Board Game Review: Sushi Go!

Game Overview

Publisher: Gamewright
Ages 8+
2-5 Players
15+ Minutes
108 Cards in a cool metal case
Card Drafting
Buy Sushi Go! here on Amazon

In the fast-paced world of a sushi chef, you must be the most creative and the fastest of all to be the best! Will you serve Nigiri with Wasabi, or create Maki rolls in quantities never before imagined? Did you remember to serve dessert? Find out if you will be the best in Gamewright’s popular card drafting game Sushi Go!

Gameplay

Players start with cards in their hand based on the number of players, and select one card to play before passing the rest of their cards to the next player to choose from! The game plays in three hands where all but dessert cards are cleared from the table and scored at the end. The strategy of the game lies in making the most of the cards passed to you, while trying to stop opponents from making the combinations they need to maximize points.

Some cards act as multipliers, these cards must be in a set of two or three to count. Some cards that give you points for having the largest quantity at the end of a round. This teaches or reinforces simple multiplication, pattern recognition, and strategic planning. Pudding cards, which are scored at the end of the game. They also represent the only negative scoring possibility in the game, teach children collection/set mechanics as well as delayed gratification.

The most interesting dynamic of this game is the chopsticks. Players use these cards on a subsequent turn to play two cards at once from the current hand. The chopsticks then pass to another player to use. While this is likely the hardest concept for smaller children to grasp, they will enjoy the requirement to shout out “Sushi Go!” when they finally use the Chopsticks.

10th Anniversary Edition

Sushi Go! turned ten in 2024. In honor of the anniversary Gamewright is releasing 10,000 special, limited edition Bento Boxes. These special editions will also be numbered. This special collectable will be available in August, and for anyone lucky enough to be going to Gencon it will be there! Inside the box, you can fine a few new special components. These include scoring dishes, wasabi cubes (for scorekeeping), sushi boat to indicate the leader of each round, squishy pudding for the the player with the most puddings, a platter to hold the wasabi cubes, four dessert card packs (foil wrapped to keep them hidden) and dice to go with one of the dessert cards. The cards are upgraded with gold accent.

Click here to see the Gamewright unboxing on TikTok

Family Game Assessment

Sushi Go! is a fun game to play with your children or even with your adult friends, and is a great addition to any family gaming collection.

Other Sushi Go Games

Over the years, Gamewright has published several additional games within the Sushi Go franchise. Besides the original Sushi Go, they also came out with Sushi Go Party in 2016. The main gameplay difference is that players spend the first bit of the game choosing which cards to include in the deck that everyone drafts. The most noteworthy feature is that the player count of Sushi Go Party is up to eight players. This makes it a great game for a larger group. You can buy Sushi Go! Party here on Amazon.

Then in 2019 Sushi Roll was published. Unfortunately, it has gone out of print, but is is a fun variation if you have a chance to play it. I also reviewed it and you can read the review of Sushi Roll here.

Sushi Go! Spin Some Dim Sum came out in 2023 as a Target exclusive, and while it does not have the portability of the original Sushi Go!, it has wonderful components. My favorite component is the squishy steam bun. You can buy Sushi Go! Spin Some Dim Sum here at Target.

What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

Make sure to keep your eyes on Engaged Family Gaming for all of the latest news and reviews you need to Get Your Family Game On!

Game Overview

Gameplay

10th Anniversary Edition

Family Game Assessment

Other Sushi Go Games

By Kelly Allard

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