Spite & Malice is an exhilarating competitive patience game designed for two players. Each player begins with a hand of 5 cards, a pay-off pile of 20 cards, and 4 empty side stacks. At the center of the table, you'll find 3 empty center stacks and a stock pile containing the rest of the deck.
The primary goal of Spite & Malice is to be the first player to empty their pay-off pile. The center stacks are built up from the ace upwards, regardless of suit. For instance, you can start with the ace of diamonds, followed by the two of spades, then the three of hearts, and so on. Kings are versatile in this game; they act as wild cards. When you play a king on any center stack, it transforms into the card that fits next in sequence. For example, if you place the king of spades on top of a ten of clubs, the king becomes a queen.
Once a center stack reaches completion (by playing a queen or king on top of a jack), the stack is shuffled back into the stock pile. Side stacks offer flexibility as you can place any card on them, but remember, only the top card of each side stack is available for play.
At the beginning of your turn, you draw cards from the stock pile to replenish your hand to 5 cards. During your turn, you have several strategic moves at your disposal:
- 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 final card from the pay-off pile onto one of the center stacks. This player emerges victorious and earns points equivalent to the number of cards remaining in their opponent's pay-off pile. If the stock pile runs out before either player empties their pay-off pile, the game ends in a draw with no points awarded to either player.
The ultimate winner of the match is the first player to accumulate 50 points. Dive into this strategic battle of wits and patience, where every move counts towards your victory!
