G4A: Spite & Malice

Spite & Malice is an engaging competitive patience game designed for two players, offering a unique blend 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, which contains the rest of the deck.

The primary goal of Spite & Malice is to be the first to empty your pay-off pile. The center stacks are built sequentially from the ace upwards, irrespective of suit. For example, you could start with the ace of diamonds, followed by the two of spades, then the three of hearts, and so on. Kings are versatile wild cards; you can place a king on any center stack, and it will transform into the card needed to continue the sequence. For instance, if you play a king of spades on a ten of clubs, the king effectively becomes a queen.

Once a center stack reaches completion by placing a queen or king on a jack, it is reshuffled back into the stock pile. Side stacks can hold any card, but only the top card is available for play. At the beginning of your turn, you draw cards from the stock pile to ensure your hand always contains 5 cards.

During your turn, you have several options for moves:

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

The game concludes when a player successfully plays the last card from their pay-off pile onto a center stack, securing victory. The winner earns points equivalent to the number of cards remaining in their opponent's pay-off pile. If the stock pile runs out before a player 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 thrilling test of strategy and patience!