Hungry? Let’s have sushi! Get ready to feast on a variety of sushi types, enjoy some side dishes, and maybe try a little wasabi, if you’re feeling adventurous! Be kind to the staff and they may help you get even more sushi on your plate. Well, come on, grab a menu and let’s eat!

What Is It?

Worker Placement – Players will move their pawn each turn which will determine which staff action they have available to them, if any, and which sushi they have access to

Slide/Push – Sushi plates will push through the sushi boat throughout the game, so players have different options as they move to different seats

Memory – Players want to remember what plates have been hidden in the tunnel of the sushi boat in order to guess them during wasabi challenges to earn points. They also have to remember what sushi plates they have collected throughout the game, as they cannot look through their stack normally

Set Collection – Players will score points for sets of different sushi they have collected, and for plates of the same color stacked together

Special Abilities – Players can pay to use staff abilities to do a variety of things. Players can also buy side dish cards which they can play on their turn for various abilities. Abilities may be earning points, getting extra points, and more.

Who Is It For?

  • 2 to 5 Players – I think it works fine at any count, but it is a bit on the longer side at 4 or 5, which can make the memory element more difficult because there’s more time between your turns. The 2 player variant restricts seating options on the board, which I think works well to keep the game tighter.
  • Ages 12 & Up / Mid-Weight Gamers – There’s a bunch of things to consider on your turn, plus the memory element, so fans of lighter gaming or less experienced players may think there’s too much going on. The menu variety also adds an additional layer of strategy to consider.
  • Fan of memory, set collection, and worker placement
  • Players who like sushi and fun game components!

Variants

Menu Pairings – Every player starts with one menu (deal 2, choose 1) and they can buy more throughout the game. Each card has some “combos” on it that tells the player what they need to collect in the game in order to score points (i.e. 6 wasabi cubes, no side dishes, 4 green + 4 blue plates, et cetera).

I think it’s a really nice addition to the game that can give players additional scoring opportunities, and adds room for more strategies as players can try to focus more on the menus than the sushi or color sets sometimes. They are also very easy to add into the game after your first play. I especially like them with 2 players because you have more turns to really capitalize on them.

PROS

  • Aesthetics – Looks awesome on the table! Nice art (the food looks yummy), vibrant colors, and the components just look great all around
  • Components – Gorgeous, high quality components. I love the feel of the sushi plates and the quality of the sushi boat itself. All the smaller components are nice as well (cubes, cards, coins, et cetera)
    • The “conveyor belt” of the board is super cool and unique
  • Rules – Well-written, easy to follow
  • Menu pairings is a good variant once you’re familiar with the game
  • Good variety of side dish and staff abilities
    • Plus, since you take some cards out at every player count, you can’t rely on certain ones, so you have to adjust to what is available
  • Fun theme and works well with the mechanisms overall
  • The sushi plates stack together really nicely
  • Nice insert, everything fits in nicely

CONS

  • Higher player count games are a bit long/slow; I think this makes the memory element much harder to focus on, personally
    • I thought that not being allowed to look back through your sushi stack was one thing, but the added random “mini-game” of remembering what plates are inside the sushi boat seemed unnecessary
  • Money is so tight in the game, but it is tied to a bunch of actions, so managing it can be frustrating at times
  • Luck – You can only buy the top side dish from the discard pile on your turn, so if a card you really want/need comes out on someone else’s turn, or you don’t like the one that’s flipped on your turn, you can feel like you’re missing out
  • The plates stack together almost too well, they end up sticking together in the bag, so you have to make sure you break them up when drawing
  • It obviously makes sense that the box is so long (for the sushi boat) but it is annoying to store

Final Thoughts

I absolutely love the look of this game, and the overall experience; it’s really fun to move all the plates around and collect them, and it just has a very unique feel.

I’m not huge on memory elements in games (mostly because I have the attention span of a goldfish) so I did find that difficult. I would instantly forget what plates went into the sushi boat trench, or what sushi was already in my stack, because I’d be distracted by other players’ turns, or just general table talk. I did find that not focusing really heavily on memorizing things can be okay too as you might still get some sets, or pick the right color plate for wasabi challenges, but that ultimately felt more like just getting lucky, and didn’t necessarily make you feel like you made great plays during the game.

It’s definitely unique enough that it deserves some attention and love, but if you are not a memory-game person, you might want to pass on it. If you don’t mind memory, and you love sushi – check it out!

Additional Information:
My Final Rating – 6/10

Designers – Dario Massarenti, Francesco Testini
Artist – Eveen Kwan
Publisher – Japanime Games
MSRP – $64.95
Website

*I was provided a copy of this game to do this review*

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