
- BGG rank
- BGG #603
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Shadows over Camelot
- 3–7 players
- 60–90 min
- Complexity 2.6/5
- 2005

2012
Rules assistance for Shadows over Camelot: The Card Game
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Shadows over Camelot: The Card Game is a board game released in 2012 for 1–7 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Bruno Cathala and Serge Laget and its main mechanics are Memory, Cooperative Game, and Team-Based Game.
The Knights of the Round Table must assemble once again to protect King Arthur's kingdom from numerous threats. But wait – these aren't the knights of old, but rather their children. Can these newcomer knights prove up to the task of tracking the dangers out there and putting a stop to them before it's too late? In Shadows over Camelot: The Card Game, the players (mostly) work together to complete quests before the danger level of a quest gets too high. In game terms, the quests are represented by five types of cards, with each card showing 1-3 swords, as well as a number from 2 to 5 or a question mark. These cards are shuffled together with Morgan le Fay cards (which curse the players when they appear) and Merlin cards (which remove some aspects of the curse) to form the rumor deck. Each player receives a secret loyalty card at the start of the game, with at most one person being a traitor to the cause. On a turn a player either: Reveals a rumor card. Attempts a quest. Accuses a knight. To reveal a rumor card, the player flips it onto the top of the revealed stack of cards. If it's a quest card, players try to keep track of the total value of cards from that quest, with ?s each worth as many points as the number of ?s revealed of that quest. If a Morgan le Fay is revealed, players can no longer speak to one another; in addition, Morgan twists the values of some cards or removes some from play. Merlin allows players to speak once again. Players are trying to stop quests when the total value is 11, 12 or 13. Any lower, and they arrived too soon, wasting time; any higher, and they arrived too late. To attempt a quest, the player points to the top quest card and says, "It's time." The player then reveals all cards in the deck. If the sum of that quest is 11-13, then the players receive 1-3 white swords, as shown on the quest cards. If lower, they receive one black sword; if higher, 1-3 black swords. All other quests are checked to see whether the players were too late, then the stack resets. A failed quest rewards the attempter with a special bonus card for later use. Once three swords have been claimed, whatever the color, a player can choose to accuse another player of being traitorous to the cause, winning a reward if correct and a penalty otherwise. If the players collect seven white swords, they have stopped Morgan's forces and win. If, however, they collect seven black swords first, then Arthur's kingdom falls. Reimplements Shadows over Camelot
Shadows over Camelot: The Card Game supports 1–7 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 Shadows over Camelot: The Card Game 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.
The catalogue lists Shadows over Camelot: The Card Game 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.
Shadows over Camelot: The Card Game has a complexity rating of 1.9 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a 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.
Shadows over Camelot: The Card Game belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fantasy, and Deduction. Its main mechanics are Memory, Cooperative Game, and Team-Based Game. 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 Shadows over Camelot: The Card Game are: Bruno Cathala and Serge Laget. 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 Shadows over Camelot: The Card Game 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.