The Siege of Shaddis Horne
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FroGames — Moments You'll Remember
Twenty minutes and the village is still standing. Or maybe not. One player steals cards from the common reserve, another rolls dice they shouldn't, someone screams for wood but no one listens.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
A besieged village, mad fairies and a handful of desperate soldiers
The fairies of Brighthelm have lost their minds. Their once gentle magic now destroys the villages it was meant to protect. The golems they created to defend communities are now tearing them apart. Shaddis Horne, a small forest town with its elemental college, is under siege: without this source of magic, the kingdom's alchemists are lost. Paul Stapleton designs and illustrates this compact cooperative game set in the Brighthelm universe published by Bedsit Games.
At the table, you command the Hawkguard soldiers sent to repel the siege. You must gather resources, inspire the villagers, fend off waves of enemies, and keep the walls standing until the end of the siege. The game blends cooperative tower defense with push-your-luck exploration: every decision to move into the dungeon can lead to valuable resources or sudden death. The fairies aren't waiting.
What they say abroad
A cooperative game that fits in your pocket but doesn't compromise on tension.
— FroGames
Every turn is a balance between the risk of exploring and the need to defend.
— FroGames
The Siege of Shaddis Horne
The game officially supports solo play without modifications: you control all the Hawkguard soldiers by yourself. The experience is complete and the tension remains high, but you lose the social dimension of frantic discussions about who does what. Great for exploring strategies or filling a free half-hour.
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews, and gameplay sessionsWhat you have at your disposal
Soldiers, resources and the hopes of the villagers
Hawkguard Soldiers
Your fighters. They move on the map, gather resources, explore the dungeon, and confront enemies. Every lost soldier is one less chance to win.
Village Walls
The defensive perimeter of Shaddis Horne. Each section has limited hit points. When they collapse, enemies enter. And the game ends badly.
Combat Dice
Roll to repel fairies and golems. High results save the village, low results cause defenses to collapse. Push-your-luck allows you to risk rerolling.
Resources and Event Cards
Wood, stone, magic. You collect them by exploring or defending. But every event card can turn the situation around: sometimes it helps, often it complicates everything.
At the end of the siege, Shaddis Horne is still standing. Or maybe not. But the game only took twenty minutes and you immediately want another one.
A game in five acts
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
Deceptive calm
Arrange soldiers, walls, and starting resources. The village seems peaceful. Someone reads event cards and laughs nervously. They don't know what's coming yet.
First wave
The fairies attack. You roll dice, someone fails, someone screams 'reroll!' pushing their luck. A section of the walls loses hit points. Tension suddenly rises.
Tactical despair
Resources are needed. Someone ventures into the dungeon with a push-your-luck mechanic: they draw cards, take risks, decide whether to stop or continue. A black die makes them lose everything. Pin-drop silence at the table.
Miracle or collapse
The walls give way at one point. Or a soldier returns from the dungeon laden with wood and saves the game. Someone shouts, someone curses. This is the turn that decides everything.
Resisted or fallen
The siege ends. Shaddis Horne is still standing or is in ashes. If you won, you look at each other with satisfaction. If you lost, someone immediately says: 'Another game. This time we defend the north side.'
How to play
The flow of each round
Each turn is a precarious balance between defending, exploring, and praying the dice roll in your favor.
Reveal an event card. Sometimes it helps (reinforcements, resources), often it complicates things (extra enemies, damaged walls). React together.
Move Hawkguard soldiers on the map. Gather resources, explore the dungeon with push-your-luck, inspire the villagers. Every action counts.
Roll dice to repel fairies and golems. Low results damage the walls. You can take a risk and re-roll with push-your-luck, but failing costs dearly.
Check victory or defeat conditions. If the walls hold and the siege is not over, you start again. Otherwise, you count who won and who's crying.
Why it's different from others
Six mechanics that make a difference
Push-your-luck during exploration
You enter the dungeon, draw resource cards. Each card can give you wood or magic. But if you draw a black symbol, you lose everything. You decide when to stop. The risk is palpable.
Walls that truly crumble
Each defensive section has tracked hit points. When they drop to zero, that section collapses and the game accelerates towards defeat. You see disaster approaching turn after turn.
Variable duration 10-40 minutes
You don't know how long the siege will last. It depends on the event cards and your choices. A game can end in ten minutes of chaos or last forty minutes of escalating tension.
Minimap resolution
The map is compact but every position counts. Tactical movement, areas to defend, dungeons to explore. All on a pocket-sized board that wastes no space.
Sudden death ending
The game can end suddenly if defeat conditions are met. There's no visible countdown: every turn could be the last.
Shared resource management
Wood, stone, magic: everything belongs to the team. But everyone draws and decides when to take risks. The temptation to draw one more card can make the whole group lose everything.
How it ends
How to win and how to lose
The Siege of Shaddis Horne ends in one of two ways: the village holds out or collapses under the fairy attack.
Victory
- Hold out until the end of the siege (number of rounds determined by event cards)
- Shaddis Horne is still standing with at least one section of walls intact
- You have gathered enough resources and inspired the villagers not to surrender
Defeat
- All wall sections collapse before the end of the siege
- You lose all available Hawkguard soldiers
- An event card triggers an immediate defeat condition
A tower defense game that offers no respite, with unpredictable duration and choices that are immediately punished. Perfect for those who want fast-paced and ruthless cooperatives.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ about The Siege of Shaddis Horne
How hard is it to win?
Quite. The game doesn't pull any punches: the dice are mean, the event cards are often tricky, and push-your-luck punishes greed. You'll probably lose your first few games. Then you'll learn the timing and improve.
Does it work well solo or is it better with a group?
Solo, it's a great tactical puzzle: you control all the soldiers and make all the decisions yourself. But it loses the social dimension of heated discussions about who does what. With 2-4 players, the tension is amplified because every choice is negotiated and every die roll is watched by everyone.
How long does a game really last?
It depends on the event cards and your luck. A disastrous game can end in 10 minutes. A well-organized defense can last 40 minutes. The average is 20-30 minutes, but uncertainty is part of the game.
Is it a game for children or experts?
It's a family game with low complexity but high tension. The rules can be explained in five minutes, but tactical choices are constant. Suitable for ages 10 and up, perfect for families who want fast-paced and tense cooperative games without lengthy rulebooks.
Is it available in Italian?
No, this edition is in English published by Bedsit Games. The game has text on the cards (events, resources) and requires basic knowledge of English to play. There is no official Italian edition currently available.
The Siege of Shaddis Horne is a cooperative tower defense game for 1-4 players aged 10 and up, with a variable duration between 10 and 40 minutes. Designed and illustrated by Paul Stapleton, published by Bedsit Games in the fantasy universe of Brighthelm. Players command Hawkguard soldiers sent to defend the village of Shaddis Horne from the siege of enraged fairies and destructive golems. The game combines resource management mechanics, tactical minimap movement, dice rolling for combat, and push-your-luck during dungeon exploration. Compact mint tin format, quick rules, high tension, and sudden death ending make every game unpredictable. Available on FroGames.it.
The Siege of Shaddis Horne
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