It’s time to start a new feature on our Blog, welcome to Level-Up Legends!
Certain games are referred to as ‘Gateway Games’, this is a well known term for a game that introduces people to the hobby and isn’t too complex… Once you are hooked then you’ll want to take the next steps and with so many games out there, you might not take the right direction… We’re going to be your guide and hopefully help you avoid pitfalls! Do bear in mind everyone’s journey is different
So over a series of blogs we’ll look at some classic Gateway Games and then show you something in the same vein but more challenging. We have chosen a wonderful game of drafting and set collection to begin this series, the wonderful game Sushi Go!
Not one to keep under wraps!
How cute! Sushi with little faces on, awww…. Not only does this look great but it’s also super simple to play and even thematic. Yes, it’s just a card game about eating sushi but, somehow they manage to marry the mechanics to the theme! Realy? Well.. let’s grab our chopsticks and dive in!
Here’s a quick overview of Sushi Go! and why it’s been a firm favourite since its release back in 2013! The basic game plays best with 3 to 5 players (yes, there is a 2–player option but we think it works best 3-5 or with the variant 2-player rules in the back of the rules) and each player has a hand of cards representing different dishes or sushi-related stuff! All you do is take a card from your hand and then put it face down on the table and then pass your hand face down to your neighbour. This is called card drafting (or closed drafting) and what’s great about this for the theme is, well… if you’re at a sushi restaurant then you’ll probably have a conveyor belt of food going around and this is what this mechanism represents! Lovely!
So, everyone reveals what they picked and then they pick up the reduced hand of cards that was passed to them and go again, etc… etc… Now each item you pick is scored at the end of the round (mostly) and also differently. For example we have maki rolls (mmm…) the person who has the most at the end of the round gets 6 points and the second place gets 3, nice. You better get them before your neighbour if you want those points, that’s how we roll!
Each food item works differently and so we’ll just mention one other to give you the idea.. Sashimi cards are only scored if you have 3 of them… manage to get 3? Then it’s 10 points! Only got 2? Nothing, that’s a raw deal.
With chopsticks that let you grab more stuff and desserts that only score at the end game (sweet!) There is a lot to love but nothing too difficult to grasp.
If you just can’t get enough of that Sushi then there are a series of games set with the same adorable artwork… Sushi Go Party! gives you alternative cards to use so you can mix it up and lets you play with more players! Sushi Roll changes card drafting for dice drafting and Sushi Go! Spin Some for Dim Sum changes it up to an open drafting quick game with a squishy Bao Bun added for good measure!
So, ready for the next step? We’re sticking with a card game and also a form of drafting too. It’s also a variant on set collection here as well but it just raises the challenge get ready for a LEVEL UP!
This one’s not even close…
Welcome to the beautiful world of Faraway. An ever changing continent of beautiful regions, mysterious quest giving denizens and beautiful animals, minerals and plantlife. Walk your path, gather quests and when the game ends, trek back to the beginning and gather fame by completing those quests.
Admit it, this game looks just as awesome as Sushi Go! does, great artwork can go a long way (and back again!).
Let’s talk about how a turn works. At the start of the game you have 3 cards in your hand each and a set of cards face up in the middle of the play area, as many as there are players and an extra one. Everyone will choose one of their cards to go facedown and reveal them at the sametime (oh, hello… that rings a bell!), this is the first Region you are going to explore. The card has an exploration time on the card and whether it is explored at night or in the day, a biome type (one of 4 colours) and a quest from a denizen that will give you fame at the end of the game. It may also have resources and clues on too.
The person who has placed the card that took the shortest time to explore will get to select one of the cards in the middle first and in ascending order of exploration time, all will draft from the set in the middle. This is open drafting and represents if you take too long exploring then there are less places to choose from in this mystical magical world! This is repeated eight times but, after the first round, if you place a region with a higher exploration time than the round before then you will gain a shrine card that gives you some kind of bonus, like a mini-quest or free resource or biome type…
Once eight rounds have taken place then it’s time to wander back home and gather the fame you are due by completing quests. All eight of your cards that you have chosen are turned face down (leaving all sanctuaries face up). You’ll now trek through the locations from last to first and will see if you have managed any of the quests. Say at the start of the game you selected a quest that gives you points for each river you discover… (green cards). Then you will score for every green card you find in the game. If you only place this card down halfway through the game then you will not score for any of the river locations you have already been in, only the ones that come after. This is basically an interesting take on tableau building with set collection built in, just a step up from Sushi Go!
This does seem tricky when read out but once you play the game and see how it works it’s one of those games that you just have to play again as you now know how to play and it’s so cleverly made and balanced that there is no one way to win.
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Tabletop Games are a journey and Faraway is literally a journey too. You can see the similarities between the two games here, drafting and collection are both used to great effect and we think if you love Sushi Go! then Faraway is a great next step! Give one or both a go, we don’t think you’ll be disappointed!