Aside from being an esoteric guide, Shadow Oracle is a fully playable solitaire card game that involves building card sequences as a means to win; not unlike many games that use traditional playing cards. Card suits are referred to as the voices, which encompass five categories (evolution, hedonism, reason, science, and shadow). These categories help distinguish associated card text. A session of Shadow Oracle consists of two segments, the game segment and the esoteric segment. The game segment is necessary for performing the esoteric segment. However, the esoteric segment is not necessary for a full game experience (the game can be played strictly on its own). The game involves building three columns of cards before a game-ending trigger occurs. If the game segment is completed successfully, a follow-up procedure narrows down the cards used in the esoteric segment. The final step involves reading and interpreting the card text. The card text draws on the wisdom of non-hallowed disciplines to provide insight for your decision-making conundrum. —description from the designer