- Psychological warfare using sushi prices… Key content revealed via Steam demo
- Scheduled for official release in March 2027, live battle demonstration at Tokyo Game Show 2026
- Free Trial Released… Supports Puzzle and CPU Battles; Online Battle to be Added in Full Version
Game development circle Today’s Special! released the Steam store page and free trial version of ‘SUSHI CHESS’ (original title 寿司将棋), a chess-like game that uses sushi as game pieces, on September 7.
The official version is targeted for release on Steam (Windows) in March 2027, and the price has not yet been determined. The development team will also participate in Tokyo Game Show 2026, which will be held from September 17 to 21, and plans to conduct battle demonstrations throughout the event at booth 09-E32 in Hall 9.
The reverse rule that if I catch the opponent’s sushi, I pay the bill.
‘Sushi Chess’ is a chess-like game where players use sushi pieces, each with a price tag, like chess pieces. The most eye-catching element is the unique rule that if a player captures an opponent’s sushi, they must pay the price themselves.
Capturing an opponent’s piece to create a favorable situation is not always the right answer. This is because aggressively capturing expensive pieces can actually cause your own cash reserves to dwindle rapidly. Conversely, it is also possible to employ a strategy of intentionally giving away your own pieces to increase their spending.
Therefore, at every move, you must consider not only the position of the piece but also the money held by both sides. It is possible to pass the turn by drinking tea without moving the piece, but even in this case, you must pay for the tea.
The victory conditions are divided into ‘Modern’ and ‘Classic’ depending on the game mode. The basic rules, such as the inability to reuse an opponent’s captured piece as your own, are structured to be closer to chess than to Janggi.
From the lively direction of slamming down sushi to even miscellaneous knowledge
Befitting a game utilizing the unique theme of sushi, the movement of the pieces is also wittily rendered. When moving a piece on the board, it provides a sense of impact as if picking up sushi and forcefully slamming it down, and when capturing an opponent’s piece, it visually implements a clever motion of snatching it up with chopsticks, adding to the fun.
It is also worth noting that, due to a structure where catching expensive sushi in succession reduces your cash reserves, the game presents an exhilarating visual presentation on the surface but requires careful judgment in every move during actual gameplay.
In the single-player puzzle mode, you can find the sequence of moves leading to victory in a given situation. The free trial allows you to experience parts of the puzzle mode and CPU battles.
The single-player menu also features sushi characters sharing various trivia related to sushi. In a sense, it adds lighthearted fun centered around sushi alongside the tension of a strategy game.
Started as a browser game and is now available on Steam with ‘Serpent’
‘Sushi Chess’ was first unveiled last August on the browser game platform UnityRoom. Since then, the game development circle SurFun has joined the development team to improve the quality of the Steam version.
It previously participated in Tokyo Game Dungeon 13 and conducted a demonstration. With the release of the Steam store page, the English name has also been changed.
Although the Japanese title is ‘寿司将棋’ and includes ‘Shogi’ (meaning chess), the English title was decided as ‘SUSHI CHESS’ because the actual game rules are closer to chess.
The free trial supports 20 languages, and the full version adds online multiplayer.
The free trial version released this time supports a total of 20 languages, including Japanese and English, as well as Korean, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, and Russian.
In the demo version, you can enjoy parts of the puzzle mode and CPU battles.
In addition to puzzles and CPU battles, the official version scheduled for release in March 2027 will include 2-player battles on the same device and online battles against Steam friends.
As it has not yet been officially released, Steam user reviews have not been compiled, but the game has been attracting attention from Japanese gaming media since its reveal due to its unique approach of assigning prices to sushi and utilizing this as a core strategy.
‘Sushi Chess’ is a chess-like game that combines the unique and delightful presentation of sushi with a counter-intuitive rule where capturing an opponent’s piece does not necessarily lead to an advantage. The core of the game lies in a psychological battle that goes beyond simply capturing pieces, requiring players to calculate the board situation and each other’s funds.
At Tokyo Game Show 2026, which will be held from September 17 to 21, a demonstration where players can experience the battle firsthand will also take place. Interest is focused on how ‘Sushi Chess,’ featuring unique rules, will elicit a reaction during the on-site demonstration, and how the online battles added with the official launch in March 2027 will be implemented.
Information regarding ‘SUSHI CHESS’
| item | detail |
|---|---|
| Developer | Game production circle “Today’s Special!” (Circle SurFun participated in development) |
| Publisher | Game production circle “Today’s Special!” |
| Genre | Chess-like |
| platform | Steam (Windows) |
| Release date | Official version scheduled for March 2027 (Free trial released on September 7, 2026) |
| language | Supports 20 languages including Japanese, English, and Korean (based on trial version) |
| price | Price for the official version is TBD |
| Reactions/Evaluations | Attention is rising ahead of the official launch with the release of a free demo and participation in Tokyo Game Show 2026. |
| Steam Page | Shortcut |
