
- BGG rank
- BGG #20,069
- BGG rating
- 6.2
Maha Yodha
- 2 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 2014

Rules assistance for King Down: Shadow & Spirit
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
King Down: Shadow & Spirit is an expansion for King Down released in 2015 for 2–4 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Saar Shai and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Action Points.
This new black (shadow army) and white (spirit army) expansion contains two complete King Down armies. This expansion also includes the Keepers of the King expansion miniatures and chess booster miniatures for the shadow and spirit army.
King Down: Shadow & Spirit supports 2–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for King Down: Shadow & Spirit is 30 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists King Down: Shadow & Spirit for ages 8 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
King Down: Shadow & Spirit belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Abstract Strategy, and Expansion for Base-game. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Action Points. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of King Down: Shadow & Spirit are: Saar Shai. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists King Down: Shadow & Spirit as an expansion for King Down. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need King Down to use it. Check that your edition of King Down is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.