What Every Sushi Go! Card Is Worth

Every card in Sushi Go! prints a score, but the printed score can mislead you. Sashimi says 10. Pudding says 6. Tempura says 5. None of those is what one card adds to your total. This lesson turns the rules into a simple chart of points per card, then shows why the real value of a card depends on what is already in front of you.

Points per card, when it all works out

Divide each scoring rule by the number of cards it takes:

Maki and pudding are races, so they do not fit a fixed number. They come later in this lesson.

The catch: “when it all works out”

Those averages assume you finish. Some cards pay at once and some pay only if more cards reach you:

• Pays at once: any nigiri, a nigiri onto a wasabi you already have, the second tempura of a pair, the third sashimi of a set, and every dumpling.
• Pays only later: a first tempura, a first or second sashimi, a wasabi, chopsticks.

A card that pays at once is a sure thing. A card that pays later is a bet that the cards you need will still be in a hand when it reaches you.

Value changes with your tableau

The same card is worth different amounts to different players at the same moment. Here are the real numbers for what one card adds:

Tempura. First one: 0 now, 5 if a second arrives. Second one: 5 right away. Third: 0 again until a fourth.

Sashimi. First: 0 now. Second: still 0. Third: 10 at once. The third sashimi is the single biggest jump in the game, worth 10 points for one card.

Dumplings. The ladder is 1, 3, 6, 10, 15, so each dumpling adds 1, then 2, 3, 4, and 5. Dumplings get better the more you have, and they never score zero. A sixth dumpling adds nothing, since five or more all score 15.

Nigiri. Squid 3, salmon 2, egg 1. On a wasabi already in front of you: squid adds 9, salmon 6, egg 3.

Wasabi. 0 now. Later, it adds 2 extra points for an egg (3 instead of 1), 4 for a salmon (6 instead of 2), or 6 for a squid (9 instead of 3).

Maki: a race for 6 and 3

Maki points go to whoever has the most and second most roll icons this round. Your maki is worth exactly what it changes in that race. If you lead by a lot, another maki adds nothing. If you trail first place by one icon, a 2-roll maki can be worth 3 or more points. Tied for first means splitting 6, so 3 each with two players tied.

The deck has 54 roll icons on 26 cards. In a four-player round, 32 cards are dealt, so the average round has about 16 icons in play (32 times 54, divided by 108). That gives a feel for how many icons usually win, and lesson 8 covers how to play the race.

Pudding: a race for the whole game

Pudding scores only at the end. Most pudding scores 6 and fewest loses 6, so with three or more players the gap between top and bottom is 12 points. One pudding can be worth a lot, or nothing, depending on the counts at the table. Lesson 9 does the math.

Picks that look good but are not

• A first sashimi late in a round. If only two or three cards are left in hands, two more sashimi are unlikely to reach you. It is close to a free 0.
• A wasabi with one or two turns left. There may be no nigiri left to put on it.
• A sixth dumpling. It adds nothing.
• A maki when two players are far ahead. Third place in maki scores nothing.

Picks that look small but are not

• Egg nigiri onto a wasabi you already have. It is only 3, but it is 3 for sure.
• A second tempura. A plain 5 points for one card is a strong turn.
• A dumpling when you already have three. The fourth adds 4, the fifth adds 5. Few single cards beat that.

The habit to build

Before you pick, sort the cards in your hand into three piles in your head: points now, points later, and nothing. Take the biggest “points now” card unless a “points later” card has a good chance to pay more. The next lessons will sharpen that chance with timing, reading other hands, and odds.