Squaring Off in Kabuto Sumo: Sakura Slam for Bug Battles
Figure out ways to push discs and signature pieces around a square ring to knock out a beetle in Kabuto Sumo: Sakura Slam.
Not ready to close the door on wrestling insects, I moved onto Kabuto Sumo: Sakura Slam to see if I might modify an unofficial solo variant to work with it. The main difference is a square ring with corner posts, although all of the insects offer up some neat signature pieces of various shapes! Another match was on as I got to work puzzling things out…
Game Overview
Game Name: Kabuto Sumo: Sakura Slam
Publication Year: 2024
Designers: John Brieger, Michael Dunsmore, & Tony Miller
Artist: Kwanchai Moriya
Publisher: Allplay
Solo Mode: Unofficial Solo Variant (Modified)
This is a physics-based puzzle about pushing discs and other shapes around a wrestling ring. Delightful insects have their own unique pieces to gain access to. With a square ring and corner posts, there is a lot more to consider than with the original circular ring in a fun experience!
First Play
July 18, 2025
Complexity
1
Latest Play
July 19, 2025
Expansions
7
Setup Time
5 Minutes
Lifetime Plays
6
Play Time
10 Minutes
High Score
N/A
Game Area
18" x 16"
Low Score
N/A
Setting Up to Play
At the moment, the unofficial solo variant is only designed for the original Kabuto Sumo, yet it wasn’t hard to modify the starting setup. Central beetle and discs all in place!
This standalone expansion uses a square ring with corner posts that form barriers. Even more interesting is the platform, which has to be aligned with an edge.
Practically speaking, this creates much more interesting angles and situations to look at than in a circular ring.
I loved it! This type of ring felt like a big upgrade in terms of the challenge, particularly when playing solo.
So Many Cool Pieces!
I didn’t simply stick with this newest version, though. Every insect was shuffled into my deck! These are all of the signature pieces and the extremely different shapes.
Apparently, I have an earlier version with a cloud piece that’s dark green rather than grey. Just makes it more special!
Some of these pieces might seem like they’re inherently better than others, but even the gigantic pieces can act up.
The only slight change I might make is with the nested signature pieces, as those can be quite powerful. Might be simple enough to just limit those to 2-3 maximum. Easy!
Minimal Effect
What a neat sort of challenge! Since the platform aligns with an edge, pushing pieces directly through the middle is no longer possible. It’s all about indirect pushes via physics.
I started to get the hang of how everything worked together, until I didn’t. The unusual shapes moved in unusual ways that were only partially possible to predict most of the time.
My platform pushes also required the correct angles, and goodness… I had a few general whiffs! Ha ha!
This play resulted in practically no movement in regards to the central beetle. Definitely needed to work on my game!
Success from a Corner
Ah! Another thing I should mention is that this version of the game uses tokens to mark corner posts that have been used to push from. I tried to think how to use them in solo…
Ultimately, I settled on only being able to mark 3 corners, meaning I could never push from the fourth corner post. Worked pretty nicely for a neat extra challenge.
These pieces might look like they easily pushed the beetle over the edge, but I had to use my last small piece to do so!
Hearing that final “thud” was quite satisfying after I worked out how all of the physics worked. This time… Ha ha!
Getting the Formula Correct a Second Time
The original game with the circular ring is still excellent in its own way, but I quickly spotted lots of improvements here! Not only is the ring shape different: It has little corner posts. That might not seem significant, yet these stop some movement and can create neat effects. Additionally, aligning the platform with an edge was a major upgrade.
Working from the corners means that there are more interesting angles to think through, often requiring some planning of indirect movement. Awesome! I also enjoyed the variety in signature pieces, which was a lot more noticeable than in the original game. Granted, I still appreciate where this all started and included those insects for even greater variety.
For anyone considering these games, though, this might be the better overall experience. It’s more difficult, but I found that increased challenge to be a welcome one. On a more minor note, the insects are not all beetle varieties and I enjoyed the wide range of personalities on the character cards. A great experience where the improvements were on full display!
Lined Up for Queen Bee
Nested bees! This was a really neat new insect, and I was pretty much in love with Queen Bee right away. Look at that artwork and the adorable little bees flying around her!
Was this overpowered? Probably, but this isn’t something I’m treating as a very serious game. Setup is never perfect with the discs, and that sets the stage for gameplay.
I’ll likely limit this grouping to 2-3 going forward, yet even this huge lineup of bees only netted me a couple of discs.
Having 28 different insects across all of the games and promos I own allowed for so much variety, and lots of fun!
Cardboard or Wood?
I picked up the upgraded wooden ring, which rests on a rotating platform to make it easy to line up the next move.
The trouble is that it’s warped and uneven. Pieces caught on the edge a few times or had a rough time moving. Speaking of rough, the surface is almost like coated sandpaper.
Back to the cardboard version, which is included in the box! This is entirely smooth and lines up perfectly. I can also rotate it very slowly without any issues. So much better!
Storing the cardboard version upside down in the box still allows all of the components to fit inside, too. Excellent!
Session Overview
Play Number: 1-6
Main Expansion 1: Kabuto Sumo
Main Expansion 2: Kabuto Sumo: Insect All-Stars
Accessory: Kabuto Sumo: Sakura Slam: Deluxe Arena
Solo Mode: Unofficial Solo Variant (Modified)
Outcome: 2 Wins & 4 Losses
So cool! The Great Bugbino’s signature piece looked like a magnifying glass, but I discovered that it fit over a corner post and swung around. I used it as a one-time effect at the right moment to sweep that beetle out of the ring! Really loved the unique pieces. More great times with all the bugs!
%
1 Play
Affordability
Price & Value
8
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
7
Originality
Design & Theme
10
Quality
Components & Rules
9
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
9
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
5
+ Pros (Positives)
- All of the illustrations are excellent and bring a lot of personality to each character in humorous or adorable ways.
- Signature pieces are all very different and behave in unexpected ways when played together in random combinations.
- Moving pieces from the corner positions takes a lot of thought and is an excellent sort of challenge to enjoy.
- Play time moves very quickly and is quite lightweight with lots of fun moments when pieces fall out of the ring.
- Spending discs to draw characters offers an exciting moment that may or may not pay off with the piece shapes.
- Even when using dozens of signature pieces, their colors and shapes make them easy to tell apart and identify quickly.
– Cons (Negatives)
- Corner posts must be glued in place during the initial ring assembly, and some may end up very slightly off-center.
- A single setup layout can feel repetitive after a few plays, even though the challenge can still feel unique each play.
- The upgraded wooden version of the ring is quite disappointing with warped edges that pushed pieces catch on.
- Getting the angle just right takes some practice, but can be dragged down by slightly differently misshapen discs.
Victory Conditions
Knock the Beetle Out of the Ring
- Overall Goal Progress 100%
Goals and Milestones
Win at least 1 game.
Win at least 1 game without letting any signature pieces fall.
Continue the Conversation
Have you played Kabuto Sumo: Sakura Slam solo? Do you have a favorite insect or signature piece? I wasn’t sure if this version would feel too similar to the original, yet it does a lot of different things that feel like improvements! This was another fun time with a game I probably would have ignored on my shelf for a long time. Nice to have given it a chance!
0 Comments