G4A: Spite & Malice

Spite & Malice is an engaging competitive patience game designed for two players, where strategic thinking and a dash of luck are key to victory. Each player begins with a hand of 5 cards, a pay-off pile of 20 cards, and 4 empty side stacks. In the center of the table, there are 3 empty center stacks and the stock pile, which holds the rest of the deck.

The ultimate goal? To be the first player to empty your pay-off pile. Sounds simple, right? But here's where the fun begins. The center stacks are built up from ace to queen, regardless of suit. So, you can kick things off with the ace of diamonds, followed by the two of spades, three of hearts, and so on. And here's a twist—kings are wild! Play a king on any center stack, and it magically transforms into the card you need next. For instance, if you play the king of spades on a ten of clubs, it turns into a queen, keeping the sequence going.

Once a center stack reaches a queen or king on a jack, it's completed and shuffled back into the stock pile. Meanwhile, the side stacks are your wild cards. You can place any card on them, but remember, only the top card is in play.

At the start of your turn, draw from the stock pile until your hand is back to 5 cards. Now, you have a variety of moves at your disposal:

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

The game reaches its thrilling climax when a player successfully empties their pay-off pile by playing the last card onto a center stack. That player wins and scores points equivalent to the number of cards left in the opponent's pay-off pile. But beware, if the stock pile runs dry before anyone clears their pay-off pile, the game ends in a tie with no points awarded.

The first player to accumulate 50 points emerges as the ultimate champion of the match! So, get ready to test your patience and outwit your opponent in this exciting game of Spite & Malice.