Wasabi! | BoardGameGeek

New Image for Wasabi!

rickipresta — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 08:04:42 +0000

Unpunched contents from a fresh opened box

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Reply: Wasabi!:: Reviews:: Re: Wasabi! A Review for Gamers and Non Gamers

Shampoo4you — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:35:02 +0000

Start them on Stone Age before you jump into Agricola. You could scare them away from gaming forever if you jump into Agricola.

Reply: Wasabi!:: Reviews:: Re: Wasabi! A Review for Gamers and Non Gamers

DancerInDC — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:00:57 +0000

by DancerInDC

A very well-written review for this game - I agree with you almost completely! This isn't one of my favorite games, but it definitely is one we like to pull out for non-gamers and casual gamers. It's got great components and plays quickly.

Review: Wasabi!:: Wasabi! A Review for Gamers and Non Gamers

Jasta — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 03:13:06 +0000

by Jasta

Intro

I live in a house with my two best friends; one is a gamer the other isn't. As we all like doing things together my game collection is gathering a little too much dust for my liking. So begins my quest to convert my non-gaming friend to the wonderful world of boardgames. Seeing that my non-gaming friend likes sushi and all things Japanese, Wasabi! seemed like the perfect starting point, so I convinced her and another non-gaming friend to play.

Overview

Wasabi! is quite obviously a game about making sushi - in fact the way I pitched was that it was like Scrabble - only with sushi instead of letters. This was a concept that my non-gamer friends could easily understand.

Each player gets a selection of recipes and ingredients which are then placed on a central board to form recipes horizontally or vertically. Recipes have different lengths and longer recipes are worth more points. If you manage to complete a recipe in the order shown on the recipe card you get extra points for making sushi 'with style' and get to place a number of green wasabi cubes in a cute Japanese dish for extra points.

Completing a recipe also gives you a special action card which lets you move ingredients, place extra ingredients, stack them on top of each other or block off squares on the board.

Contents & Theme

Like every other Z-Man game I've experienced, the quality of the components and attention to detail are superb. Thick card counters, sturdy board and wonderfully designed and laid out rules. The 'menu' screens are probably the only weak point as they don't hold the recipe cards very well and the recipe information on the back serves no real purpose.

The whole game oozes theme from every angle. The artwork is vibrant and colourful and the little wasabi cubes and the Japanese dishes to hold them are a nice touch. The game has so much theme that I couldn't possibly play it without real sushi so I ended up making my own (with many comments about which ones were completed 'with style' and which looked like someone had thrown raw fish at a muddy snowball) If I was to nitpick I'd say some of the ingredient counters are hard to tell apart at a glance when the board gets full - rice and maki especially could have been differentiated better.

Gameplay

The game is extremely easy to teach and learn, and everyone got the basic idea after one turn. We played two games, neither of which went for more than 45 minutes although there is some setup time getting all the counters in the right place. There is a reasonable amount of strategy early on as you try and setup the biggest recipe you can while there is still room on the board. Do you go for a tricky 5 ingredient roll straight away or make a quick 2 or 3 length nigiri in order to pick up a special card in case things don't go to plan.

As the board fills up things get a lot harder, you have to be a lot more flexible in your strategy and eventually everyone ends up racing to get the last few points from the free space available. There are some opportunities to complete multiple recipes at the same time with clever use of the cards and ingredients and keeping track of the whole board is critical.

Conclusion

Wasabi! got a mixed response from our group. The non-gamers really enjoyed it. The game is chaotic and light hearted and while a game like Puerto Rico might punish you for playing each turn as it comes in Wasabi! it is almost encouraged. It’s not that there isn’t strategy; it just doesn’t pay to get too tied down to one in particular.

In comparison my gamer friend and I weren’t so sold. Too often, thinking a few turns ahead would prove fruitless as our plans were foiled not by guile or cunning but by bad luck - and unfortunately once you get a bad set of recipes or ingredients it can be difficult to get back in the game. Playing offensively is also tricky, maybe it’s the theme but it was hard to deliberately block or obstruct a player without it feeling like a pure act of bastardry rather than a sound tactical play. Maybe playing it with a group of hardcore gamers would be better but then I think we’d probably be playing something else instead.

In the end Wasabi! was a great game for introducing people to the world of boardgames beyond Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit. While those of us with a wider experience of the genre were left wanting a bit more tuna in our tekkamaki we still had fun and hopefully we managed to convince our non-gamer friends to give something a little more complicated a try.

Roast dinner and Agricola is next on the menu!

File: Wasabi!:: Wasabi Action Cards in Portuguese

amgs — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:10:21 +0000

by amgs

Wasabi Action Cards in Portuguese for Board Game: Wasabi! ]]>

New Image for Wasabi!

ckirkman — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:20:36 +0000

by ckirkman

Team Wasabi!

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Reply: Wasabi!:: Reviews:: Re: My 2-Player Wasabi Review

shumby — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:14:01 +0000

by shumby

"This is a bit like hating a cheeseburger for not being a steak though."

I'm stealing this analogy. :)

Reply: Wasabi!:: General:: Re: Few questions about Wasabi!

mana_farm — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:46:08 +0000

by mana_farm

Jasta wrote:
True... but my housemate is obsessed with sushi and all things Japanese. I'm hoping theme wins out over different preferences for mechanics :)

You could always try Chopstick Dexterity MegaChallenge 3000 Maybe you'll find that you all really enjoy dexterity games. There are lots of those out there that are a blast to play

Reply: Wasabi!:: General:: Re: Few questions about Wasabi!

ideogram — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 08:26:30 +0000

by ideogram

Wasabi! is a very appealing game but the rules are fairly complex. If she hasn't played many euro-games before I would recommend Carcassonne first. Other games to try are Qwirkle and Alhambra.

Reply: Wasabi!:: General:: Re: Few questions about Wasabi!

Little_Black_Dog — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 05:58:53 +0000

by Little_Black_Dog

The board does look good enough to eat, and the quality of the tiles is great. Even the Wasabi cubes & bowls give it a more tangible feel.

Yes, you can exchange recipes instead of having your turn.

Would agree with Cafe Int'l as a simple game to learn

Reply: Wasabi!:: General:: Re: Few questions about Wasabi!

Jasta — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 04:29:54 +0000

by Jasta

True... but my housemate is obsessed with sushi and all things Japanese. I'm hoping theme wins out over different preferences for mechanics :)

Reply: Wasabi!:: General:: Re: Few questions about Wasabi!

ramkitty — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 04:26:03 +0000

by ramkitty

I would second ticket to ride, cant stop and exxtra

wasabi is a step up in complexity, a small step but a step none the less. there is more involved stratagies once the board starts filling and you learn the traits of the cards and seeing the possible board modifications.
that being said I enjoy the game and have played it successfully several times with new people.

Reply: Wasabi!:: General:: Re: Few questions about Wasabi!

mana_farm — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 04:18:18 +0000

by mana_farm

From my personal experience some games I've found with easier rules that girls have liked are. Blokus, Can't Stop, That's Life!, and Café International

Reply: Wasabi!:: General:: Re: Few questions about Wasabi!

Futza — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 04:01:47 +0000

by Futza

Yes, I concur Wasabi could be a game she would like. Also Carcassonne and Ticket to Ride (or any gateway game) are easy games to learn and play.
I think you are allowed to swap recipes as one of your turns instead of placing an ingredient tile and picking another ingredient.
Good Luck!

Thread: Wasabi!:: General:: Few questions about Wasabi!

Jasta — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 03:49:30 +0000

by Jasta

A couple of questions about Wasabi.

I live with two housemates, my best friend and his GF. He's a pretty keen gamer, she's very much not (allthough she does enjoy poker nights). She's a very good friend of mine as well and I'm trying to find a game that she'd be interested in trying out so I don't feel guilty when she gets left out of game nights (or worse still we end up not playing games at all! )

Anyway I think Wasabi! might be that game - it looks great, I think she'd enjoy the theme a lot and it's not too complicated. Would you concur? Are there any other games you could recommend? (more than 2 player games please!)

Secondly I understand people have a few issues with the game... one of the main ones being a bad recipe draw appears to doom you from the start. Is this solveable with a simple mulligan system? i.e. no two ingredient recipes - redraw?

Thanks.

New Image for Wasabi!

adambaig — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 19:38:37 +0000

by adambaig

My wife found this storage solution for Wasabi! in the fishing tackle ...

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File: Wasabi!:: quick rules for wasabi in french - regle rapide en francais

Ravachol — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:47:43 +0000

by Ravachol

quick rules for wasabi in french - regle rapide en francais for Board Game: Wasabi! ]]>

Reply: Wasabi!:: Variants:: Re: The dreaded Wasabi card

MABBY — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 03:21:51 +0000

by MABBY

byronczimmer wrote:
The point of the Wasabi card with two players is to end the game when you're winning.

Happy wife, happy life. When I'm winning, I lay low. I don't ever poke a crocodile with a stick...

Reply: Wasabi!:: Variants:: Re: The dreaded Wasabi card

MABBY — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 03:20:04 +0000

by MABBY

MABBY wrote:
We're going to try it out tonight, and I'll report back how it went.

It went rather well, actually. I believe that I won because of it.

I played a Wasabi card, for anguish :), and my wife paid a cube to remove it. I did it again later in the game and my daughter bit the bullet and paid to remove it this time.

The final score was Me 30, Daughter 29, Wife 28. Closest game ever, and there was still plenty of annoyance spread about. The two cubes I received, combined with the one each that they paid, was the turning point.

Reply: Wasabi!:: Variants:: Re: The dreaded Wasabi card

Outside Lime — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:29:40 +0000

by Outside Lime

byronczimmer wrote:
The point of the Wasabi card with two players is to end the game when you're winning.

In a 2-player game I like to use it as a disruptor. I keep an eye on my opponent, and when they play a tile without completing a recipe (and if I judge it not to be a junk-ditching) I slap the Wasabi on it. Instant anguish.

~Josh

Reply: Wasabi!:: Rules:: Re: Recipe Completion

Liumas — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:39:35 +0000

by Liumas

There are 2 steps in your turn, performed in order.

[c] [/c]Action cards are only played in Step 1.

[c] [/c]Action cards are only taken in Step 2.

Thus you can never play a card on the same turn in which you received it.

An action card is received in Step 2 based on the action(s) you performed in Step 1.

(It looks like the original post was deleted here...)

Reply: Wasabi!:: Variants:: Re: The dreaded Wasabi card

byronczimmer — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:45:17 +0000

by byronczimmer

The point of the Wasabi card with two players is to end the game when you're winning.

Thread: Wasabi!:: Variants:: The dreaded Wasabi card

MABBY — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:38:39 +0000

by MABBY

I've played a few of 2-player games now, and one 3-player game, and the obvious difference between the two is that with 2-players, there isn't enough room on the board to really get going. This makes "The Dreaded Wasabi Card" much more powerful, and you end up being called nasty names when you play it (experience has shown ).

My variation is this: Since you cannot normally remove a Wasabi card until another recipe has been completed and someone chooses to remove that card rather than take a different card, make it an option that anyone can pay one wasabi cube to remove the Wasabi card (on their turn only) from the board.

In this way, you would be able to reserve space, or preserve the order of tiles in play, by placing the Wasabi card (and getting a cube). If your opponent(s) want to mess with you, it costs them a cube to do so. If you want to remove the card yourself, it costs you the cube that you received on a previous turn.

Early in the game, people will not have the cubes to pay the cost, or will be reluctant to give them up. Late in the game, offense and defense are affordable but may be costly in the end. We're going to try it out tonight, and I'll report back how it went.

New Image for Wasabi!

Area51 — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 06:08:39 +0000

by Area51

Self made action card with Japanese

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Reply: Wasabi!:: Reviews:: Re: [Video Review] Basement Boardgamer ep4: Wasabi! in 10 minutes

SimonJH — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 08:25:06 +0000

by SimonJH

I'm sold. Just ordered this. The kids should love it.

Reply: Wasabi!:: Strategy:: Re: Best action card?

david_os — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 08:56:37 +0000

by david_os

Speaks to the thoroughness of the play-testing.

Those are all good arguments for me.

It would certainly be something which would have to be explicitly allowed in the rules for it not to cause arguments in play, I think. And anything that calls for special rules seems like a strong candidate for being disallowed all other things being equal.

Reply: Wasabi!:: Strategy:: Re: Best action card?

Outside Lime — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 22:15:35 +0000

by Outside Lime

david_os wrote:
My guess would be that you're one of the only people who thought of this and it never showed up in play-testing? Kind of a pity since it's so cunning!

No, it definitely showed up in playtesting; in fact Adam argued to keep it as a legal move (he's tricky like that, always looking for the sneak play no matter what game is on the table) but I was able to convince him otherwise.

To answer the above poster, I just thought that it violated certain game concepts.

1) Concept: The active portion of your turn is Step 1; Step 2 is the upkeep portion. With this move, you are achieving active progress in Step 2.

2) Concept: Players must actively affect the tiles on the board in order to claim a completed recipe. With this move, the player is not changing the existing arrangement of the tiles on the board at all.

3) Concept: You expend something (either a tile or an action card) to complete a recipe. With this move you are gaining a card to complete a recipe.

These three things made the move anomalous enough that I felt it should be disallowed. Adam and I discussed it at length and we eventually agreed.

Also, I prepared the rules for print, so he couldn't stop me anyway! Sucka!

~Josh

New Image for Wasabi!

msdespondent — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 05:47:26 +0000

by msdespondent

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New Image for Wasabi!

msdespondent — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 05:45:28 +0000

by msdespondent

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Reply: Wasabi!:: Strategy:: Re: Best action card?

david_os — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 11:25:09 +0000

by david_os

My guess would be that you're one of the only people who thought of this and it never showed up in play-testing? Kind of a pity since it's so cunning!

Reply: Wasabi!:: Reviews:: Re: While I do like sushi, this game I do not care for.

longagoigo — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 12:41:03 +0000

by longagoigo

DKahnt wrote:

1) There is a mechanic that when you finish a recipe, you receive one of the bonus cards. These cards essentially break the rules (like cards in many other game). The problem with this mechanic in the game is that if you are behind, it is hard to recover. In essence the rich get richer and the poor stay poorer.

2) Another reason why I don't care for the game is alluded to above: a runaway leader problem. It is easy to get stuck behind with this game. There is hardly any way to dig out of the hole you are stuck in. And that is exactly what it feels like... you are trapped in a hole and trying to dig your way out of it.

3) A third problem with this game may be fixed with more experienced players. There is no way to know all the combinations available to the players. Perhaps there's an errata I am unfamiliar with that lists all the possible menu items, but that the game did not come with them listed is a bad decision. This plays out into the game by not knowing how or where to stop potential recipes trying to be made by opponents.

Overall its my opinion that this game is lacking. I find that the runaway leader problem is too great and perhaps breaks the game a bit.
-DK

1) Bonus cards are so easy to get, since everyone has so many 2 item recipes, so I don't understand this complaint.

2) I can see how someone could get off to a good start, but it's really difficult to get off to a bad start. I also don't see it as having a runaway leader problem, especially as it relates to #1.

3) With experience I suppose people get to know most of the recipe combinations, but I don't think it matters for most people, as they would be trying to complete their own recipes rather than block other recipes. Of course, to do both in a turn is a bonus for the skilled player, but it is the goal that a new player should be striving for.

New Image for Wasabi!

angeral — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 02:42:47 +0000

by angeral

Wasabi @ JoolClub, in progress

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Reply: Wasabi!:: Variants:: Re: Cubes Variant

asfhgwt — Thu, 28 May 2009 00:27:56 +0000

by asfhgwt

Just played two 2-player games. Got clobbered both times. Perhaps all players except the leader could trade in a cube or two and get a card -- after his turn. I assume the wasabi cubes are hidden, so this would apply to the leader in points in view. Perhaps this might add another small element to consider during the game...? That is, it might be better to "visibly" be in second place a few points back than in the lead.

Reply: Wasabi!:: Strategy:: Re: Best action card?

ChelseaSquare — Tue, 26 May 2009 03:01:28 +0000

by ChelseaSquare

Now that a favoured tactic has been ruled out, by no less an authority than the game's author, what is the rationale of not allowing the removal of Wasabi! to complete a recipe?

Is it simply not in the spirit of the game or was there a revelation during the game testing that necessitated making that play illegal?

Reply: Wasabi!:: Variants:: Re: Cubes Variant

chindent — Tue, 26 May 2009 01:57:57 +0000

by chindent

Interesting idea--if it becomes impossible to complete a recipe straight up (based on the board layout) and gain a card, you may instead sacrifice some of your wasabi cubes in order to "buy" a card that would give you a chance.

I could see this becoming important near the end game, and might alleviate some of the feelings of helplessness if someone happens to be trailing. The danger, however, is that it could also allow someone with a big lead and wasabi cubes to spare the power to end the game that much quicker.

Regardless, I would think that the player should still be required to place a tile, if only to keep the game going and maintain the sense of urgency; the variant should not be a delay tactic.

Reply: Wasabi!:: Strategy:: Re: Best action card?

Outside Lime — Fri, 22 May 2009 15:26:14 +0000

by Outside Lime

david_os wrote:
Sounds like we need a rules lawyer on this one - although I think Justin is likely right on the stage 1 thing.

Justin is correct. Picking up a Wasabi! card during Step 2 of your turn cannot complete a recipe for you.

~Josh

Reply: Wasabi!:: Strategy:: Re: Best action card?

david_os — Thu, 21 May 2009 12:16:54 +0000

by david_os

Sounds like we need a rules lawyer on this one - although I think Justin is likely right on the stage 1 thing.

I admire the deviousness and low cunning even if it's not legal.

BUT it sounds like a tactic that nobody would let you get away with twice? I mean if someone reclaimed Wasabi to claim their 5 ingredient recipe on me, then I'd assume that was what they were up to any time that card was played early in a game every subsequent play!

Reply: Wasabi!:: Strategy:: Re: Best action card?

astroglide — Wed, 20 May 2009 17:18:45 +0000

by astroglide

ChelseaSquare wrote:
then pick up Wasabi! and "Look what I found! A third complete recipe!"

This sounds like a conflict with the the rule that one must claim recipes during Step 1.

Another gotcha is that you can't claim a recipe unless you complete it yourself with tile changes!

Reply: Wasabi!:: Strategy:: Re: Best action card?

ChelseaSquare — Wed, 20 May 2009 14:20:27 +0000

by ChelseaSquare

The most cunning use of Wasabi! is to lay it over top of two ingredients that you are using towards your 5-recipe. It protects two of your ingredients and also hides them while you complete the 5-recipe. Your opponents will not suspect that the ingredients under Wasabi! will help the person who placed Wasabi! Watch the look on your opponents faces when you complete another recipe that also completes your 5, then pick up Wasabi! and boom you've got another 8 points and another card draw.

All of this works even better if you use Spicy to lay down two tiles.

Do this all correctly and you can complete three recipes on one turn, two recipes complete with Spicy then pick up Wasabi! and "Look what I found! A third complete recipe!"

Grown men will weep.:cry:

New Image for Wasabi!

tasajara — Tue, 19 May 2009 10:39:49 +0000

by tasajara

All of the Wasabi cubes + bowls

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New Image for Wasabi!

tasajara — Tue, 19 May 2009 10:33:24 +0000

by tasajara

Sealed deck of action cards

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New Image for Wasabi!

tasajara — Tue, 19 May 2009 10:32:02 +0000

by tasajara

Challenge Tokens (unpunched) showing Wasabi bonus values

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Reply: Wasabi!:: General:: Re: Wasabi = Tigris & Euphrates Lite?

E Decker — Sat, 16 May 2009 06:00:00 +0000

by E Decker

:S::c::r::a::b::b::l::e::blank::L::i::t::e:

Reply: Wasabi!:: General:: Re: Wasabi = Tigris & Euphrates Lite?

mjacobsca — Sat, 16 May 2009 04:31:29 +0000

by mjacobsca

Sobriquet wrote:
Discuss.

Ok, ok, largely I kid, but this was a comment that came out during a game today, and we all felt it kind of funny and... strangely... maybe... it actually holds some small amount of water.

Other than both being tile laying games, the games are completely different. There is nothing even remotely similar about them.

Reply: Wasabi!:: General:: Re: Wasabi = Tigris & Euphrates Lite?

ohbalto — Sat, 16 May 2009 04:24:54 +0000

by ohbalto

"Is it anything like Monopoly?"

I'm sorry. Someone had to.

Reply: Wasabi!:: Strategy:: Re: Best action card?

david_os — Sat, 16 May 2009 00:45:48 +0000

by david_os

But that means you have to pick Wasabi up and it doesn't help you make your own recipes like Stack or Chop. The more I think about (and play) it, the more this seems like a carefully balanced game!

Reply: Wasabi!:: Variants:: Re: Cubes Variant

asfhgwt — Fri, 15 May 2009 15:17:53 +0000

by asfhgwt

I'll have to buy the game first....

Reply: Wasabi!:: Variants:: Re: Cubes Variant

david_os — Fri, 15 May 2009 10:06:06 +0000

by david_os

Why not give it a try and report back?

Feels like it might help with the trapped feeling I sometimes get where I know I've lost and need a card to make a recipe, but need a recipe to get a card.

Buying a card would have to be instead of any other move.

Reply: Wasabi!:: Strategy:: Re: Best action card?

Arrebimbomalho — Thu, 14 May 2009 13:44:02 +0000

by Arrebimbomalho

I´ll use "Wasabi" to ruin the opponent´s 5 ingr. receipes! They must finish another one to get that wasabi card :devil:

Reply: Wasabi!:: Strategy:: Re: Best action card?

david_os — Thu, 14 May 2009 13:08:59 +0000

by david_os

Yeah I did realise you get a cube when playing the card, but it's never seemed like a very tempting bonus - I suppose it might do in a very close game.

The impression I have is that the Wasabi card is to kill the game when you're in the lead but can't be sure others won't catch you.

If you're behind, it seems a counter-productive card to play since you need places to play to make recipes.

Maybe we're missing the point.