Sushi Go Party Review: A Party-Sized Platter of Fun

ℹ️ The article is from TheBrainyMommy.com and was written by The Brainy Mommy.

What’s your go-to party game? Trivia and social deduction games are a lot of fun but not always accessible for all ages. If you’re looking for something that would be both a hit at a casual gathering among friends and something that you can play with your kids at home, look no further than Sushi Go Party.

Sushi Go Party

2-8 players
Recommended for ages: 8+ (per the manufacturer); 4+ (per The Brainy Mommy)
Publisher: Gamewright

Sushi Go is an example of a card drafting game – every player gets dealt a hand of cards, and all players pick one card from their hand and then pass the rest. Win the game by building sushi combos that are worth different points. Sushi Go Party is the expanded version of the original Sushi Go with a much larger variety of sushi dishes. By customizing your menu of dishes, you can change up the strategy of each game.

Fun Factor

Rating: 5 out of 5 ★★★★★

Sushi Go Party is a family favorite. When the 5-year-old invites his dad to play this game, he almost always gets a yes (whereas other games get a 50-50 chance). The drafting mechanic is easy for kids to understand, and the game moves quickly because everyone takes their turn at the same time.

This is also a rare party game that plays well with different numbers of people, depending on the combination of sushi dishes that you select for your menu. There aren’t many games that I can play with my son as a 2-player and be able to use as a casual game in larger gatherings.

Appeal to Children

Rating: 4 out of 5 ★★★★☆

Do you judge games by their cover? I do! I have a soft spot for cute things and this game is nothing if not adorable. The sushi theme is friendly to introduce to kids and to any new potential gamers. How can you say no nigari with smiling faces and rosy cheeks, and to a momma and baby scoop of green tea ice cream sleeping in a bowl?

Although this game involves some strategy, it’s fairly lightweight and doesn’t feel combative. You can also scale the competitive nature of the game based on the cards you choose to play with. The manual provides suggested menus for different play experiences, including recommendations for beginners and for those looking for something more cutthroat.

Value for Money

Rating: 4 out of 5 ★★★★☆

This game is priced very reasonably, considering the versatility of settings you can play it in and its suitability for different ages. The replay value is high, and the ability to customize and change up the game is a huge bonus. It’s almost like purchasing a core game that comes with multiple expansion packs. For this reason, I recommend Sushi Go Party over the original Sushi Go, even if it takes longer to set up and take down.

As for the game components, my favorite is the game board (which is only available in Sushi Go Party) which acts both as the scoreboard and as a place to see the sushi dishes in play at a glance. Choosing the menu item tiles to go into the board is definitely part of the fun for my child. The cards, which are of similar quality to a regular deck of playing cards, are showing some wear on the edges with repeated play. I have seen some people invest in card sleeves for this game, but I imagine that this makes it more difficult to shuffle the cards and for kids to handle.

My only qualm with the edition I purchased is the storage tin and inserts. I’d personally prefer a cardboard box that is easier to stack and store. Inserts that actually keep the cards in place should the box be turned upside down would also be ideal.

Educational Factor

Rating: 4 out of 5 ★★★★☆

There are many educational skills involved in this game. Just to name a few:

• Visual discrimination and matching
• Counting
• Comparing numbers
• Addition
• Probability

Different game customizations will change the difficulty level of some of the skills mentioned above. For example, scoring nigari cards involves simple addition of of 1, 2, or 3, but scoring fruit dessert cards involves more complex addition.

This is also a great game for teaching some game strategy to beginner players. You can discuss things like the chance of getting a desired card, managing risk, or making a move to prevent an opponent from scoring on a set. Even if you don’t explicitly talk about strategy, this game makes it natural for kids to pick it up on their own as they play.

Give this great family game a try! And if you are a fellow Sushi Go Party lover, leave a comment about your favorite menu to play with!

Source: TheBrainyMommy.com

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Last Updated on October 30, 2024 by Tania Nizova | Published: September 6, 2024