Sushi Go is a card drafting game in which players pick one card from a hand and pass the cards on to the next player. Created in 2013, the game aims to build a collection of cards with the highest score at the end of each round. After four rounds, the player with the highest score wins.
Due to the popularity of Sushi Go, the creators decided it was time to expand the game for more players by creating Sushi Go Party. This game version includes more cards, a scoring board, different gameplay variations, and more.
It’s important to consider the number of players and their experience. We’ll dive into the differences between Sushi Go and Sushi Go Party and explain how each game varies. We will also cover when it’s best to play each game and all the details to help us decide which game to choose. Read on for more information.
Differences between Sushi Go and Sushi Go Party
The key differences between Sushi Go and Sushi Go Party are the size of the games, how many players the games can accommodate, and different card variations. Sushi Go is a smaller game, and Sushi Go Party is an expansion of the original.
To provide more insight, we have listed the key differences between the games with some details on how it affects gameplay. This can help us decide which to choose.
Scoring
In Sushi Go, players keep the score or a spare piece of paper in their heads.
In Sushi Go Party, there is a foldable scoreboard, and players use colored counters to track their scores as they play the game. The scoreboard sits in the center of all the players to help everyone keep track.
Cards
Sushi Go has 108 cards with twelve different types. Players will use all the cards in every game when playing Sushi Go.
In Sushi Go Party, there are 181 cards split into five categories with different types of cards. When playing Sushi Go Party, players will separate a specific number of cards from each category depending on their menu. There are also twenty-two Menu tiles. Menu tiles are used as an outline of what cards will be scorable during the game. The menu players choose can impact the difficulty and strategy of a game.
Variations
In Sushi Go, there are three variants of play; standard play, the two-player variant, and the pass-both-ways variant.
In Sushi Go Party, including menu tiles and more cards means many fun new variations. Included in the rule book are eight menu variations for different gameplays. It’s also possible to create our own menu, meaning we can customize our own variant to create a unique gaming experience.
Number of players
In Sushi Go, two to five people can play.
For Sushi Go Party, two to eight people can play.
In either version of the game, playing with fewer players will make it easier to guess possible card combinations to select. When playing with more players, the likelihood of a card coming back that we want is low. So, we must be ready to make the best choices with the cards available each round.
When to Play Sushi Go
It is best to play Sushi Go when there are no more than five players who are beginners or have not played a card drafting game before. The game can be played quickly and is easy for new players to learn.
It still makes a fun strategic challenge for experienced players and is a great starting point for discovering the Sushi Go world.
Financial Sushi Go is a little bit cheaper than Sushi Go party; this makes it a popular choice for people who want to try the game but haven’t played it before, as it’s not such a big financial investment. It’s the most simplified version of the game, making it beginner-friendly.
Sushi Go takes up less space than other variations. It’s the smallest version of the game. It comes in a small, lightweight metal tin, making it easy to transport and protect the game. This version is best when on the go, or to take with us when traveling or on vacation.
Due to the card-based nature of the game, it would be possible to play Sushi Go on a train or plane if there is room and no turbulence.
Sushi Go is also excellent to play when we are short on time. It is easy to set up the game and it can be quickly completed when playing with just a few people. It’s ideal if we have twenty minutes free and fancy some sushi card game fun.
When to Play Sushi GO Party
It is best to play Sushi Go Party if people are playing with others already familiar with the game or have played other card drafting games. This version of the game is suited to larger groups of up to eight people and offers a fun and engaging challenge with an energetic atmosphere.
Sushi Go Party also comes in a lightweight metal tin, but it’s larger to accommodate more cards and a scoreboard. For this reason, it’s slightly less portable than the smaller Sushi Go.
Sushi Go Party is best played at home or in a dedicated game area. Players need a steady table for the scoreboard and counters to set up Sushi Go Party.
If players have already played Sushi Go and are looking for more of a challenge, then Sushi Go Party is the perfect solution. Sushi Go Party has been designed to offer countless variations which players can customize, meaning the game will always be exciting and provide new challenges.
With a larger selection of cards, we can improve our abilities as players and learn more winning strategies.
As the game can accommodate eight players, Sushi Go Party is the best version if players often host game nights with friends. Even though advanced players frequently enjoy it, beginners can easily learn the game.
Sushi Go Party comes with simpler menu variations for new players. As the name suggests, Sushi Go Party is the best way to create a friendly and competitive atmosphere.
Sushi Go Party is also best when players have more time to play. It takes a little longer to set up Sushi Go Party as we will need to set up the scoreboard with the menu tiles, select counters and organize the cards into categories before counting out the correct number of cards for each game.
Also, due to all the fun menus available in Sushi Go Party, players often want to play the game for longer to experience all the ways to play fully.
Key Takeaways and Next Steps
There is no arguing; Sushi Go and Sushi Go Party are both fun and challenging strategic games with whimsical characters and can keep players entertained for hours. The evolution from Sushi Go to Sushi Go Party has subtle differences that greatly expand play possibilities.
Sushi Go is a great portable starting point for a card drafting games and beginners, and Sushi Go Party is ideal for big groups of players from novice to advanced who have a playing space. We truly can’t go wrong with choosing either of these great games. So go out and enjoy a game of Sushi Go!
Resources
Learning from your own experience is important, but learning from others is also smart. These are the sources used in this article and our research to be more informed as gamers.
- Cardboard Stacker. (2016a, August 12). Sushi Go Party! – Quick Start Tutorial with the Cardboard Stacker. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr2Qc7LwpYg
- How to play Sushi Go Party | Official Rules | UltraBoardGames. (n.d.-a). https://www.ultraboardgames.com/sushi-go/sushi-go-party.php
- Sushi Go vs. Sushi Go Party. (2016a, November 9). Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/boardgames/comments/5c0cip/sushi_go_vs_sushi_go_party/