G4A: Spite & Malice

Spite & Malice: A Competitive Patience Game for Two Players

Spite & Malice is an engaging competitive patience game designed for two players. Each player begins with a hand of 5 cards, a pay-off pile containing 20 cards, and 4 empty side stacks. In the center of the table, you'll find 3 empty center stacks and the stock pile, which holds the rest of the deck.

The primary goal of Spite & Malice is to be the first player to empty your pay-off pile. The center stacks are built up sequentially from the ace upwards, regardless of suit. For example, you might start with the ace of diamonds, followed by the two of spades, then the three of hearts, and so on. Kings are wild cards; you can play a king on any center stack, and it will transform into the card needed to continue the sequence. For instance, playing the king of spades on a ten of clubs would turn the king into a queen.

Once a center stack reaches completion by playing a queen or king on a jack, the stack is shuffled back into the stock pile. You can place any card on the side stacks, but only the top card of each side stack is accessible for play.

At the start of your turn, you draw cards from the stock pile to replenish your hand to 5 cards. During your turn, you have several possible moves:

• Play the top card from your pay-off pile onto one of the center stacks.
• Play the top card from one of your side stacks onto one of the center stacks.
• Play a card from your hand onto one of the center stacks.
• Play a card from your hand onto one of your side stacks, which ends your turn.

The game concludes when a player successfully plays their last card from the pay-off pile onto a center stack. This player wins the game and earns points equal to the number of cards remaining in their opponent's pay-off pile. Alternatively, if the stock pile runs out of cards, the game ends in a tie, and no points are awarded.

To win the match, a player must accumulate a total of 50 points. Dive into the strategic world of Spite & Malice and challenge your opponent to see who can outlast and outsmart the other!