“Adorable sushi race at full speed in a training × racing game! Become a sushi chef, craft unique toppings, and enter your trained sushi into races. Don’t forget to cheer on your sushi during the race. Win the prestigious S1 Cup championship, and become a top-tier sushi chef!” – Steam Description

Wabisabi SushiDerby is the tastiest racing simulation game you’re going to play in 2026. I’ll bet my entire conveyor belt delivered lunch on it. With adorable pixel art, catchy music, and a few different difficulties to add to accessibility there’s never been a better time to start getting on a roll.

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Meal Prep

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In order to race your sushi, you need sushi. As any good chef would, you start with picking an ingredient as the basis. Each ingredient has stats and the game does a wonderful job of explaining what each stat does and how it would impact your sushi roll’s performance. As you gain experience with each ingredient, the base stats also increase letting you use your favorite ingredient all the way through the game if you’re loyal. #ShrimpinAintEasy. You gain experience by racing, win or lose, but as you might expect you get more for winning.

Before you set out on each race, you are given the opportunity to train your sushi, obviously. You can select from 4 card packs with prices ranging from Free.99 to 5000G. The price dictates the level of bonuses inside and the bonuses can be stat increases or new active or passive skills to help in your sushi roll’s big race. Everyone knows the more your sushi can squat, the better it tastes.

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Off to the Races

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Now that you have a fighting fit sushi roll, you’re ready to pick a race. You can select any race that you qualify for. Qualifications are limited by your Rank, and sometimes your ingredients (e.g. Vegetable only, Tuna only races.) There are also seasonal races that can only be accessed during that season, so if you’re trying to complete all races make sure you hit all 4 Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter cups. You will also be notified of your sushi’s odds of winning. Races are simulated where the player can strategically choose to “Cheer!” their sushi on giving a burst of speed for a short period of time. You can avoid obstacles, other rolls, or the dreaded race ending chopsticks with this feature.

Inevitably, the chopsticks of defeat will grasp your sushi roll. You’re at least paid for how much your roll is worth and there are fun feedback to read from each customer that decides that you must reside in their stomach.

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Keep Rollin’ Rollin’

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In between races, win or lose, you can visit the shop. You can purchase tools which allows for more advanced toppings to race with. The more advanced toppings have better starting stats and have starting skills so they can definitely give you a leg up without grinding trying to make your shrimp shrimply the best – if you’re into that kinda thing.

Each advanced topping can be found in the Topping Book and there is a flow chart to unlocking them. My inner completionist made sure I unlocked all possible toppings and the art style for each one was so fun to see, I implore you to experience them for yourself.

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• Graphics– Amazing pixel art. The faces, animations, and overall presentation of the rolls is top tier.
• Gameplay– Gameplay is a derby style where all racers including the player’s is simulated. You can choose when to activate any active skills you have unlocked for your roll and you can choose when to cheer for that speed boost. It’s more engaging than it sounds given that I just told you you have 1-3 buttons that you can press on various cooldowns.
• Sound– Music is catchy and fun. It even changes, speeding up, for the final lap which gives that sense of urgency as you rush to be the first across that finish line.
• Controls– Controls are simple, there’s only a handful of buttons but they are all clearly labelled and well presented.
• Story– Story is fun and culminates in a final race which changes the presentation. I won’t spoil it, but you’ll see what I mean when you get there. It’s a thin story, but I think it’s cute and serves the purpose for why you must race your sushi.

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P.S. A collaboration music video with Japanese creator Yamashita Makoto was also made.

This is my gift to you for making it this far into the review, thanks!!