Sushi Go! review

Game Wright Games | Family Game | £11.99 | 2-5 players | 15 minutes | www.gamewright.com 

Buy your copy of Sushi Go! here.

Choosing a delicious meal from a conveyor belt in a sushi restaurant may not immediately strike you as fertile ground for a light strategy card game, but let me assure you it is. Sushi Go! is a quick, family friendly card game from Gamewright – who are masters in that field (see also Gubs, Loot, Zeus on the Loose etc.). It describes itself as a “pick and pass card game” which is non-gamer lingo for card drafting. You're dealt a hand of cards, pick and play one, and pass the rest on. Repeat until all the cards are played. That's round one. Three rounds and the game is over, and it's time to count your points.

You get points for different combinations of cards. So, tempura only score points for sets of two, and sashimi for sets of three. Dumplings score more points the more you collect of them. Nigiri get you 1-3 points for each single card, but pair it with wasabi and you'll triple your points. And don't forget to swipe more maki rolls than your neighbours.

While the theme is an unusual one, it is a very, very clever integration of theme and mechanics, with the continual passing of cards round the circle of players echoing the sushi-go-round in sushi bars the world over. Arm yourself with chopsticks and you can grab twice as many cards from a future hand. Puddings are collected across the three rounds, but only score for you at the end of the meal - round 3 (+6 points for the player with the most puddings, -6 for the fewest).

I got this game about a month ago, and it is already established as a firm family favourite. It's a delightful game, with cute, quirky art work, an accessible theme and quick, simple gameplay. At £12 a pop, there's frankly no excuse for not owning a copy! (Iain Nisbet/@playothergames/www.stateofplay.org.uk)

Buy your copy of Sushi Go! here.

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