulates strategy, decision-making, logical-mathematical reasoning, and on top of that, it's fun!

I recommend Sushi Go for your collection!