Shagai

Long before tarot cards and runestones, Shagai was the guide of destiny for the nomads roaming the steppes.

Now, you can roll Shagai anytime, anywhere right on your smartphone!

Shagai (шагай), referring to the ankle bone of cloven-hoofed animals like sheep and goats, is one of the most primitive forms of dice used by humanity since ancient times.

This app offers traditional "Shagai fortune-telling," where you can roll four Shagais to foresee your fortune. Nomads in Mongolia and Central Asia have long used this method to read their daily fortunes and seek guidance for their lives.

With a finely tuned physics engine and real recorded Shagai sounds, you can experience a highly realistic sensation of rolling Shagais in the palm of your hand.

A Shagai has four distinct sides: Horse, Sheep, Camel, and Goat. Shagai fortune-telling can be interpreted in various ways by considering multiple factors, such as which animals appeared from the four rolled Shagais, the direction each animal is facing, and the distance or relationship between them.

For beginners unfamiliar with reading Shagai, there is an Advisor/Manual button in the bottom right corner where you can easily read the interpretations of your roll. Once you become more accustomed to Shagai, try the authentic interpretation method by visualizing the combinations, distances, and directions of the animals. Tapping each Shagai allows you to read the symbolism and characteristics of the currently displayed animal, or customize its color.

Click the color button in the bottom left corner to select the background color and pattern, and read explanations about their symbolism.

* Some of the code used in this app received assistance from generative AI during the writing process.