Kabuto Sumo

• Designer: Tony Miller
• Publisher: allplay
• Players: 2-4 
• Age: 6+
• Time: 20 mins
• Amazon affiliate link: https://amzn.to/43eIwa4
• Played with review copy provided by publisher

Spring time in Japan means the return of the rhinoceros beetles — “Kabutomushi”, which is Japanese for “helmet bug” — and their athletic contests of dominance. Out in the wild, you can find them butting heads trying to show off their strength and impress their insect friends with their wrestling skills. This is the origin of the phenomenal World Insect Wrestling Championship.

In Kabuto Sumo, you are one of the contending beetles that is battling for supremacy in the ring and your place in the pantheon of legendary wrestlers. The gameplay of Kabuto Sumo resembles the coin-pusher arcade games in which you strategically drop quarters and anxiously anticipate coins cascading off the platform. This game features a similar experience, with you trying to strategically slide pieces onto the board and push the other players out of the ring. It’s an exciting combination of dexterity, strategy, and luck.

Construct the sturdy sumo ring before your first play and then put it in the center of the table.  Each player chooses their wrestler, takes the card for that character, and then take the signature pieces for that wrestler off to the side. 

Then, take the small, medium, and large discs (number based on player count) and the pieces for each wrestler onto the stage – there are helpful diagrams in the rulebook to make sure you get it set up correctly.  Each player also gets a few discs in their personal supply.

On a turn, the active player takes any piece from their personal supply and pushes it into the ring. To do this, you will take the pushing platform and place it anywhere on the outside of the ring.  Place your piece on this platform and then push it into the ring. When it is completely off the platform, stop pushing!  Before or after your push, you can choose to perform your wrestler’s signature move (description on the card that goes with your wrestler).

If any standard pieces fall off, you get those in your personal supply.  If any signature pieces have fallen off, they are placed back in the regular supply.  If you are able to push an opposing wrestler out of the ring, you win!   However, if you ever push out your own wrestler, you automatically lose!  A player also loses if they cannot take their turn (i.e. they have no pieces left in their personal supply when their turn comes up).

In a 2 player game, you can also use the Title Belt – this is placed in the the center of the ring at the start.  Any player who is able to push the Title Belt out of the ring also wins instantly.  You can also play the game in a team format with teammates alternating plays on the same side. 

My thoughts on the game

Kabuto Sumo is a fun light dexterity game that brings back fond memories of spending way too much real money on fake plastic tokens to use at Dave and Buster’s in their coin dozing games.  The idea here is the same, you try to push your discs onto the board to either dislodge other discs (so you can take further turns) or ideally to push an opposing wrestler off the platform.

There really isn’t a lot of deep strategy going on here – just push and pray.  Of course there’s lots of laughing (or snickering) when things don’t go the way you intend… and likely, there’s a bunch of cheering when something good happens.

The components are quite nice.  The thick cardboard stock really gives a nice firm feel to the components.  Further, the thick heavy wood pieces are solid enough to push the others around.  The overall feel of the game is just so great.  And if you have some of the optional upgrades, you get other terrific pieces such as a lazy susan for the board and a sweet storage cabinet.

I love the idea of the game, though I will admit that there are occasional games where the game outstays its 10-15 minute window.  When things are evenly matched, discs will fall off from the sides, but the wrestlers stay near the middle.  When this happens, the end of the game can stretch away from you.  Of course, trying to use your wrestler’s signature move can maybe push things in the right direction.

The signature moves are, however, not without risk. Some of the actions cause you have to pay a cost (i.e. give discs to your opponent), in order to do your move, so this does reduce the size of your personal supply.  However, the payoff is often worth it!    I love the fact that each wrestler is based on a real life insect and their physiological defense mechanisms. They all have special signature moves which introduce wild variables and uniquely shaped pieces that can dramatically influence the gameplay.  

Around here, this has been a summer filler / opener.  It’s not too serious, and everyone can have fun and laugh at the game.  With all of the expansions, everyone has been able to choose a different character each time we play, and that helps keep the game feeling fresh.

Thoughts from the Opinionated Gamers

Mark Jackson: As enjoyable as the original game is (and we’ve played quite a bit of it), the Sakura Slam edition of the game (with the square sumo board) is even better. My son’s copy of the game was enjoyed by adults AND kids (esp. kids) at Gulf Games this summer – over & over.

Ratings from the Opinionated Gamers 

• I love it! Mark Jackson
• I like it. Dale Y
• Neutral.
• Not for me…

Amazon affiliate link: https://amzn.to/43eIwa4