Games / ShinyWidgets / How to Play
How to play
ShinyWidgets is easy to learn and quick per turn. On each of your turns you take one action. The goal is to build an "engine" of cards that make everything cheaper, then convert that into points faster than your rivals.
- Take resources. Collect a few colored tokens from the shared supply — either three different colors, or two of one color when it's plentiful.
- Buy cards. Spend tokens on a card from the market. Every card you own gives a permanent discount in its color, so each new card of that color costs less — forever. Early cards pay for themselves many times over.
- Reserve for later. Can't afford the card you want? Reserve it to hold it and pick up a wild gold token you can spend on anything.
- Build toward objectives. Cards are worth points, and they unlock bigger prizes. Depending on the theme that's claiming achievements, connecting a structure, or completing a garden — each an extra scoring path on top of raw card value.
- Read the board with the hint. Hold the hint button any time to light up what you can afford right now, see the discounted price you'd actually pay (green when a color is fully covered), and spot gold-ringed cards that advance a bonus you've already started.
- Win the race. The first player to reach the target score triggers a final round so everyone gets equal turns. When it evens out, the most points wins (ties broken by fewest cards).
Good habits
Discounts compound. A card bought on turn two keeps saving you resources every turn after. Prioritize your engine early.
Watch your rivals. Tap an opponent to see their cards and how close they are — sometimes buying a card just to deny it is worth it.
Chase the bonuses. Achievements, structures, and gardens are big point swings. The hint highlights cards that move you toward one.
Use tutorials. Each theme has a short guided walkthrough in-app, plus on-screen hints while you play.