- BGG rank
- BGG #9,278
- BGG rating
- 7.4
BUBBLE GUM
- 2 players
- 15 min
- Complexity 1.5/5
- 2024
- BGG rank
- BGG #10,771
- BGG rating
- 6.5
SUMO
2023
Rules assistance for SUMO
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 5 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.3/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for SUMO
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
SUMO is a board game released in 2023 for 2 players, 5 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by kota konno and its main mechanics are Trick-taking.
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About the game
In SUMO, you try to use card play to push your opponent from the game. To set up, place the sumo wrestlers card in the center of the sumo ring. (The sumo ring has only three positions: left, center, and right.) One player sits on the left of the ring, the other on the right. Deal each player a hand of eight cards from a deck that contains 20 cards: 1-5 in four suits. Each player plays and reveals a card, with the high card playing first in the first trick; if the cards are tied, repeat this action until one player wins or all eight cards have been revealed, in which case you shuffle and re-deal. The first player plays a card, then the other player must follow suit, if possible. If the second player is off suit, the first player wins; if not, whoever played the higher card wins. In either case, the winner pushes the sumo wrestlers card away from them, then leads to the next trick. If the sumo wrestlers are ever pushed out of the ring, the pusher wins the game. If this doesn't happen, the winner of the final trick wins the game. However, a player can win earlier through one of three "sumo moves": Abise-taoshi: Crushing the opponent with your weight, which in game terms means playing a 4 in the same color after a lead 1. Hikiotoshi: Using the opponent's momentum to knock them down, which in game terms means playing a 1 in the same color after a lead 5. Wucchari: Throwing your opponent out of the ring, which happens should you play an off-color 2 when the sumo wrestlers card is on the edge of the ring near you.
Questions and answers
SUMO supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for SUMO is 5 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists SUMO for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
SUMO has a complexity rating of 1.3 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
SUMO belongs to these categories: Card Game and Sports. Its main mechanics are Trick-taking. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of SUMO are: kota konno. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists SUMO as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.