The Sims: YaGoBuGi (YaGoBuGi CZ/SK)

The Sims: YaGoBuGi transforms Simlish into a fast-paced card challenge full of concentration, coordination and unexpected matches.

Put together your own Simlish word from the cards, repeat it to your fellow players and look for someone who says the same combination. In The Sims: YaGoBuGi, everyone speaks at once, Simoleons change hands quickly, and a well-chosen quartet of syllables can decide the whole game.

The Sims: YaGoBuGi is a party card game for families, groups of friends and fans of The Sims series who want to try out its unmistakable Simlish right at the table. It can be played by 3–6 players aged 8 and over, and you should set aside around 10 minutes per game. Thanks to the short rules, you can start almost immediately and easily organise several rematches during a single session.

The game relies on a willingness to speak out loud, listen to others and react to what they say, which is why it works particularly well in groups that enjoy spontaneous communication. You don’t need to be familiar with The Sims video games or the actual Sim language – all you need are the four syllables Ya, Go, Bu and Gi. You’ll use these to create ever-new combinations and look for a fellow player who can form the same word.

Your aim is to earn more Simoleons than the others. At the start, you’ll receive your own draw pile and take four cards into your hand. From these, you’ll form words two, three or four syllables long, such as ‘Go-Gi’, ‘Bu-Bu’, ‘Bu-Ya-Go’ or ‘Ya-Go-Bu-Gi’. A single card doesn’t count as a word, and you decide the order of the syllables yourself, so even the same set of four cards offers several possibilities for what to say.

After everyone calls out “YA-GO-BU-GI!” together, the game begins. You say your chosen combination out loud, listen to the others and try to make eye contact with the player who is saying exactly the same thing. As soon as you match, you both lay down the cards you’ve used and receive a token corresponding to the length of the word: for two cards you receive 5 simoleons, for three cards 10 simoleons and for four cards 20 simoleons. You then replenish your hand to four cards.

A longer word is worth more points, but it is also usually harder to find someone with the same combination. You must therefore judge when to stick with a valuable four-syllable word and when to shorten it, reorder the syllables or adapt to what you hear around you. If your cards do not offer a usable match, you may place any number of them at the bottom of your deck and draw new ones. The game ends as soon as no one can form another match, and the player with the highest total number of Simoleons is declared the winner.

• Simlish isn’t just a gimmick here – it becomes the main tool of the game, which you use to negotiate, find a partner and score points.
• Everyone plays at the same time, so you don’t have to wait for anyone, and from the opening call to the final match, you’re constantly part of a shared conversation.
• You can explain the rules in a matter of minutes and get started straight away, which is ideal for family gatherings, parties or even during a short break.
• Each set of cards offers several possible syllable sequences, so you’re constantly deciding which word has the best chance of matching at any given moment.
• The scoring presents you with a pleasant dilemma: shorter words are easier to find, whilst four-syllable words will earn you significantly more Simoleons.
• The game tests whether you can distinguish the correct syllables amidst the clamour of voices, make eye contact and quickly adjust your own combination.
• Thanks to the ten-minute playing time, you can easily play a rematch, swap the winner or organise several rounds with a cumulative score.
• Fans of The Sims will get a party game based on Simlish and Simoleons, rather than just ordinary cards featuring familiar pictures.
• The compact box is easy to carry, yet contains 120 cards and enough tokens for a full game with up to six players.
• The Czech and Slovak rules allow players from both countries to sit down at the table together, whilst the syllables themselves are shared and require no translation.

The Sims: YaGoBuGi was created by the American game designer and developer Dexter Stevens. He conceived the game’s initial form in 2023, drawing on early ‘conversations’ with his two-year-old son Rigby, who was inventing his own words whilst learning to speak. Stevens subsequently developed the prototype, adding further sounds and experimenting with different ways of playing. The link to The Sims licence provided a natural setting for the original idea, as the fictional ‘Sim language’ has been a feature of this video game series since its inception. The original publisher is the Dutch company Goliath Games, which launched the game in collaboration with Electronic Arts.