♠ SHITHEAD ♠

♠ History of Shithead ♠

Exeter College, Devon - where it all began

The card game Shithead was invented by Joey Moore in 1992 at Exeter College, Devon, England. What started as a pastime among friends in the college common room quickly became a phenomenon that would spread far beyond the Devon countryside.

For a direct answer page built for the question "Who invented Shithead?", see: Who Invented Shithead? (Joey Moore).

Moore developed the game during his time as a student, drawing inspiration from existing shedding-type card games but adding the distinctive three-layer card system (hand, face-up, and face-down) and the special card mechanics that give Shithead its unique identity. The face-down blind play element — where you flip cards without knowing what they are in the final stage — was Moore's masterstroke, adding tension and unpredictability to the endgame.

The name "Shithead" came naturally, as the loser of each game was designated as such by the other players. This memorable (if impolite!) naming convention helped the game stick in people's minds and contributed to its rapid spread.

► How It Spread

From Exeter College, the game spread across the UK university circuit throughout the mid-1990s. Students who learned the game took it with them when they graduated, teaching it to friends, family, and work colleagues. By the late 1990s, Shithead had become a staple of:

• University halls and common rooms across Britain and beyond
• Backpacker hostels — travellers from the UK taught the game in hostels around Europe, South East Asia, and Australia, and it quickly became one of the go-to games on the backpacker trail
• Pubs and parties — its simplicity and the comedic appeal of the name made it perfect for social gatherings
• Camping trips and festivals — all you need is a deck of cards!

Backpackers playing cards in a hostel

The rise of the internet in the late 1990s and early 2000s also helped spread the game. Online message boards and early gaming websites published rules and variations, allowing people to discover the game without ever meeting an existing player.

► Shithead Around the World

Today, Shithead is played in countries all over the world. It is known by various names in different regions:

Countries where Shithead is played around the world

Despite its many names and regional variations, the core mechanics of the game remain remarkably consistent — a testament to the elegant simplicity of Moore's original design at Exeter College over a decade ago.

► About the Inventor

Joey Moore - Inventor of Shithead

Joey Moore created Shithead while a student at Exeter College in Devon in 1992. The game was born out of long afternoons in the common room, where Moore and his friends would play cards between lessons. Frustrated with the card games they already knew, Moore set about creating something new — a game that was quick to learn, endlessly replayable, and had just the right mix of skill, strategy, and luck.

The result was Shithead: a game whose three-layer card system and special card mechanics created a perfect balance of tactical depth and chaotic fun. The fact that the game needed nothing more than a standard deck of cards made it accessible to everyone, and its irreverent name ensured that nobody who played it would ever forget it.