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FroGames — Moments You'll Remember
Someone sings a shanty to a seal. Someone salsas to kill a dragon. Someone shouts they've found the sexy armor. And in the end, no one quite remembers the rules, but everyone remembers everything.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
A peasant revolution in an England that doesn't exist
SHUG was born from the minds of Luke and Rufus Dye-Montefiore, brothers who blended dungeon-crawlers and party games in a delirious medieval England. King Charles the Damned slaughters monsters for sport, and you are a miserable peasant with a ridiculous mission: find the creature Shug and bring it to the legendary Pub. The illustration is theirs, the design is theirs, and so is the boisterous British humor.
At the table, you explore a freeroam map, fight monsters (or befriend them by singing shanties), steal victory from others with absurd moves, and complete truly silly physical challenges. You win with clever tactics or by throwing yourself headfirst into ridiculous challenges. Every game is a mix of strategy and pure chaos, where the best plan can be beaten by a badly executed salsa dance.
What they say abroad
A game where the rules are a suggestion and chaos is the true goal.
— FroGames
SHUG doesn't ask what your character would do. It asks what YOU would do to win.
— FroGames
SHUG
The basic rules include solo play, with dedicated automa and scenarios. The experience works well for exploring the map and completing objectives, but it loses all the party game component and physical challenges that make SHUG memorable at a full table.
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews and game sessionsYour arsenal
Four ways to survive (or die laughing)
Sea Shanty
You sing a sea shanty to Selky the seal. If you convince her, she becomes your ally. If you get the words wrong, she bites you and the table laughs for five minutes.
Sexy Armour
Armor that protects nothing but distracts everyone. Use it to confuse monsters or to steal victory from a distracted opponent.
Killer Salsa
A deadly dance move. You actually have to dance it. If the table approves, the monster dies. If you fail, you die (of shame, mostly).
Freeroam Map
Explore wherever you want, whenever you want. No fixed path. Every corner hides a monster, a treasure, or a challenge that will make you regret ever going there.
Recommended sleeves 155 cards in 1 size ▼
If you play often, we recommend protecting your cards with clear sleeves to make them last a long time.
| Size | Quantity |
|---|---|
| 70 × 120 mm | 155 |
| Total cards | 155 |
Tomorrow no one will remember who won. Everyone will remember the salsa and the off-key shanty.
A game in five acts
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
The King is Mad
Open the map, draw cards, someone reads Shug's legend. Everyone chuckles because the quest is ridiculous. Then the first exploration starts and you immediately split up. Everyone has a secret plan.
The First Monster
Someone encounters a monster. Tries to fight it. Rolls the dice. Fails. Someone else intervenes with an absurd card like "I sing a shanty" and the monster becomes a friend. The table explodes. You realize this game isn't normal.
The Physical Challenge
Someone draws a challenge card. They have to dance. Or imitate a dragon. Or convince the table they're a sexy knight. The game moves off the board. Spectators decide if they've won. Alliances break, betrayals abound.
The Race to the Pub
Someone has found Shug (or thinks they have). Now everyone races to the Pub. Cards are stolen. Players block each other. The free roam becomes a dirty race. Rules bend. The table shouts.
The Winner (Maybe)
Someone reaches the Pub with Shug. Or not, because another player stole the creature at the last second. Or everyone lost because the King won. It doesn't matter: everyone has a story to tell. And they already want to play again.
How to play
The flow of each round
A round lasts as long as it takes: you explore, act, suffer events, and hope not to meet the King.
You move on the free-roam map. Choose where to go, no forced paths. Each square can hide monsters, treasures, or random events.
Play cards from your hand to fight, trick monsters, or help (or betray) other players. Some cards require real physical challenges. The table judges.
Draw an event card. It can be good, bad, or crazy. Sometimes it changes the rules for everyone. Sometimes it only affects you. Chaos is guaranteed.
Pass to the next player. If someone has found Shug and reached the Pub, the game ends. Otherwise, it continues until someone succeeds (or the King wins).
Why it's different from the others
Six mechanics that make a difference
True Freeroam
There's no path to follow. The map is open, go where you want. Each game has different paths, random encounters, and no linearity. Classic dungeon-crawlers guide you. This one doesn't.
Physical challenges
Some cards ask you to dance, sing, or convince the table of something absurd. They are not optional. If you want to win with that card, you must perform the challenge. The party game explodes within the dungeon-crawler.
Friendly monsters
You don't have to kill everything. You can trick monsters, befriend them, or ignore them. Each monster has alternative ways of interaction. The shanty for Selky is just the beginning.
Kill Steal
You can steal victory from others at the last second. If someone has almost won, a well-played card can turn everything around. Alliances form and break based on who's in the lead.
Multi-use cards
Each card has multiple functions. You can use it to fight, move, defend yourself, or activate special events. You choose how to use it, but once played, it's gone.
Dice and chaos
Roll dice to fight, explore, resolve events. But the result is never just numbers: it often triggers narrative consequences that change the game. A bad roll ruins the plan, a good one creates legends.
How it ends
How to win and how to lose
Victory is simple on paper, complicated at the table. Defeat is almost always hilarious.
Victory
- You find the creature Shug and bring it to the legendary Pub before the others
- You steal Shug from another player at the last second and reach the Pub first
- You complete an alternative victory condition hidden in an event card (rarely happens)
Elimination or Defeat
- You die in combat against a monster and have no cards to resurrect
- King Charles the Accursed reaches the Pub before you and wins (collective defeat)
- Another player completes the mission while you're still halfway across the map dancing salsa
SHUG is the game you didn't know you wanted: strategy when needed, madness when it counts. Perfect for those who hate empty party games and overly serious dungeon-crawlers.
Frequently Asked Questions
SHUG FAQ
Are physical challenges mandatory or can I skip them?
They are mandatory if you want to use that card. If you don't want to dance or sing, don't play that card. There are victory paths without physical challenges, but they are less fun and the table will judge you.
Does it work well with 2 players or do you need a full group?
It technically works with 2, but it loses all its charm. The party game component explodes from 4 players up. With 6 players, it's perfect chaos. With 2, it's a strange dungeon-crawler with funny rules.
How much does luck matter compared to strategy?
Luck is high (dice, event draw, physical challenges), but strategy exists. You can plan paths, manage your hand, and choose when to take risks. The clever player wins more often, but a bad roll ruins everyone.
Is it suitable for those who don't like classic party games?
Yes, because it's not a classic party game. It has a real game structure (map, combat, card management), with inserts of party madness. If you hate games that are just laughs, this has enough tactics. If you hate serious games, it has enough chaos.
Is it available in Italian?
This edition is in English. The game has text on the cards (challenges, monsters, events), so language knowledge is required. British humor is lost in translation, but language dependency is medium.
SHUG is a party game dungeon-crawler for 1-6 players, designed by Luke and Rufus Dye-Montefiore and published by Wandering Games. Set in a mad medieval England, the game blends free-roam exploration, dice combat, and real physical challenges (singing, dancing, improvisation). Each game lasts 30-90 minutes and combines strategy and chaos: you can win with clever tactics or by throwing yourself into ridiculous challenges. Suitable for ages 10 and up, SHUG is perfect for groups who want a thematic game without taking themselves too seriously. Available on FroGames.it.
Frequently Asked Questions
The answers you're looking for, no beating around the bush.
📸Do the images match the actual product?
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