xbox live indie game reviews

Shed is based on a game called Shithead (Wikipedia link), which by all descriptions seems like a pretty fun drinking game. Without the drinking and the humiliation, though, there's really no point in playing. Each player is dealt 3 cards face down, 3 cards face up, and 3 cards face down. Basic play involves playing cards higher than the last one played (or taking the pile when you can't). There are a variety of special cards, but for the most part they don't drastically alter the outcome of the game. Actual gameplay reminds me more of games like "War" than more active card games such as Uno (or Nuke Your Neighbor, which we reviewed a few weeks ago).

With such little sense of agency, what you're left with is an incredibly slow-paced roll of the dice. Sometimes you win, sometimes you don't--both results have about the same emotional impact. You could play it to try to finish the achievements, but most of these seem rather poorly planned. Achievements such as "Win the Game with a 4" are silly to actually strive for (the last three cards you play are face down until you draw them, which means you have no control over what you'll get)--assuming victory meant anything, why would you hold off playing your last card just so you could do it later with a 4? The achievement doesn't make me play the game differently or strive to be better at it--it merely asks me to play it for a really really long time until I get lucky.

Like most drinking games, it's not about the card game. It needs to be easy enough so that players can do it without thinking too much and not distract too much from the drinking and socializing that goes on around the table. With all faculties intact, what you're left with is a really boring game made even more dull because of how slow the cards deal out. Not worth the points.