Stats:
No. of players: 2
Amount of time to play: 30 minutes
Age requirements: 10+
Set-up time: minimal

Yomi Rules Description:

Yomi is a card game that simulates a video fighting game like Tekken or Street Fighter. You must play cards that hit your opponent and drop their health to zero for the win.

Yomi has ten playable characters. Each plays a bit different and has a special ability to help them in the fight. You and your opponent picks a character. Shuffles their decks draws seven cards and you are ready to fight.

Each round you and your opponent play a card face-down. The cards are revealed simultaneously and resolved. There is a rock, paper, scissors dynamic between the cards in Yomi. An Attack beats a Throw which beats a Dodge or Block which beat an Attack.

If both players lay the same card type, the faster card hits. If you hit you have chance to combo. If you are hit by a combo you can lay a joker face-down to avoid the combo damage. You can even bluff laying down a joker. You’ll still take combo damage but your opponent may stop laying a combo thinking you have a joker.

To end the round you may power up by discarding sets or if you hit with a combo. To power up you search through your deck to draw Aces. These tend to be your best attacks but you are usually required to have more than one.

If you can drop your opponent’s health to zero you win.

A Quick Yomi Review:

Yomi is a quick-paced card game which is easy to learn and fun. You must do your best to determine your opponent’s next move. If you can counter them you can hit them and even combo attack for big damage.

Yomi can be played in twenty minutes which is nice. The cards rules and art work are all great and easy to understand. You can pick this game up and be playing in five or ten minutes.

One of Yomi’s big strengths is that you can choose to go as deep as you like. Just like the video games it is based upon Yomi can be played at different levels. Casual players can enjoy it as a fairly random, light filler. Meanwhile more serious players can find a character that suits their playing style then master their moves and analyze match-ups. This flexibility allows for fun on each level.

If you enjoy video fighting games or are looking for a fun 2-player card game, try out Yomi. You can buy single character decks or a two pack that will give you a cost-effective way to sample Yomi.

Score and synopsis: (Click here for an explanation of these review categories.)
Strategy 3 out of 6 (if you play Yomi more seriously you will find it more strategic)
Luck 5 out of 6 (if you play Yomi more seriously the luck factor will drop)
Player Interaction 6 out of 6
Replay Value 4 out of 6
Complexity 2 out of 6
Fun 4 out of 6
Overall 4 out of 6