What the Shell

You both move at the same time, in secret. Only when the turtles land do you find out whose plan just fell apart.

Oh no — this ain't your traditional five-in-a-row. What the Shell is the one you reach for when you and a friend are bored on the couch: "Wanna play What the Shell?" A game between two beginners can be over in three minutes, and somehow you're still at it two hours later, laughing every time your minds collide and another egg turns up on the board.

"Simultaneous play boosts the fun of this intuitive, yet surprisingly deep board game."
— Matthias Titze, Clarc producer (German Computer Game Award winner)

There's no taking turns, and nobody goes first — so nobody gets the first-player edge. You lock in your move, your friend locks in theirs, and the board resolves both at once. Strategy still wins games, but you're up against a mind you can't see, and you never know where she just played.

Sandwich two of their turtles and they're gone. Both reach for the same square and your turtles crash into an egg — and an egg is a curious thing: you can capture it, or hatch it. One bold move flips a game you'd already written off. Capture at the right moment and a chain reaction can tear through the position your friend spent the whole game building. It's never won or lost until the last move.

If you love abstract strategy — Gomoku, Ninuki Renju, Go — the bones will feel familiar. The simultaneous, hidden moves are what make this one new.

Made for two:
• Sit down together, each on your own phone or tablet, and battle it out face to face — tabletop strategy, best enjoyed in the same room
• Or play online multiplayer at your own pace, whether your friend's across town or across the world
• No one around? Tap Quick Match for a random opponent, or take on the panda offline, from an easygoing Newcomer to a tough Expert
• And Sudden Death? Play a few rounds to find out.

Read the board, then read your friend. Capture a couple of turtles, deal with the eggs, line up five in a row — and enjoy the look on his face when it all comes together.

Localized for players around the world in 12 languages — yes, even in Esperanto.