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Kabuto Sumo: Review

Kabuto Sumo: Review

Information:

Mechanics: Head to Head, Dexterity, Assymetrical 
Player Age: 6+ 
Player Count: 2 - 4 Players
Time to Play: 15 Minutes 
Game Designer: Tony Miller
Game Artist: Kwanchai Moriya
Publisher: AllPlay
Year Published: 2021
BGG Weight: 1.23
Disclaimer: A review copy for the game was provided by the publisher.

Introduction:

Springtime has begun and the Rhinoceros Bettles are out in force, butting heads to show off their wrestling skills and impress their friends. In Kabuto Sumo, you are pushing pieces into the ring to try to knock out your opponent(s) or force them to run out of pieces. This can be played as a 1v1, free for all, or teams.

Game Anatomy:

Board:

The board has a real table presence to it. It will hold all of the pieces and even comes with a stand of the same height which is used when players slide a piece onto the board.

Pieces:

There are three standard piece sizes; small, medium and large. These are pieces that you will commonly use to knock the other player off the board or spend them based on your character ability. 

Junior League Character Cards:

To ease players into the game, or so players can play in more of a family setting, there are junior league characters. These characters each have a different starting piece setup per character, including a unique piece.

Character Cards:

The main method of playing shows more personality to the characters, now with two abilities that may have a cost attached. One ability to gain the signature piece and one that reveals the piece's ability. This adds a resource management element to the game as you will focus on the extra layer of gaining these types of pieces so you can then afford the abilities.

Signature Pieces:

Each signature piece come with a unique flare. They have a wide array of shapes and sizes, and each signature piece is linked to one wrestler.  

Setup:

- Set up the ring according to the images shown below. This ring set up is based on player count.

- Give each player a wrestler token matching their wrestler on the board.

- Give each player two small and one medium disk. In a three-player game, the third player will gain two medium discs.

- Give each player their wrestler and place their signature piece within reach. 

- Give each player their matching player token.

- Randomly chose a starting player.

How to Play:

Play is very straightforward, on your turn you will slide one of your pieces from your inventory onto the board by pushing the piece in a straight line. Before or after you play your piece you can use your signature abilities. Each ability can only be used once per turn. Any piece you knock off the board on your turn will be added to your inventory. Remember, the two lose conditions are running out of pieces to place or having your wrestler knocked off. 

Final Thoughts:

- Great toy factor/table presence

- The standard game mode makes you consider which pieces you are knocking off to best steer towards your abilities.

- Characters feel varied.

- A very unique twist of a coin push machine.

- At two players the game can continue quite long due to the constant back and forth. This is resolved with unique end-game conditions that come with the Total Mayhem expansion.

Kabuto Sumo is a game that, upon discovery, was instantly intriguing due to the coin-pushing mechanism but I wasn't sure whether there would be enough decisions or variability to keep me coming back. Boy, I was wrong and I am so glad. Especially in the standard mode of playing, not only do you have to focus on how best to knock out your opponent, you also have to manage a constant flow of pieces. You need to seek the pieces that help you activate your abilities while keeping your character safe on the platform. Some of these abilities are wild and create different playstyles or situations that need to be considered, like 'Mighty Jaw Mike' who has a special ability that can remove any piece caught in his vice grip (signature piece). This is particularly useful as it can remove enemies player piece, this results in a new way the enemy player has to play more defensively. Not covered in this review are two exciting expansions, one that adds more fighters and one that adds new items with unique rules and special end game rules. This is a game that I was pleasently suprised by and have easily given it a Silver Seal of Approval. I simply cannot wait push this one in front of more people. 

Click...feed the addiction: 


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