A fierce, funny and wildly strategic card game for the whole family

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Build your zoo.
Outsmart your rivals.
Wreck their plans.
Survive the chaos.

Founder's Edition — only 1,500 copies worldwide

Shipping November 2026

Preorder at £29.95* by subscribing to our mailing list
(*returns to £34.95 at launch)

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LET'S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE GAME...

WHAT IS SHIH TZU?

Shih Tzu! is a zoo-building card game for 2–5 players

You collect remarkable animals, manage food resources, and race to build the most prestigious zoo.

But nothing goes to plan.

Twist of Fate events strike without warning. The Rabid Shih Tzu can wipe out an entire enclosure in seconds. And every animal you don't place in time will cost you points at the end.

Easy to learn.
Genuinely hard to master.
Different every time.

HOW IT WORKS...

1. COLLECT

Draw animals or gather food—but choose carefully: once an animal is in quarantine, there’s no swapping it out.

2. BUILD

Feed your animals and group them into compatible habitats to build high-prestige enclosures.

3. OUTWIT

Complete three enclosures worth 7+ prestige each—but remember, every animal left unplaced costs you prestige. And watch out for the Shih Tzu!

Just when somebody thinks they've cracked it...

(The Fun Sabotage Bit)

Twist of Fate cards give you the power to turn fortunes. Choose your moment. Choose your target. Then watch a rival’s plans unravel while yours fall into place.

Time to meet the animals...

Mountain

Outback

Primate

Rainforest

Savannah

S. American Rainforest

The Big Cats

Here are the stars of the show...

Six of the enclosures feature a bonus star animal waiting to be claimed by the fastest builders!

What did our play testers think ?

Feedback from players of all ages

"Easy to learn and doesn't get boring. Enough strategy to make you think but not so much it's tedious. We played loads with our 4 kids, great family time!"

K

Kim

Age 53

"Very fun, very funny, and a very good family game."

H

Heath

Age 10

"The best game we've played in ages. Keeps the whole family glued till the end."

J

Judd

Age 45

"I loved all the animal images, it was fun that there were so many aspects to the game, and the Shih Tzu card made it come alive!!"

A

Amber

Age 8

"The design expertly combines strategy and twist of fate to keep everyone on their toes. Really engaging game."

R

Richard

Age 56

"A game of chance and skill. When the Shih Tzu card appears I get happy if it's someone else — but when it's me I get really annoyed! The best game ever."

L

Luca

Age 10

"Fast paced, exciting and different every time, whilst being simple to learn. Great fun for all ages!"

R

Rach

Age 48

"Such a great and engaging game, had me devising different strategies from the very first turn. So well-constructed!"

J

Josie

Age 20

"We got so invested in our animal enclosures… the jeopardy was real!!"

C

Carla

Age 52

"Endless possibilities of how it could go, you'll never get bored. Going to be the favourite board game in the house!"

L

Layla

Age 11

"Brought it out for house night at uni, never had so much fun staying in. Great way to build new friendships… and test the strength of others."

N

Noah

Age 21

"Especially fun when the Shih Tzu appears, it creates a sense of urgency and dread! Can bring even the furthest back players back into the running."

P

Pal

Age 13

"Guaranteed game night hit!"

J

Jordan

Age 28

"Hard to get at first, but when you get it, it's very satisfying and fun to play."

C

Clara

Age 12

"Little gem of a game! Accessible, high replay value — and you just gotta love a giant panda, it won me the game."

D

Dan

Age 52

"Loved the super detailed animal cards! So great to have a board game with a 2-player option. Highly recommend."

N

Naomi

Age 21

"Great pictures, great characters, great flow. I love the idea of the Shih Tzu and having to feed and categorise animals."

S

Sophie

Age 13

I’ve played a few times with friends or family. It’s easy to pick up and it gets better and better as you try out different strategies

M

Mel

Age 60

Shih Tzu is great fun, takes a bit of thinking about, but not too much! Loving that it has so many animals in it!

M

Marcus

Age 59

EARLY ACCESS

Following costs nothing. Missing out might.

Shih Tzu! is independently made and we're building it in public.

Join the list for:

  • First access to limited stock
  • Launch pricing before public release
  • Behind-the-scenes updates and design decisions
  • Early input on what comes next
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