Goblin Sushi - Restaurant-sim video game review -

Sushi by goblins? Yes, and it’s delicious

Goblin Sushi is the first title developed by Swiss studio Old Cake Factory and published by Metaroot.

Goblin Sushi is a fun restaurant simulation, rogue-like game where you make sushi dishes for your hungry customers. The game works like a classic deckbuilder with a basic recipe, which you can then upgrade along with your kitchenware. Your goal is to keep your customers well fed and happy and to earn money to pay your rent.

You start with a short but very helpful tutorial that introduces you to your kitchen and tools. You have containers with ingredients, a sushi mat, a rice cooker, a cookbook and a button to buy ingredients when they are out. The mechanics are easy. You click on each ingredient, and each click places one item on the mat. Pro tip: you can also use your keyboard so take a look at the hotkeys if you prefer that way.

When you have all the required ingredients in your container, you click each item to transfer it to the mat. Once you have all the right ingredients on the mat, clicking on it will prepare the dish and place it on a plate that will then travel on a conveyor belt. The customers are already there waiting for their dish, so once the plate is in front of them, they will happily eat it and pay you. Just like in real life.

The game has a good pace and it gives you enough time to learn the basics. Soon, you will be introduced to the first upgrades and new recipes. You get a screen of three options, and you can choose one at a time.

Goblin Sushi is a smart game but also tricky, as occasionally a little devil will appear with some tempting offers for you. It’s not really an upgrade but it’s not a downgrade either. It’s a deal with the devil. Some deals can be useful, but if you don’t like them, you can ignore them.

Sell sushi to pay rent

It can trick you into feeling it’s easy, but wait until you realize you have to pay rent. After a certain number of customers, your landlord will appear requesting rent. There is also a timer at the top middle of the screen that indicates when he will appear. The first rent payment is easy. The second, not so much. I was caught by surprise that I couldn’t pay the second rent. Then I realized this is not as easy as it seems. I needed to be strategic to increase my income as quickly as possible. Of course, I lost a couple of times but once I got the hang of it, paying the second and third rent got easier. Well, not easier but more manageable.

The goal is to increase your income, so your focus should be on the upgrades that generate money faster. The upgrades include new recipes that earn you more, or “buffs” that can earn you an extra dollar, such as using ingredients in a certain order. So play your “cards” strategically and you can make more money faster.

From the very beginning you get the style of Goblin Sushi and if you like deck-builders, strategy, and restaurant simulation video games, then this will get your attention. The game is in early access, so some bugs or lack of content can be expected. I played it on my MacBook Neo, which is a bonus if you want a casual sim game that can be played on lighter computers, and I didn’t experience any bugs. There is only one difficulty level at this point, but that may change. The latest hotfix was released at the beginning of July 2026 so the developers are actively working and updating the game, so it is definitely worth your while.

Goblin Sushi is a fun and smart restaurant-sim and rogue-like video game, perfect for this summer. Please note: High risk of increasing your appetite for sushi.

Enjoy!

Played on MacBook Neo.