G4A: Spite & Malice

Are you ready to test your strategic skills in a thrilling game of wits and patience? Spite & Malice is the perfect competitive patience game designed for two players, where cunning and strategy pave the way to victory. Each player begins with a hand of 5 cards, a pay-off pile of 20 cards, and 4 empty side stacks, setting the stage for an intense battle of wits.

At the center of the table, you'll find 3 empty center stacks and a stock pile containing the rest of the deck. The ultimate goal? Be the first to clear out your pay-off pile and claim victory over your opponent.

The game's mechanics are simple yet engaging. The center stacks are built upwards from ace to king, regardless of suit. For example, you could follow an ace of diamonds with a two of spades, then a three of hearts, and so on. Kings are the wild cards here; they can be played on any center stack and will transform into whatever card is needed to continue the sequence. Imagine playing a king of spades on a ten of clubs, and voila, it turns into a queen!

Once a center stack reaches its completion with a queen or king played on a jack, it's shuffled back into the stock pile, keeping the game dynamic and unpredictable. Meanwhile, your side stacks are your versatile tools, allowing you to place any card there, though only the top card is available for play.

At the beginning of your turn, you'll draw cards from the stock pile to ensure your hand remains at 5 cards. Your turn offers several strategic moves:

• Play the top card from your pay-off pile onto one of the center stacks.
• Move the top card from one of your side stacks to a center stack.
• Place a card from your hand directly onto a center stack.
• Or, add a card from your hand to one of your side stacks, which will end your turn.

The game reaches its climax when a player successfully empties their pay-off pile by playing the last card onto a center stack. This player wins, scoring points equal to the number of cards left in their opponent's pay-off pile. However, if the stock pile runs dry before either player achieves this goal, the game ends in a tie, with no points awarded to either player.

The first to accumulate 50 points across multiple games emerges as the ultimate champion of Spite & Malice. So, gather your cards, sharpen your strategy, and let the battle of patience begin!