G4A: Spite & Malice

Spite & Malice is an engaging competitive patience game designed for two players, offering a thrilling challenge of strategy and luck. 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 playing area, you'll find 3 empty center stacks and a stock pile containing the rest of the deck. The ultimate goal? Be the first to empty your pay-off pile and claim victory.

The center stacks are built up sequentially from ace to king, 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, allowing you to play them on any center stack where they'll transform into the next card needed. If you place a king of spades on a ten of clubs, it becomes a queen.

Once a center stack reaches a queen or king on top of a jack, it's complete and gets shuffled back into the stock pile.

Side stacks are more flexible; you can place any card on them, but only the top card is playable. This adds a layer of strategy to your gameplay.

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

• Play the top card from your pay-off pile onto a center stack.
• Play the top card from one of your side stacks onto a center stack.
• Play a card from your hand onto a center stack.
• 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, winning the game and earning points equal to the number of cards left in their opponent's pay-off pile.

If the stock pile runs out before anyone empties their pay-off pile, the game ends in a tie with no points awarded.

The first player to accumulate 50 points wins the match, making Spite & Malice a test of patience, strategy, and a bit of spiteful fun!