So I picked up a copy of **Sushi Go Party** the other day, and have had the opportunity to play a couple games. I figured I'd do a quick write up -- albeit a fairly informal one -- in order to give it a look, especially how it compares to the original Sushi Go!
On the Outside
First of all, it probably comes as no surprise that Sushi Go Party is both wider and taller than its older brother. To put it in perspective a bit more than those comparison pictures, the tin is even a tiny bit bulkier than Forbidden Island, another Gamewright 'tin' game. As well, as you can see printed on the box, the party edition now supports up to 8 players, where the original was capped at 5.
Opening the Box
It should also come as no surprise that there's a lot more stuff in the party addition. On top of many more cards, and the obvious rulebook, there is a scoreboard / reference board, 'menu' tiles, and pawns to keep track of score.
The Reading
The rulebook may seem bigger than you may expect, but of that rulebook, only about two pages, front and back, make up the rules of the game. The rest is devoted to eight different card selections, providing "template" games (although you are also free to make your own, either by choice or through random selection), and a very thorough card index, outlining the rules for every card extremely thoroughly (almost more thoroughly than you will ever need).
On the topic of rules, there are a few minor tweaks that separate the party edition from the original, beyond the new cards. The most noticeable change is how 'dessert' cards are brought into play; as opposed to being shuffled into the deck at the beginning of the game, they are gradually added in each round. In a 2-5 player game, for example, 5 dessert cards will be shuffled into the deck at the beginning of the game, 3 at the beginning of the second round, and 2 at the beginning of the final round.
There is also a slight tweak in the number of cards players will be given. Where the range of 7-10 cards still remains, it is now stretched over an 8-player range, as opposed to the 5-player range of the original, meaning, for example, while the original would have 8 cards per player in a 4 player game, the deluxe version now has 9 cards in a 4 player game. Beyond these two changes, however, the core gameplay remains the same.
Playing a game
So, let's actually set up the game. 336
When setting up, you will have tiles representing each card in the game. These tiles are grouped as either "appetizers", "rolls", "special", or "dessert", and you will place 7 of these into the appropriate slots on the board (3 app, 1 roll, 2 special, and 1 dessert), which will be the cards used for the particular game. The three nigiri are printed on the board, and thus, the nigiri cards will be used in every game.
This is the setup for the "party sampler", which is designed to provide a 'transition' into the party edition, providing us with some familiar faces, as well as some brand new cards. Of course, there are seven other templates, as well as the ability to create your own or simply shuffle up the tiles by type and put the appropriate number out randomly.
Next, take the selected cards out of your nicely organized box. Shuffle all of the cards except the dessert cards into one deck. Then, place the main deck, as well as the dessert cards -- ready to be shuffled in at the designated intervals -- next to the board, and you're ready to begin, playing Sushi Go (almost) exactly as you remember it.
The Fresh Faces
Obviously, what you're really curious about is the new cards, so, let's go over the four new cards featured in our "party sampler", as well as a few more of my favourite.
Temaki is almost like a "pudding" that scores each round. The player(s) with the most Temaki score 4 points, while the player(s) with the least lose 4 points.
Tofu is a really interesting card, in that you need to hit the 'sweet spot'. Having a single tofu scores 2 points, while having a pair scores 6. However, if you get three or more tofu in a single round, they aren't worth anything! With a bit of planning, you can really mess with someone guarding a pair of tofu by casually tossing them a third at the end of the round.
The menu is a special item, which allows you to take a peek at the menu and order what you like. You get to draw four cards from the deck, and add one of them to your tableau, returning the other three. 937