Shamans

A hidden-roles card game where Shamans and Shadows fight over a spirit world, and you must read who is who.

Designer: Cédrick Chaboussit
Published by: Studio H
Editions by: Hobby Japan, GaGa Games, Ghenos Games, TLAMA games, Banana Games, Arrakis Games, Geronimo Games, Corax Games

Shamans try to restore harmony in a world threatened by Shadows, and you have to pick a side. Shamans (2021) is a hidden-roles card game for three to five players that mixes a trick-taking-style card play with deduction. Each card you play lets you stabilise the spirit world, perform a Ritual or acquire an Artefact, and together those actions bring everyone closer to the final showdown between Shadows and Shamans. In the end, the winners are the people who managed to read their rivals and stick to the right side in this never-ending confrontation. Around an hour, ages ten and up, best with four or five.

Hidden roles in two teamsTrick-taking-style card playRituals and Artefacts

Who it's for

You like social deduction and want something with real card play behind it, something like a fantasy hidden-roles game built around tricks.

Not for you if…

You dislike bluffing, being suspected or very small groups. This works best with four or five.

Vibe's take

Suspicious and chatty. Every card someone plays is a clue or a lie, and you keep re-reading the table to figure out whose side you are really on.