Rules and strategy
How to play Spite and Malice
Race your opponent to clear your pay-off pile.
- Players
- 2, human or computer
- Deck
- Two standard decks; kings wild
- Pay-off
- 20 cards each
- Layout
- 4 shared builds; 4 side piles each
Join an AI game
Expert AI games allow a human to join in progress by default. Choose AI only when creating the game to keep the computer opponent. To take an available AI seat, open Watch and choose Join seat 2. You inherit its current hand and piles, and continue the same game.
Build and win
Build from Ace to Queen, ignoring suits. Kings are wild. Play from your hand, pay-off top, or side-pile tops. Clearing your pay-off pile wins.
Your turn
- Select a card, then a highlighted build pile.
- Continue building as often as you wish. Playing your entire hand refills it to five.
- Select a hand card and discard it to any of your four side piles to end your turn.
Refills and finish
The higher opening pay-off card starts. Each turn refills your hand to five. Completed builds shuffle back into the stock. If the stock cannot refill a hand, the game is drawn.
Beginner strategy
- Prioritize your pay-off top.
- Save kings for useful sequences.
- Stack side piles in descending order to expose playable cards.
- Watch which rank your opponent needs next.