Feed the Shoggoth! is a game for 3-6 players; games average about 45 minutes in length.
Components:
Feed the Shoggoth! consists of a 120 card deck, which includes the following:
72 Spell, Artifact, and Action cards
36 Minion Cards
10 Unique Cult Faction Cards
1 Shoggoth Card
1 Graveyard Card
Gameplay:
A comprehensive version of the rules can be found HERE.
Goal: to be the first Cult Leader to reach the victory point total (variable depending on the number of players), or to be the last Cult Leader standing!
Cards: There are five basic types of cards in Feed the Shoggoth!:
Cult Faction cards– these designate which Cult you rule over. They are selected randomly at the beginning of the game. Each has a unique special ability that can help you during the game.
Spell cards– spells can be cast during anyone’s turn, at any point in the game. You can cast as many spells as you want (just remember that you only draw back up at the end of your turn). Spells can do many different things, from moving the Shoggoth around the table, stealing an opponent’s artifacts, causing them to lose a turn, to any number of other nasty effects.
Artifact cards– artifacts are a bit different than Spells. They need to be placed in front of you face up on the table, and need an activation period of one round before they can be used. While a bit more difficult to use, artifacts are generally more powerful than spells.
Action cards– like Spells, action cards can be used at any point during the game. They’re primarily defensive in nature, and have the advantage that they can’t be countered or stolen from you.
Minion cards– these represent the lowly members of your Cult, a.k.a. Shoggoth food.
Set up:
At the beginning of the game, players randomly select a Cult Faction card, which is placed in on the table face up in front of them, as well as 7 cards from the deck (Note: each player should begin the game with at least one Minion card in their hand. If they don’t, deal them a new hand of 7 cards). The Shoggoth card is placed in the center of the table. The Shoggoth will move directly in front of the first player to declare that they’re sacrificing a Minion. On subsequent turns, it may be necessary for a Cult Leader to cast spells or use artifacts to move the Shoggoth in front of them.
Turn Summary:
Activate any Artifacts that have been on the table for at least one turn
Play any new Artifacts from your hand
Attempt to Sacrifice one Minion to the Shoggoth
If the Sacrifice is successful, move the Shoggoth in front of the player to your left, and gain a Sacrifice Score Token
Draw back up to 7 cards
On each player’s turn:
After the artifacts phase, the player may attempt to Feed the Shoggoth, if the Shoggoth card is in front of them on their turn.
Once the Shoggoth is in front of the Cult Leader and they declare that they’re sacrificing a Minion, the other Cult Leaders now have a chance to disrupt the sacrifice by casting spells to move the Shoggoth in front of a different Cult Leader. But, the sacrificing Cult Leader can cast their own spells (and Artifacts) to bring the Shoggoth back. This can lead to some frantic spell battles. If the Shoggoth is still in front of the Cult Leader, their sacrifice is complete, much to the consternation of the Minion who’s just gotten eaten. The Cult Leader that completed the sacrifice gains a point, moves the Shoggoth in front of the player to their left, and draws back up to 7 cards.
If the Shoggoth is in front of you on your turn, and you don’t have a Minion to sacrifice, the Shoggoth eats you, and you’re out of the game!
If it’s not your turn, then you can attempt to disrupt the sacrifice process by casting spells. You can try to move the Shoggoth away from the cult leader, cause them to lose artifacts, or any number of nasty maneuvers with your spells.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
These questions have come up about some rules clarifications that weren’t covered in the main rules. If you think of a rule that’s confusing, or wasn’t listed in the rules, please shoot an email to us at badger@squamousstudios.com
Q: If I attempt to sacrifice a Minion on my turn, and I’m ultimately unsuccessful (the Shoggoth was moved away from me, for example, and I can’t move it back), what happens to my Minion card?
A: The Minion card simply goes back into your hand. You do not discard it.
Q: If it’s my turn, and I don’t have a Minion card to start with, am I allowed to cast a Spell (like Heed the Call) to get a Minion from the deck before I’m eaten by the Shoggoth?
A: Yes! Hope that an opponent doesn’t cancel your spell, though. 🙂
Q: During my Sacrifice, I used the Sentinel Hill Artifact to give myself an extra point. Derek then cast Ghoul Transformation, which says that the Sacrifice is successful, but I don’t get a point. Do I get a point because I used the Artifact?
A: Yes. The Ghoul Transformation spell affects the point you would get from the Sacrifice of the Minion itself, but not the bonus point from the Artifact.
Q: If a player decides to discard instead of taking a normal turn, and an opponent casts Wrack on them, does the player get to draw back up?
A: Nope. It’s mean, but a perfectly legal play.
Q: Does the Shoggoth move around the table after each player’s turn?
A: NO! The Shoggoth only moves a) when someone feeds it a Minion, b) a player casts a Spell or uses an Artifact that causes the Shoggoth to move, or c) when a player is eaten by the Shoggoth. In the case of c, he moves back to the center of the table, as if the game had started over.
Q: I used the Thoth’s Dagger Artifact, which allows me to sacrifice two minions instead of one. Another player cast the 1001 Masks spell, which lets the player sacrifice a Minion as well, even though it’s not their turn. Can they sacrifice two Minions instead of one?
A: Yes, they can.
CREATOR FAQ
I’ve had a number of people ask me questions regarding the creation of the game, so i thought I’d post those here as well: