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Shady Pets
2019
Rules assistance for Shady Pets
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 20–30 min
- 7+
Rules assistant for Shady Pets
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Shady Pets is a board game released in 2019 for 2–5 players, 20–30 minutes per game, and ages 7 and up. It was designed by Brian Rauch and its main mechanics are Take That.
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About the game
Shady Pets is a highly strategic card game that requires you to play in a most shady way as you strive to correctly guess the identity of the mystery pets. It's a little like Clue, Uno and Exploding Kittens. You have to steal, take, show, sneak peak, expose, ambush, stop other players, grab and even throw an occasional octopus at an opponent on your way to victory. As players take turns, the game gets more intense because, just like you, everyone is getting closer to solving the mystery pets, yet who is going play the best game, collect the most points and win the game? We think Shady Pets has all the elements that make games popular. It makes players laugh with its clever sayings and endearing artwork. It presents multiple levels of strategic play that will test your memory and deduction skills. You get to attack your opponents (in the most unusual way) and you get rewarded for taking chances! —description from the designer
Editions
- Shady PetsenFireStorm Labs2019
Questions and answers
Shady Pets supports 2–5 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 Shady Pets is 20–30 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 Shady Pets for ages 7 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.
Shady Pets belongs to these categories: Card Game. Its main mechanics are Take That. 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 Shady Pets are: Brian Rauch. 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 Shady Pets 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.