In this strategy game, you will guide the expansion of your family's farm beyond the known boundaries of the forest. As your settlement grows, more people will gather under your banner. You will cultivate the land, build new communities, and shape the future. However, you must proceed with caution. Your expansion may unsettle the spirits that still dwell in the wilderness. The yokai are vigilant, and their mischief can hinder your plans if you fail to recognize their presence. Increase your influence, adapt your strategies, and attract the right people to your settlement to gain victory points.

In Shugendo, each player has their own personal deck of cards. During the game, you will improve your deck by replacing your weaker starting cards with more powerful settler cards. In each round, players play three phases: reveal, action, and recruitment. In the first phase, they will reveal cards until they decide to stop or until they 'explode' by revealing 7 or more yokai icons. If this happens, they can only play either the action phase or the recruitment phase. In the action phase, players increase their meters based on the revealed cards and perform one of the main actions (explore, expand, or develop). Finally, in the recruitment phase, players receive various bonuses based on the revealed cards and recruit cards from the unlocked eras.

—description from the publisher