Is Sh*thead the Same as Palace, Shed, or Karma?
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Is Sh*thead the same as Palace? Yes — and it's also called Shed and Karma depending on where you learned it. Same game, different nicknames, endless house-rule debates.
If someone invites you to play Palace at a hostel in Cape Town, Shed at a pub in London, or Karma at a campsite in Canada — congratulations, you're about to play Sh*thead.
One game, many names
Sh*thead (also spelled Shithead) is a modern folk shedding-type card game that spread globally among travellers in the 1990s. Because it was passed mouth-to-mouth rather than through official rulebooks, every group invented their own house rules — and their own polite (or impolite) name for it.
Sh*thead
The original backpacker name, used worldwide. Direct, memorable, and exactly the energy of the game. Our brand embraces the name with an asterisk — Sh*thead — keeping the spirit while staying family-adjacent on packaging.
Palace
The family-friendly North American alias. "Let's play Palace" sounds innocent enough for mixed-age groups, even though the gameplay is just as ruthless. If you learned "Palace" at summer camp or college, you already know Sh*thead.
Shed
The polite British rebrand — short for "shedding" your cards. Common in UK schools and pubs where the original name wouldn't fly. Same mechanics, different accent.
Karma
Popular in the US and Canada, especially among hostel crowds. The name fits: what goes around comes around when someone slams a Joker on you.
Why so many aliases?
Sh*thead never had a publisher or official rulebook until now. Travellers taught travellers, who taught hostel staff, who taught the next dorm room. Each group tweaked rules — does a 2 reset the pile? Can you play a 10 on anything? What about four-of-a-kind? — and picked a name that fit their crowd.
The result: one brilliant game with dozens of regional variants and at least four common names.
Do the rules differ between names?
The core is always the same: shed your cards, play equal or higher, use power cards, last player loses. But house rules vary wildly:
- Some groups allow 10 on anything; others restrict it
- Glass (5) rules differ on what "beat" means
- Blind card flipping rules change between friend groups
- Some play with standard decks; power cards depend on what you agree
This is exactly why Chels and Kirst created the official Sh*thead deck — rules printed on every card, one standard ruleset, no more hostel lobby arguments.
Regional history: how it spread
By the 1990s, Sh*thead was a staple of backpacker culture from Thailand to Tanzania. Gap-year travellers carried it between continents. Hostels became rule laboratories — every notice board had a scribbled variant.
North America adopted "Palace" and "Karma." The UK and Australia leaned into "Shed." South Africa, with its braai and travel culture, embraced the original name and made it a social ritual.
Today, searching any alias plus "card game rules" returns conflicting guides — which is why a dedicated deck matters.
Sh*thead vs Palace vs Shed vs Karma: comparison table
- Game type: Shedding card game (same for all names)
- Players: 2–5+ per deck (same)
- Duration: 15–30 minutes (same)
- Power cards: 2, 5, 7, 8, 10, Joker (standard in our deck)
- Main difference: The name on the box — and whose house rules you fight about
Why our deck settles the argument
Every card in the Sh*thead deck shows its power. The official rules live on our rules page and in every pack. No more "but in MY version..." — just play.
Made in South Africa. R199 per pack. Free shipping on 4+ packs.
Is Sh*thead appropriate for kids?
The box recommends ages 16+. Many groups play from 14+ with adult supervision due to the game's irreverent name and losing-player title.