• PenFree strategy game
  • PlayersBest with 2-4 players
  • DiceShared dice each turn
  • Clock10-30 minute games
Play OnlineWeb browser Download RulesPDF - 9MB

Build and upgrade your fleet, react to your opponent.
Play online or with pen and paper!

From the creators of Duel 52.
Four different species to play.

Human

Carrier Ship

Metal. Explosions. Expansion.
Onward and upward.

Shown here: A Carrier, able to produce three Fighters or six Defenders.

Xenite

Xenite Ship

Swarm. Queen. Hive.
Always growing.

Shown here: A Xenite, weak on its own - but deadly in numbers.

Centaur

Ship of Wisdom

Power. Timing. Domination.
Cull the weak.

Shown here: A Ship of Wisdom, two charges of 4 heal or 3 damage.

Ancient

Mercury Ship

Energy. Solar Powers.
Ever present.

Shown here: A Mercury Ship, which gains 1 red Energy each turn.

Play online with friends, or against the computer.

1v1 Shapeships battle

Build Phase

Roll the dice, each player draws (or saves) that many lines.

Build phase diagram

Battle Phase

Use your ships’ powers, deal damage and heal.

Battle phase diagram

About Shapeships.

  • Is Shapeships easy to learn?

    Yes, it is easy to learn the fundamentals of gameplay, and it’s easy to play as the Human species. It is difficult to master - particularly once the four different species are considered (making for ten different matchups).

  • How much luck do the dice add?

    The game is mostly strategic, like Chess. With the Human species, the dice add a small amount of luck. With the other species, if you build certain ships that interact with the dice, there’s more luck.

  • How long does a game take?

    Average games on paper take around 30 minutes, online around 15 minutes. The average number of turns is between 10-20.

  • Is this game just ‘advanced rock paper scissors’?

    To some degree, yes - some builds will always beat other builds, if you don’t react to your opponent correctly. Understanding the various strategies and timings takes time. Aggro, midrange, tempo, and control strategies are all available.

  • Are there certain builds that are unstoppable?

    In certain matchups, with certain dice rolls, yes (we think!). We will continue to adjust the rules into the future, to balance the metagame, and allow maximum strategic options for players. Please let us know via Reddit or Discord if you've found a build that cannot be beaten!

  • How many different types of ships are there?

    Each species has seven basic ships and eight upgraded ships. That’s 60 different types of ships across the four species.

  • Why is the Ancient species banned in tournament play?

    We're still balancing the Ancient species, feel free to try it. We'd love to hear about your games with Ancients!

  • Are there future plans for the game?

    We are looking into extending the digital version! Please get in touch if you are interested in helping with development.

All the Shapeships!

Diagram showing all 60 Shapeships