Ring Side Report-Board Game Review of Sushi Go!

Product– Sushi Go!

Producer– Gamewright

Price– ~$13 here http://www.amazon.com/Sushi-Go-Pick-Pass-Card/dp/B00J57VU44/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419311517&sr=8-1&keywords=sushi+go

Set-up/Play/Clean-up– 30 minutes (2 to 5 players)

TL; DR– Quick family fun. 90%

 

Basics-Hungry for some more quick sushi games?  Sushi Go! is a simple family card game that follows many of the same drafting mechanics popular in 7 Wonders and Among the Stars.  Players start with a hand of cards and choose a card.  All players reveal their chosen cards simultaneously.  Some cards are instant point cards like nigiri cards.  Other cards are worth more as you gain more of the same card like dumplings.  Yet others need a specific number of cards of one type to get any points like tempura where every two score points.  And some are worth more depending who has the most of them at the end of the game.  There are also wasabi that multiply other cards, and the chopsticks card.  If players have a chopstick card, they can shout “Sushi Go!” and take a second card from the same hand of cards.  After selecting your card for the round, you pass the cards to the left.  When you only have two cards, you choose one card, and then throw the other into the center.  After three total hands like this, players determine who has the most points and is the winner.

 

Mechanics– I like a good drafting game.  This one plays quick and teaches even quicker.  My sister who can’t read scored as many points as I did while my mom scored the least points.  It’s a blast to play and won’t require encyclopedic knowledge of some obscure rules.  5/5

 

Theme- Here is where the game suffers.  I don’t get the feeling I get from Wasabi of being a chef.  This game has cute sushi, but beyond the box and the art, there isn’t really a story here.  If story doesn’t matter to you, then this game is great.  3/5

 

Instructions– The instructions are a single booklet that’s less than ten pages.  It doesn’t take much to learn and play this game. 5/5

 

Execution– The cards are decent quality and the whole game comes is a metal tin.  The art is great and all cutesy.  And for less than 15 bucks?  Well worth the price of admission.  5/5

 

Summary– This game has the family board game awards all wrapped up, and I can see why.  It’s cheap, easy to play, and doesn’t require a ton of priming to get into.  It’s a great intro board game that doesn’t break the bank and travels well too. 90%