Application Description

Spite & Malice is an engaging competitive patience game designed for two players. It combines strategy and luck, making it a thrilling challenge. 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 ultimate goal is to be the first to empty your pay-off pile. The center stacks are built up sequentially from the ace to the king, regardless of suit. For example, you can start with the ace of diamonds, followed by the two of spades, the three of hearts, and so on. Kings are versatile as they act as wild cards. When you play a king on a center stack, it transforms into the next card needed. For instance, if you play the king of spades on a ten of clubs, it will become a queen.

Once a center stack reaches a queen or a king on top of a jack, it is completed and shuffled back into the stock pile. Side stacks are more flexible; you can place any card there, but only the top card is usable. At the beginning of your turn, you draw from the stock pile to ensure your hand contains 5 cards.

During your turn, you have several strategic moves to choose from:

• 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 will end 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 and earns points equal to the number of cards remaining in their opponent's pay-off pile. If the stock pile runs out before anyone wins, the game ends in a tie, with no points awarded. The first player to accumulate 50 points wins the match!

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