Board with Each Other Bite Size: Episode 2 - Sushi Go!

Welcome to the second episode of Board with Each Other Bite Size! 

In this spin off series, we have a quick chat about smaller (but no less mighty) games or expansions that we feel deserve a review, but don't really justify one of our monthly deep dives. We don't go through our full scoring criteria, but instead chat about the game and give a neat overall score at the end. In this episode, we chat about the modern classic party game, Sushi Go and discuss if it can work as a two player experience!

We hope you like this new format, which will be on top of our regular monthly deep dive reviews. If you're joining us here for the first time, then we do go much more in depth on a game each and every month - so hope you can join us there. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:15

Hello everybody and welcome to another episode of Board with Each Other by Size. This is the spinoff podcast from the main Board With Each Other podcast where we look at smaller, lighter games and expansions and review them quickly and snappily. We don't apply our usual uh scoring criteria, we just give an overall score at the end. And it's just something a little bit different that allows us to get more content out, basically. Um so we hope you enjoy it. Uh today we are talking about a bit of a modern classic in Sushi Go, minor classic in sort of the party game sphere. Sushi Go.

SPEAKER_00 0:49

Very apt for bite size.

SPEAKER_01 0:51

Yes, very apt for bite size, come on. Um so Sushi Go is essentially a card-based set collection game where you are dealt a rather sizeable hand of cards, uh, 10 in the case of two player, a two-player game, and you choose a card from your hand to put down, and then you pass your hand face down, and then you pass your hand to another player. So if you're playing with multiple people, as the game should be played, we'll get onto that. You pass the cards to the left, and then you have a new hand. And the main crux of the game is basically remembering what cards are out there in play and trying to collect sets or put down high-scoring cards. There are a variety of different sort of set modes that you can collect. There's the straight up, oh, you need to collect two of these or three of these. There's cards that you need to place down before placing other cards to increase their points. Uh, there are cards that you get the most points for having the most of.

SPEAKER_00 1:49

And there's pudding.

SPEAKER_01 1:50

There is pudding. And puddings basically reward massively the person who has the most at the end of the game, not the end of the round. The game is played over three rounds. Should have mentioned that. And whoever has the most puddings at the end gains six victory points. Whoever has the least loses six victory points, which can usually actually make the difference at the end of the game. That's all there is to it. It's one of those games that you can teach people to play in literally two minutes. Um, I taught my just turned five-year-old daughter to play it uh without any issue, and she plays it quite fine. So there should be one you can introduce to any age group. So, with that being said, thoughts on Sushi Go? Thoughts on when we first tried it?

SPEAKER_00 2:27

Um I think so it's a really colourful, vibrant, fun game. It is, yes. So it's um quite aesthetically pleasing to play, and I think it kind of really suits the the theme in terms of you know it being really quick, shh snappy, yeah, almost a bit pulpy.

SPEAKER_01 2:44

Yeah, it's definitely like a it's it's that sort of fun, easy, easy breezy vibe to it, isn't there? It's just really, really relaxed and chill and also very snappy to play. As soon as you start playing, things start to go really quickly and things move really quickly.

SPEAKER_00 2:57

Yeah, so I mean it's probably worth mentioning that rounds that probably don't even take more than five minutes. No, no, you just it's it's really, really quick. Um and you know, you don't spend hours agonising over turns, which is probably a good thing.

SPEAKER_01 3:10

Good thing for something like this. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 3:12

Um because of that, I think it's really suitable for people who are not gamers.

SPEAKER_01 3:16

Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 3:16

Um, it's a really good party game, it's a really good way of like warming you up at the start of a night.

SPEAKER_01 3:22

Um But yeah, it's that kind of quick quick to pick up, quick to play, no setup required, no no real rules overhead. In terms of playing the actual game itself, I mean uh I think uh I think we should probably address the elephant in the room straight off the bat with this. It's never this was never designed as a two-player game. No. And it is not great at two players. This is one of those games that you kind of need four or five people really to make it fun.

SPEAKER_00 3:48

I mean, really, when you're playing it as two players, it just becomes a memory game. It's can I memorize these cards and can I work out what it is that you're playing, and therefore whether I'm gonna try and strategically block you or whether I'm just gonna try to go down a different route. Yeah. Um, and that kind of then sort of takes that it it yeah, it just makes it a memory game, really. I think when you've got more people there, there's a huge element of luck. You're trying your best to get what you can, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:14

Um, and it probably creates a bit more there's a bit more chaos and a bit more of a level playing field, I think, when you've got more people. Um people going for it. And I think uh there's a risk-reward aspect to it, particularly with some of the sets, because uh some of the high the higher scoring one, sashimi, you need to get three of those out of the table to get ten points. If you fail to get those three, you get nothing. Then it's essentially a waste, it it's a waste of two card plays, otherwise, or one card play, depending on how you approach it. That's quite easy to tell whether it's a go-a or not when you're playing with two. I think it becomes more challenging when you're playing with four people or five people, because obviously you don't really you you have to you have to kind of take a swing at it. And I think more people the more people that take a swing at it, the less of those are going to be floating around. So it creates a much more interesting dynamic than two people. You basically just once you swapped hands, you know, and you can check and you go, oh well that that's it then really. Um which is where it falls down flat as a two-player game, I find.

SPEAKER_00 5:11

Yeah, and I think you know, it it is a short and a quick game, um, but I think that we have seen other versions of this or other iterations of it that have had a bit more depth to them. Yeah, I mean sort of given something a little bit extra.

SPEAKER_01 5:26

Yeah, I well the prime example is planted, and I think that begs the question has Planter killed us for you?

SPEAKER_00 5:34

Um at a two-player game, yes. I mean they're two very different games that are aimed at, I think, a different setting or environment. You couldn't crack out planted, you know, in a pub or you know, at a family Christmas do, sort of family Christmas lunch or something.

SPEAKER_01 5:48

Um it's worth mentioning it's the same, the same designer.

SPEAKER_00 5:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:52

Same designer, they're designed both. Um and yeah, there there is that difference, but as a game that I would choose to play, I have to say plant are completely killed this. Yeah. Because it's it's this but with extra stuff, yeah, basically.

SPEAKER_00 6:04

And we've got something else else on our shelf that I think also is better than this, so cryptozoology.

SPEAKER_01 6:11

Uh yes, cryptozoology, yeah. Yeah, which again takes the same sort of thing, but it's a similar formula but messes with it with card actions. But we will get to that in another episode. Let's start talking about cryptozoology, but you know.

SPEAKER_00 6:22

But I guess that's my point, isn't it? Um I think Sushi Go is almost a household name for board gamers.

SPEAKER_01 6:30

Yeah, it's one of those games you can kind of buy in WH Smith before WH Smith started selling board games with a capital B for example, or not WH Smith's Water Zones, sorry, I wanted to get that too mixed up.

SPEAKER_00 6:41

Um so I think you know it has its place, but I do think that since then there are better adaptations.

SPEAKER_01 6:49

Modern classic has perhaps been surpassed in recent times. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I I I would agree with that completely. Um I think go on.

SPEAKER_00 6:58

So here's a question. Would you ever reach for it on our shelf? I know that we play it as a family, but like between you and me, would you ever No, not if the two of us are playing.

SPEAKER_01 7:06

I think they they are there are at least 50 games I'd reach for first kind of thing. Um I just I I think as we say it's being surpassed now. Yeah. And particularly a two, and I I I'm not going to mark it down purely if we were doing our proper scoring criteria, this would get savaged in the two-player thing, the two-player criteria. However, it is never designed as a two-player game, and that's fine. Um, so I'm not I'm not gonna I'm not gonna moan about that too much. Just be warned if you do think about playing this at two, it it definitely does fall flat on the snakes in that in that environment.

SPEAKER_00 7:39

But I would also say that it's got it we're not gonna get rid of it though, are we? I don't think. I think it will sit on our shelf for quite some time because it is something you can crack out. If somebody is new to board games and wants to like have a bit of a foray, then this is a good point to start with.

SPEAKER_01 7:53

It is something I'd recommend people have on their shelf because it it is if you if somebody's never played a board or car game since they were a kid, it's the kind of thing that you can crack out and actually pique a little bit of interest. And it does it it looks neat, it's nice. The the it's got this great cutie art design that feels quite iconic at the stage, and I've just seen it around so much.

SPEAKER_00 8:13

Um small footprint on your shelf.

SPEAKER_01 8:15

Yeah, small footprint. It comes in a tin, which I like, especially for travel because the cards aren't going to get busted, which is a good thing because one of the things I would say about is the cardstock is exceptionally cheap in this.

SPEAKER_00 8:26

Um again when you've got big hand, there's a lot of sizes, it's a lot of like moving cards around, shuffling cards.

SPEAKER_01 8:32

There's a lot of shuffling, there's a lot of fast-paced handing cards to each other as well, or popping them down on the table, and cards do get frayed that way. And I've noticed we haven't played with our copy that much, and it's the cards are quite frayed.

SPEAKER_00 8:44

Um that could be something to do with your aforementioned five-year-old.

SPEAKER_01 8:47

Yeah, a little bit, but I don't think it's just that. I think it is quite cheap car quality stock, so just you know, buy everywhere in that sense. But yes, I do agree with you, it's something worth having on the shelf, and it it fills a particular niche that's the step above cracking out Uno, I guess, to something a little bit. Nothing wrong with Uno.

SPEAKER_00 9:05

No, there's nothing wrong with Uh.

SPEAKER_01 9:07

That's that's not me saying Uno's rubbish or anything. I just think you know, there's that base level of board game that everybody's you know, people have played Uno and chess and you know the the real basic household names.

SPEAKER_00 9:18

And then there's the step Did you just equate chess with Uno?

SPEAKER_01 9:22

So what have I done?

SPEAKER_00 9:25

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_01 9:26

As an as an Uno master.

SPEAKER_00 9:29

But like a chess idiot.

SPEAKER_01 9:32

That's that's me, a chess idiot. Um no, but uh poor poor comparator, it wasn't a comparison, it was just household names, but it's that step into the hobby from those household names, I guess, and it may be a stepping stone for some people, it may very well be. And even if it's not a stepping stone, it might be something that you can play with your non-board game friends, and they'd be perfectly happy doing so. Yeah. Um so yeah, anything else you want to add before we finish off?

SPEAKER_00 10:01

No, I think my just general conclusion is that it is a good solid game, it's well loved, it's what did you call it, a modern classic, and I think you know it is for a reason. Is it a good two-player game? No, probably not.

SPEAKER_01 10:13

Definitely not, no.

SPEAKER_00 10:15

Um, but I think it's a good solid game.

SPEAKER_01 10:18

So, what would you score Su Sho?

SPEAKER_00 10:20

Um from a two-player perspective, because that's what we're about, I would probably give it a five.

SPEAKER_01 10:26

Yeah, if I was a two-player game, I'd probably give it a three.

SPEAKER_00 10:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:29

Which feels very, very harsh for something like that, but we are a two-player board game podcast. I would give it a three from for that basis. It's a board with each other score for what it is that we do as a podcast, it has to be very low for me.

SPEAKER_00 10:41

I think I upped it because it's a modern classic.

SPEAKER_01 10:43

Okay, fair enough. Um in general though, much more recommended if you are playing with with large groups. But yeah, I'm gonna stick with my score because that's what we do.

SPEAKER_00 10:54

Fair enough.

SPEAKER_01 10:55

Okay, so nice, short, sharp and snappy. That's how we do these. I hope you've enjoyed it. If you are finding us through this this contents, the the short ones, we do do much deeper dives into other games on our monthly podcast. So please do take a look.

SPEAKER_00 11:10

Like and subscribe.

SPEAKER_01 11:11

Like and subscribe. Um, if you enjoyed what you heard, yeah. But until next time, be good to each other, have fun, and play lots of board games.