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Sushi Go is a fun card drafting game themed around getting the best combination of sushi dishes. The best part is, learning how to play Sushi Go is very easy!
It’s a simple game that accommodates 2-5 players and only takes about 15 minutes to play.
Rules for Sushi Go
Sushi Go rules are simple. You basically draft, pass and repeat.
The name of the game is to get the best combination of sushi as they whiz by on a “conveyor belt”, or get passed down from your fellow players. The game plays really quickly.
In the end, you score your points and see how well you did.
The game takes place over three rounds.
This Squid Nigiri and Wasabi combo is the most valuable set in the game (photo by BoardGameChick.com)
What is the goal of Sushi Go?
To win Sushi Go, players try to get the most points by drafting the best card combinations.
How do you play Sushi Go, step by step?
Here’s a walkthrough of how game play works:
1. Set up
Shuffle the cards and deal one to each player.
The number of cards you begin with will depend on your number of players.
In a two-player game, deal 10 cards to each player
For 3 players, deal 9 cards to each player
In 4-player games, deal 8 cards to each player
For five players, deal 7 cards to each player
Place the rest of the cards face-down pile in the middle of the play area. Grab something to keep score with, like a pencil and paper or use a notes app in your phone.
All players will choose one card from their hand that they want to keep and place it face down in front of them.
3. Reveal
All players reveal their chosen cards. It’s a good idea to take a mental note of the cards your fellow players have chosen.
4. Pass
After revealing the cards, everyone will pass the remaining cards face down to the next player (on their left). Players draft another card from their new hand.
5. Repeat
All players repeat the process of drafting, revealing and passing until there are no more cards left to pass. When the final remaining card of each hand is passed on, place it face-up with the other cards. The round ends when there are no more cards to pass.
At the end of a round, set aside your pudding cards and score the other types of sushi cards. Discard everything but the pudding cards (keep those in front of you to the side), and repeat the process for two more rounds.
A game continues for three rounds.
6. At the end of three rounds, it’s time for dessert
After the third and final round, tally up the total number of points from each round. Also, count the number of pudding cards from each player.
The person with the most pudding cards will earn an extra six points. Also, the person with the least pudding cards will lose six points.
In this example, a player would get 6 points for their dumplings, 0 points for their Sashimi, 5 points for their Tempura and 6 points for their Wasabi and Nigiri combo (photo by BoardGameChick.com)
How to score Sushi Go
At the end of the final round, you total up your points and see who the sushi master is. The player with the highest score wins. Here is a reminder of what the sushi cards are worth:
Maki rolls: The player with the most gets six points. The player with the second most gets three points. In case of a tie, split the points among players. Note, you will be counting the number of Maki on the top of the card, not the total number of cards.
Tempura cards: A set of two wins five points together. If there is an odd number, the odd card is worth no points.
Sashimi cards: A set of three is worth ten points. Otherwise, no points are awarded.
Dumpling cards: Dumplings become more valuable based on how many you have.
Dumpling cards
1
2
3
4
5+
Point value
1
3
6
10
15
Nigiri cards: Squid is three points, Salmon Nigiri is two points and an Egg Nigiri is one point.
Wasabi card: This card triples the value of the next Nigiri you play. Only one Nigiri card may be placed on each Wasabi card.
Chopsticks: The chopstick card allows you to draft two cards at once.
Pudding cards: Pudding cards are scored at the end of the game (after three rounds are played). The player with the most pudding cards gets six points at the end of all the rounds. The person with the least loses six points.
If multiple players have the same number of pudding cards, no points are awarded.
How to use Chopsticks in Sushi Go
Play Chopsticks in front of you like any other card. Before everyone else reveals their cards, call out “Sushi Go” and take a second card from your hand and place it face-down in front of you. Put the Chopsticks card back into the hand, passing it on to the other players.
You can have multiple Chopstick cards in front of you, but you may only use one per turn.
Chopsticks can help you score combo cards.
When counting Maki Rolls, count the number of Maki at the top of the card (photo by BoardGameChick.com)
Rule variants for Sushi Go
The rulebook provides a few variants. One variant is passing both ways. Simply alternate which way you pass the cards each round. This is a simple variation that I enjoy implementing.
Another variation is a two-player variant. I like this one less. But basically, in a two-player game, deal a hand to a third dummy player.
You would deal three hands of nine, taking turns drawing for the dummy player, placing one card to your hand and choosing one card for yourself and one for the dummy. Continue play as usual.
I don’t like playing with the dummy because frankly, it doesn’t add much and becomes difficult to remember whose turn it is to control the dummy throughout the game. But that’s just me.
The pudding cards are overpowered in a two-player game (photo by BoardGameChick.com)
Is Sushi Go a good game?
Sushi Go is a fun game and it’s easy to play a quick round. It’s family-friendly and simple.
Even though the game is simple, there’s enough strategy in the game to keep it interesting. For example, you can play defensively by grabbing Sashimi simply to keep another player from getting it if they are trying to get three of a kind.
If you want to strategize it, I find that the Wasabi card with a Squid Nigiri multiplier is the most valuable combo, averaging 4.5 points for just two cards.
Sashimi and Maki can be valuable, but they could also end up being wasted efforts if you are not able to either complete a set or get the most.
I find that in a two-player game, the pudding cards are very overpowered.
Since the person with more pudding cards will get 6 points and the other person will lose 6 points, this automatically puts two-player games at a 12-point difference at the end of the game, potentially based on the difference of one card.
It’s a good idea to prioritize pudding cards whenever you can.
Sushi Go Party is similar in concept as it is another pick-and-pass game, but it comes with an expanded menu, includes edamame cards and can accommodate up to 8 players.
It also allows for a more customized gaming experience and incorporates a game board.
Overall, Sushi Go is a fun party game. Whether you purchase the original game or Sushi Go Party, it’s a great way to introduce younger players to card games or play a quick game with friends.
The original game of Sushi Go is $15 on Amazon with a 4.7-star rating. Sushi Go Party is $22 and has a 4.8-star rating.
Sushi Go is a game by Phil Walker-Harding. Have you played Sushi Go? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below.
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