
- BGG rank
- BGG #25,334
- BGG rating
- 5.8
The Black Rose
- 3–5 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.7/5
- 2014

2012
Rules assistance for Shadow Era
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

For 2 players
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Shadow Era is a board game released in 2012 for 2 players and 20 minutes per game. It was designed by Sebastian Chedal and James Bowie and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers and Hand Management.
Shadow Era is the physical world edition of the electronic multi-platform collectible card game by the same name. The initial (physical) release was crowd funded and contains the first set of 200 cards. In this fantasy world of the Shadow creatures have fallen over the realm of mankind. The player assumes the role of a powerful character on either side and fights his enemies using a customized deck of cards. Each deck contains a hero card with a different special ability and number of hit points. A player loses the game when his character's life drops to zero. Each turn players may sacrifice a card from their hand to build their resources and then use those resources to play cards or execute abilities. Cards can be allies with which to attack the opposing side, abilities such as spells and items including weapons and armor.
Shadow Era supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Shadow Era is 20 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.
Shadow Era has a complexity rating of 2.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Shadow Era belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fantasy, and Fighting. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers and Hand Management. 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 Shadow Era are: Sebastian Chedal and James Bowie. 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 Shadow Era as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.