Rules

Introduction

18 Card Sushi is a game system made with 18 cards. We have a menu of 18 mini-games. Each game takes about 5-10 minutes to play and only 1-2 minutes to learn.

Components

• 18 Card Sushi deck
  • 6 Tuna cards, numbered 1-6
  • 6 Cucumber cards, numbered 1-6
  • 6 Salmon cards, numbered 1-6
• Pen and paper (optional) to keep score
• Small tokens (optional) using the following suggestions:
  • 3 sets of 6
  • each set should be its own color (or shape)
  • tiny cubes, meeples, or small candies will do

Games

Sure, picking a new game can be daunting. No problem! Simply select the number of players you have, and we’ll suggest a random game for you!

Bento Box

お弁当 “Obentō” is a hand drafting game for 2-3 players. Try to build the best scoring hand while blocking your opponent from doing the same.

Objective

Win by having the highest score.

Setup

Shuffle, then deal all the cards onto the table:

• into 3 rows of 6 cards
• alternating face-up and face-down

Gameplay

Take turns until all the cards have been drafted.

On your turn

1. Draw 1 face-up card (or the last card on the table)
2. Draw 1 card either left or right of the card you just drew (unless there are no more cards)

Scoring

1. Add the numbers on your cards that match one of the following:
   • are 2 or more of the same number
   • are 3 or more in numerical order
   • are 4 or more of the same color
2. Each card may only be used once when scoring
3. Subtract your highest value card which has no match

Diet

ダイエット “Daietto” is a strategy tile placement game for 2-3 players. This game is a little bit similar to the game of dominoes.

Objective

Win by playing all your cards or having the lowest score.

Setup

Give each player 6 cards of one suit. Set any extra cards aside.

Gameplay

Take turns until one of the following happens:

• a player runs out of cards
• all players pass their turn

On Your Turn

1. Place a card:

• face-up on the table
• adjacent to another card on the table (unless there are no cards on the table)
• 1 higher or 1 lower than all cards adjacent to it
• the first player must play their 3 to start the game

2. If you can’t place a card, you must pass your turn.

Playspace rules:

• the table can’t be wider than 5 cards
• the table can’t be taller than 3 cards

Add any or all of the following Advanced rules:

• you may place a 1 next to a 6 and a 6 next to a 1
• placing a 1 lets you return an already placed 2 or 3 to another player’s hand
• placing a 2 lets you move an odd card to a new legal location
• placing a 3 lets you move an even card to a new legal location
• placing a 4 lets you remove an already placed 5 or 6 from the game
• placing a 5 lets you remove an already placed 5 or 6 from the game
• placing a 6 forces you to either return a 1 to your hand or skip your next turn
• the first player must play a 2, 3, or 4 to start the game

Scoring

To score, add up the value of the cards in your hand.

Remember Three

覚え三 “Oboe San” is a match game for 2-4 players. Similar to the classic memory game you remember as a kid, but with 3 cards to match each turn instead of 2.

Setup

Shuffle, then place all cards face-down into 3 rows of 6 cards.

Gameplay

Take turns until all the cards have been taken.

On Your Turn

1. Choose 3 cards and flip them face-up
2. If all 3 are the same number, place them in your score pile and take another turn
3. If not, turn them face-down and end your turn

Make Twelve

十二 “Jūni” is a bluff and push-your-luck game for 2-4 players. This game is a simple, turn-based take on “blackjack.”

Objective

Win by having the most sets of 3 in your score pile.

Setup

Deal each player 1 card face-down and 1 card face-up.

Gameplay

Take turns until all players pass.

On Your Turn

1. Choose one:

• draw 1 card face-up
• pass your turn

2. If the total of your visible cards is 12 or over, you must pass.

Scoring

Reveal your face-down card and add your cards to score.

Victory

Win by having the highest score that is 12 or lower.

Fishing

釣り “Tsuri” is a fishy sort of game for 2-3 players. A sushi-themed game has to have its own “go fish.”

Objective

Win by having the most sets of 3 cards.

Setup

Shuffle, then deal 3 cards to each player.

On your turn

1. If you have no cards, you may first draw a card
2. Ask for a number between 1 and 6, like “do you have any 3s?”
3. The asked player must give you
4. If they don’t have any, draw a card
   • if the card you draw is the number you just asked for, take another turn
   • otherwise, end your turn
5. Place any sets of 3 cards of the same number you get into your score pile

Gameplay

Take turns until all the cards have been played.

First Out

あがり “Agari” is a game of luck and discards for 2-3 players. It’s a bit like “uno,” but with sushi.

Setup

Shuffle, then deal 3 cards to each player. Then place 1 card face-up to start your discard pile.

Gameplay

Take turns until a player discards their last card or there are no more cards to draw.

On your turn

1. Discard a card that is either 1 higher or 1 lower than the face-up card on top of the discard pile
2. If you cannot, draw a card

Victory

Win by having no cards in your hand, or by having the fewest cards left in your hand when no more cards can be drawn.

Order Up

注文 “Chūmon” is a frustratingly addictive memory game for 1 player. It’s a bit like “flappy bird,” but not as grueling. Challenge your friends to beat your score.

Setup

Shuffle and place the deck face-down. Then choose a goal to guess, such as 6, 12, or all 18.

Gameplay

Take turns until you correctly guess or remember a selected total of cards in their correct order.

On your turn

1. Guess “even” (2, 4, 6) or “odd” (1, 3, 5)
2. Draw a card
3. If your guess was correct, discard the card face-up and take another turn
4. Otherwise, place all the discards face-down on top of the deck and try again from the start (make sure to keep the cards in order)

Scoring

Count the number of times you had to start over.

Difficulty

You can make it more difficult by:

• guessing suits (Salmon, Cucumber, or Tuna)
• guessing numbers
• gussing both

Sushi Belt

回転寿司 “Kaitenzushi” is a pass and keep drafting game for 2-3 players. Try to build the best hand while blocking your opponent from doing the same.

Setup

Shuffle, then deal cards face-down to each player:

• 9 cards each for 2 players
• 6 cards each for 3 players

Gameplay

The game is played in rounds, not turns. Players keep one card and pass the rest of their hand all at once until all cards are left face-up.

On each round

All players must:

1. Choose 1 card from their hand and place it face-down on the table
2. Pass their hand to the player on their left
3. Reveal the card they kept by turning it face-up on the table

Scoring

1. Add the numbers on your cards that match one of the following:
   • are 2 or more of the same number
   • are 3 or more in numerical order
   • are 4 or more of the same color
2. Each card may only be used once when scoring
3. Subtract your highest value card which has no match

Victory

Win with the highest score.

The Bluffs

はったり “Hattari” is a bluff and guess game for 2-3 players.

Setup

Give 6 cards of each suit to each player. Set aside any extra cards.

Gameplay

Play rounds until all the cards have been played.

On each round

1. All players choose 2 cards from their hand and place them face-down
2. All players flip their cards over at the same time
3. If you have the highest unique card on the table, place it in your score pile
4. Discard the rest of the cards that were played

Scoring

Add up the cards in your score pile.

Victory

Win by having the most points.

Castle Quest

クエスト “Kuesuto” is a push-your-luck game for 1 player. Build a castle, then crawl from room to room gathering treasure and avoiding monsters. Challenge your friends to beat your score.

Setup

1. Place the Cucumber 6 card face-up on the table
2. This is your starting room, and it gives you 6 health
3. Shuffle, then place the rest of the cards face-down around your starting card until you make a castle

Gameplay

• Take turns entering a new room to collect treasure
• Stop when you want or if you run out of health

Each suit has a different effect:

On your turn

1. Enter a room by flipping any face-down card that’s adjacent to any face-up card
2. Check to see if you’re still alive:
   1. Add the face-up Cucumber card values, this is your health
   2. Add the face-up Tuna values from your health, these are wounds from monsters
   3. If your wound total is higher than your health total, you lose your life and your treasure
3. You may stop the game or continue playing

Scoring

Add up your treasure card (Salmon) numbers.

Victory

Win with the highest score without losing your life.

Teamplay

You and your friends take turns entering each next room. Try to cooperatively get the highest score without dying.

Card Story

カード芝居 “Cādo Shibai” is a story-making memory game for 2-4 players.

Setup

1. Shuffle the deck and place it face-down
2. Draw 1 card and place it face-up, then tell a part of a story that includes the card’s number or color (eg. “…ate 3 green spiders…”)

Gameplay

Take turns reciting and adding to a story until all the cards have been played.

On your turn

1. Repeat out loud the entire story so far
2. If you successfully remember the entire story so far:
   1. Draw a card and place it face-up next to the last card
   2. Then tell a new part of the story (again, using the card’s number or color)
3. Otherwise:
   1. Draw a card
   2. Place it in your penalty pile

Victory

Win with the fewest cards in your penalty pile.

Rows of Twelve

十二並び “Jūni Narabi” is a sudoku-like tile placement game for 1-3 players. It’s like making a crossword, but with numbers.

Setup

1. Shuffle, then deal 3 cards to each player
2. Deal 1 card face-up in the middle of the table

Gameplay

Take turns trying to make rows and columns that add up to 12 to score points until all the cards are played or there are no legal moves.

On your turn

1. Place a card on the table from your hand:
   • adjacent (orthogonally, not diagonally) to another card
   • in such a way that you don’t make any row or column total greater than 12 (add the entire row or column, including gaps)
2. Draw a card

Scoring

Keep track of your score on every turn. Score 1 point for any row or column that you make where the card values add up to exactly 12.

In this example, 3 points are scored.

Victory

Win by having the highest total score.

Least Is Best

賭ける “Kakeru” is a bluff and swap game for 3-4 players.

Setup

Shuffle, then deal 3 cards to each player face-down and in a small row in front of them.

Gameplay

Take turns until someone ends the game by shouting “KAKERU!”

1. The cards stay face-down
2. You may not peek at any card

On your turn

1. You may take 1 card from another player and give them 1 of yours
2. If you have played at least 2 turns and you think you have the lowest score, shout “KAKERU!”

Scoring

All players reveal their cards and add their numeric values to your score.

Victory

Win with the lowest score.

Oinker

ブタ “Buta” is a push-your-luck game for 2-4 players. It’s a bit like the classic dice game of “pig,” but with cards.

Setup

You should have a pen and paper or some other way to keep score.

Gameplay

Play 3 rounds. Take turns trying to improve your score each round.

On your turn

1. Shuffle the deck and place it face-down on the table
2. Draw 2 cards and place them face-up on the table
3. If you drew a 1:
   • you score 0 points for the round
   • your turn ends
4. If you drew a pair of 1 cards:
   • your total score is 0 (including any score you had before your turn)
   • your turn ends
5. If you drew any other pair, go back to step 2 above
6. Otherwise, choose to go back to step 2 or to end your turn

Keep track of the card value you drew on your turn to add to your score.

Scoring

Add up your score from each turn.

Victory

Win by having the highest score after 3 rounds.

The Harvest

あつまり “Atsumari” is a trading game of tricks for 2-3 players.

Setup

Decide the turn order, shuffle the deck, then deal 2 cards face-up to each player.

Gameplay

Take turns until no more cards can be played.

On your turn

1. Trade one of your cards for an opponent’s card
2. Place sets of your cards that add up to 7 into your score pile
3. End your turn by drawing 1 card face-up or 2 cards if you have none left

Victory

Win by having the most sets of 7.

No Touching!

当たらずに “Atarazuni” is a dexterity game for 1-4 players. It’s a little like horseshoes or shuffleboard, but you get to throw cards.

Setup

1. Line up 6 cards in a row face-up on the far end of a table
2. Arrange the cards from 1 to 6 where the 6 is closest to the table edge

These are your targets.

Gameplay

Take turns tossing cards toward the targets for 3 rounds.

On your turn

1. Toss 3 cards, one at a time, toward the line of cards on the table
2. Total your score and end your turn

Scoring

Score each toss by which target card it lands closest to without passing or touching.

Victory

Win by having the highest score.

Conscription

徴兵 “Chōhei” is a hand drafting game for 2-3 players. Compete to draft the strongest team.

Setup

1. Give each player 6 tokens of their favorite color or shape
2. Shuffle and place all the cards face-up on the table to make 6 rows of 3 cards each

Gameplay

Take turns claiming cards with their tokens until all players have placed their 6 pawns.

On your turn

Place one of your tokens on any card that:

• doesn’t have any token on it
• doesn’t have one of your tokens in the same column of 3

Scoring

1. Add the numbers on your cards that match one of the following:
   • are 2 or more of the same number
   • are 3 or more in numerical order
   • are 4 or more of the same color
2. Each card may only be used once when scoring
3. Subtract your highest value card which has no match

The Big Table

大きなテーブル “Ōkina Tēburu” is a strategic linear drafting game for 2-4 players. You are a host at a sushi restaurant trying to seat your customers in front of the best meals.

Setup

1. Give each player tokens of their favorite color or shape:

2. Shuffle, then deal out 16 cards into 4 rows of 4 cards
3. Leave the 2 extra cards face-down and away from the table

Gameplay

Take turns revealing cards and “seating” your tokens so they see the highest value cards until all tokens are played.

On your turn

1. Choose 1 face-down card and flip it face-up
2. Place one of your tokens adjacent to any unoccupied card on the edge (or “seat”)

Scoring

Each of your tokens should “see” (score) a face-up card on the table. Add each card your tokens scores to total your score.

Token A scores 1 point and B scores 2 points. Both C and D score 3 points.

Victory

Win by having the highest total points.

Credits

Dave Balmer

Game design, art, development

Alex Inoue

Japanese translation

Jeremy Corley

Castle Quest table layout design