Wabisabi SushiDerby

Exhibit Schedule

Sushi Racing Simulation Game

Participate in an automated race on the counter of a sushi restaurant. The key to victory is the players choice of ingredients and training. Lose your sushi if they fall off the table or are eaten by customers.

Choice of Ingredients

First, let’s carefully choose the sushi toppings. The quality of your sushi depends greatly on the topping. While choosing fresh, seasonal toppings is essential, you may also want to focus on each topping’s unique qualities—such as speed, endurance, agility, or powerful skills—to build a solid strategy. However, if that sounds complicated, feel free to just make the sushi you’d like to eat!

Once your sushi is ready, it’s time for training. Training can boost your sushi’s stats, strengthen its weaknesses, or even unlock compatible skills. Of course, you could also simply enjoy watching it work hard with dedication!

Racing on the Sushi Counter

Once your sushi is prepped, it’s time for the real action! In a race on the sushi restaurant’s counter, your sushi competes with others for speed. When the race begins, your only role is to “cheer” for your sushi. Listening to your cheers, your sushi will pick up speed for a short time, but this is a limited boost. Timing your encouragement wisely is key.

On the sushi counter, there are also customers who just can’t resist a delicious piece of sushi. Sometimes, a hungry customer’s chopsticks might reach out for your sushi. That’s when you’ll want to use your “cheer” to help it dodge. Used it up already? No problem. If your sushi gets caught by the chopsticks, the race ends in a “retirement,” but it comes back to you as sales revenue. With that money, you can prepare more sushi and get back in the game!

The Melancholy of Fresh Produce

If you win the race, you earn prize money! But while you might be eager to jump right into the next race, keep in mind that with each competition, your sushi’s freshness and stats will drop. Deciding when it’s time to retire your sushi is up to you, but remember: it’s still fresh food. It’s wise to start prepping new sushi at the right time.

A Variety of Sushi

There are over 20 types of sushi you can prepare. Egg sushi starts with lower stats, but since it’s already cooked, it can go through more rounds of training (as long as it avoids the chopsticks, of course). Buri (yellowtail) has a skill called “Rising Star,” which boosts speed with each race lap, while squid and octopus have a “Ink” skill, adding debuffs to nearby sushi.

By consistently making the same sushi, you’ll level up in that specific sushi skill, boosting your sushi’s overall stats. Initially, only a few sushi options are available, but as you level up and win races, you unlock more varieties, from gunkan-maki and vegetarian options to the California roll—whether “making” it is the right word is up for debate!

Choosing Your Tools

Once you’ve stacked up enough prize money, consider upgrading your kitchen tools. These upgrades expand the types of sushi you can prepare and the training options you have. They’re permanent, so be sure to check the shop regularly. But be prepared for the costs that come with the perks!

Awards

Media Coverage

ITAMAE STUDIO（Developer）

ゅゆゆ @ yuyuyubuger　Director / Engineer

In charge of planning and engineering. The person who, while eating sushi at a conveyor belt sushi restaurant, came up with the idea of creating a game where sushi races. Influenced by a certain podcast, He began developing the game. His childhood dream was to become Professor Ochanomizu.

Yuka Eguchi　2D Design

Responsible for character, background, and animation illustrations. She joined the team with great energy to draw running sushi. Always hungry for fresh sushi.

Aoko Hori　UI Design / Pixelart

A person who ended up making games while doing a bit of everything. Loves pixel art.

YS2 Game Design

In charge of planning. Went out for sushi with team and ended up deciding to make a sushi game. Recently discovered the joys of eating at a conveyor belt sushi restaurant alone.

Release

Currently in development for release in 2025 spring. Wabisabi : Sushi Derby has been under development with the support of Kodansha Game Creators Lab since October 2023.”

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