| Introduction
After playing several new games, and many other games I was familiar with over the course of the past few weeks, I chose to reflect on my experience playing a card game that was new to me: Sushi Go. This game was just reviewed by James Austin for the New York Times last year (Austin, 2021).
| What was the goal of the game?
The goal of the game is to acquire the most points at the end of three rounds of play. Technically the game ends after three rounds, but you could play as many sets of rounds as you want and cumulatively add scores from each set of rounds (this is what we did when we played).
| Was the game engaging?
Yes, I found the game to be very engaging. I’ve spent considerably more time playing board games versus card games, but I found that this game was engaging enough that I wanted to keep playing. Everyone who played the game with me also felt it was engaging: my wife, father and mother-in-law, brother, and a couple of friends. Even my 6-year old son found it engaging (to the extent he could communicate engagement – which I measured by his desire to continue playing).
| What game mechanics or elements were used to make the game engaging?
Aligning with what Boller and Kapp outline for what makes games engaging (2017), I believe two of the main factors that help this game move beyond fun are:
> Mental Stimulation: Although you begin each round with your own hand of cards, you must pass your hand to the player on your left after each play in the round. Therefore, you are working with different (and ever dwindling) hands throughout the round. When we played with 3-4 people, trying to memorize what was in each hand, and trying to play that to your advantage was very mentally stimulating.
> Accomplishment: Some cards in the game can multiply the points of other cards, which can significantly impact your ability to win a round. If you are able to stage the use of cards well enough throughout the round to stack certain cards, it is a very satisfying accomplishment (even if you don’t win the round).
| How do you feel about the game’s narrative and character design?
There was no narrative, but there were ten fund characters, each with their own card. They are fun for kids, but also for adults, especially those familiar with sushi. The characters and cards exhibit a fun aesthetic, and the “stackable” cards have the same color scheme which helps you more easily learn the game.
| Can this type of game be used for enhancing learning in my teaching context?
After playing this game with my wife, a former math teacher, she felt this type of game (or this game itself) could be helpful in supplementing math instruction in the typical K-12 setting. I believe there are some applications from this game for learning in my specific context:
> Interaction: There are certain elements or scenarios in my profession that have a positive additive effect. Depending on the content or characters of the cards, this game mechanic could be used to enhance learning my me specific context.
> Adaptability: We often are required to quickly adapt to changing variable in our profession, but oftentimes they can be somewhat predicted given certain situations. The constant change and planning required for this game is an element that I could also see being helpful in my learning context.
| References
Austin, J. (2021, June 25). Why we love the game sushi go. The New York Times. Retrieved March 15, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/ reviews/sushi-go-review/
Boller, S., & Kapp, K. (2017). Play to learn: Everything you need to know about designing effective learning games. ADT Press.
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