Disclosure: Meeple Mountain received a free copy of this product in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. This review is not intended to be an endorsement.
Sip Happens
Strolling through the halls of Gen Con this year, I noticed more small-box card games dotting the landscape instead of the standard meaty big board games. In an odd year of tariffs and uncertainty, less is more, and small, card-based games seem to be the big push. I had a chance to chat with Eric and Gabe from MOCO Games/Logistics at a charity get-together at the stadium, and had a great time getting to know them.
Later in the con, I was introduced to Sabobatage, a game leaning heavily into boba tea theming and just as chaotic as a bubble tea menu. Every time I walked by the booth, it seemed packed—demoers drawn in by the cute art and, presumably, a love of the drink sensation. Much like other cutthroat party games like Not So Neighborly, Doomlings, Unstable Unicorns, and Exploding Kittens, this accessible game is anything but friendly. It’s mean and punchy, but no one said boba tea is supposed to be peaceful!
Tapioca Trials
The goal of this beverage knife fight is to simply complete five tea sets before anyone else. Tea sets must consist of a tea, flavor, and topping in order to be completed. Teas must also adhere to set collection rules—whether it’s a fruit- or milk-based tea (crossing ingredients can be gross!).
Gameplay is straightforward. Players can play up to three cards on their turn, and some cards can chain to give additional actions. Most commonly, these are ingredient cards played into sets, or action cards that allow extra draws, steals, or protection from other players’ schemes. Buried in the deck is also the dreaded “Sabobatage” card, which destroys five ingredients from one or more players. Absolute chaos. Play continues until one player sneaks away with five complete sets.
Taro Troubles
Overall, the game is a solid time. Gameplay is so simple that it can easily be taught in under a minute to kids, non-gamers, and everyone in between. The game also includes helpful menu cards to remind players of legal tea sets and the game’s flow. There’s surprisingly some depth in teeing up cards to extend one’s turn. Because the game is a race to five sets, squeezing out additional actions will always put one ahead.
But then comes the stabbing in the back. Just when you’re one turn away from a win, victory is whisked away by a card that destroys your tableau—or worse, transfers your ingredients to another player. All that hard-earned progress suddenly collapses beneath you. But that’s how the game is meant to be played. You have to be mean, and you have to expect to get dunked on.
A few times, players said, “Man, this is SO mean,” and would hesitate to play a card. Those players never tasted the sweet nectar of victory. If you quietly try to finish your set collection, you’ll fall behind—or watch your progress evaporate. The game also incorporates a moving target, as players need to focus on slowing down the leader. This can lead to some fun (temporary) alliances in the pursuit of pulling everyone else off the ladder.
The game is heavily swingy, as the reliance on card draw can set players up for failure or success. Fortunately, the manual includes a card distribution list so more strategic players can track what’s out and what’s left in the deck. I also appreciate that there are defense cards that cancel attacks or protect tea sets from disruption—but, in true stabby fashion, those cards are very limited.
It’s a solid time of backstabs, betrayals, and laughs as you watch your boba tea dreams wash away in a single turn. The game isn’t anything innovative or unique, but in the right hands, it’s a decently fun time punching your friends in the face. It’s a solid filler or pub game for competitive, cutthroat sessions—enhanced by charming boba tea art and humor. (Get yourself a Five-Star Review for more cards or Point of Sale Down to skip a player’s turn!)
The theme doesn’t stick out too much, but then again, I’m more of a black coffee beverage type of guy. Give this one a go, but remember: being nice will not get you far in Sabobatage.
Sabobatage details
- Designer: Eric Chen (I)
- Artists: Jesus de Ubaidis
- Publishers: MOCO Games
- Release Date: 2021
- Player count : 2 - 5
- Age range : 7+
- Time range : 10 - 30 minutes
- Mechanism(s): Hand Management, Set Collection, Take That
- BGG Geek Rating: 6.21578 - converted to Meeple Mountain scale: 3.0.
- More articles about Sabobatage.
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