Learn to Play: Spite & Malice | स्पाइट एवं मैलिस
Spite & Malice (also known as Cat & Mouse) is one of the most popular two-player games, offering an easy-to-learn experience after just a few rounds. It's perfect for kids and offers enough strategy to keep adults thoroughly entertained as well. Let’s dive in and learn to play Spite & Malice!
❥ DIFFICULTY: Medium
❥ PLAY TIME: 45 - 60 minutes
❥ NO. OF PLAYERS: 2 to 4 players
❥ NO. OF DECKS: 1 deck for each player (2 decks for 2 players and so on)
❥ SETUP
Shuffle and Deal the Pay-Offs: Start with two fifty-two-card decks, and shuffle them together. Deal twenty cards, face down, to each player’s Pay-Off pile. Place these cards face down in a stack. Only the top card is visible at all times.
Stockpiles: Shuffle the remaining cards to form a Stockpile. Place the Stock in the centre of the table.
Personal Side Stacks: Each player can have up to four personal Side Stacks, which will come into play later.
Centre Stacks: Create up to four Centre Stacks in the centre of the table. These stacks will start with an Ace and progress in numerical order up to a Queen.
Wild Cards: In Spite & Malice, suits (spades, hearts, diamonds, clubs) are irrelevant. Aces are low, and Kings and Jokers are wild cards.
❥ OBJECTIVE
The goal of Spite and Malice is to be the first player to play all the cards from your personal Pay-Off pile into the Centre Stacks. The game combines strategy, patience, and a little bit of malice—hence the name!
❥ HOW TO PLAY
Turn Order: Start by turning up the top Pay-Off cards; the highest card plays first. In the case of a tie, reshuffle the Pay-Off piles and try again.
Start the Game: On your turn, draw five cards from the draw pile into your hand.
Play Cards to Centre Stacks: You can play any card to the Centre Stacks from:
your hand, or
the top-most card of your Pay-Off pile, or
the top-most card of your personal Side Stacks
You may not move cards from your Pay-Off pile to the Side Stacks or move cards among the Side Stacks.
If you play all five cards from your hand to the Centre Stacks in a single turn, deal yourself five more cards from the Stock.
Cards must be played in ascending order (Aces first, followed by 2, 3, and so on, up to Queen). Move Aces to the Centre Stacks as they become available, and then build the aces up by rank. Suits and colors do not matter. Kings and Jokers are wild and may represent any card.
Discard Unused Cards to Your Side Stacks: When you run out of moves, end your turn by placing a card face-up from your hand onto one of your Side Stacks. You can have up to four Side Stacks, but once you reach this limit, you'll need to place new discards on top of existing stacks. Keep in mind that cards buried deeper in the stack can’t be played until the cards above them are cleared, so plan your discards carefully.
Clear Centre Stacks: When a Centre Stack is completed up to the Queen (or a King/Joker acting as a Queen), the entire Centre Stack is removed from the board and shuffled back into the Stockpile. This opens up a space in the Centre Stacks, which can then be started anew with any available Ace.
❥ WINNING THE GAME
The first player to empty their Pay-Off pile wins the game. If the Stockpile runs out before a winner is determined, the game is a draw.
❥ TIPS AND STRATEGIES
Prioritize Your Pay-Off Pile: Always aim to play cards from your Pay-Off pile to stay ahead of your opponents. If you have a card in your hand or Side Stacks that has the same rank as the top card of your Pay-Off pile, always play the one from your Pay-Off pile. Remember that you just have to empty your Pay-Off pile to win the game, so it’s okay if you keep cards in your hand or Side Stacks.
Disrupt Your Opponents: Hold onto specific cards strategically to hinder your opponents from completing their Centre Stacks. Before playing a card, check the top card of your opponent's goal pile. If they could use the card you plan to play, consider holding onto it instead. This tactic delays their progress, making it harder for them to empty their Pay-Off pile and gain an advantage.
Save Kings and Jokers to play large sequences: Kings are wild and can represent any value, making them powerful cards. Instead of playing them immediately, hold onto kings in your hand or place them on top of a Side Stack for easy access. Use them strategically to bridge gaps when playing multiple cards in ascending order during your turn, maximizing their impact.
Organize Your Discard Piles Strategically: Arrange your discard piles to give yourself the best options for future turns. Place higher-ranked cards at the bottom and lower-ranked cards on top. This setup increases the likelihood of being able to play the next card in the Stack after you use the top card, keeping your turns efficient and productive.
❥ VARIATION 1: CUTTHROAT SPITE & MALICE: The rules for Cutthroat Spite & Malice are the same as the regular version, with one key difference: players can "load" cards onto their opponent's Pay-Off pile. "Loading" means playing a card from your hand or Pay-Off pile (but not from your Side Stacks) that is one rank higher or lower than your opponent's topmost Pay-Off card, and matches in suit. For example, if your opponent's top card is the 6 of diamonds, you can load either the 5 of diamonds or the 7 of diamonds on top of it. You can continue loading as many cards as possible and even switch directions—such as playing the 6 of diamonds on the 5 of diamonds, then placing another 5 of diamonds on the 6 of diamonds.
❥ VARIATION 2: MULTIPLAYER SPITE & MALICE: Multiplayer Spite & Malice can easily be played with 3 to 6 players. Each player needs their own deck of cards. While all players are limited to four Side Stacks, the number of Centre Stacks depends on the number of players—there will be four Stacks for three players, five Stacks for four players, and so on.
Now that you know how to play, gather your friends, shuffle the deck, and let the games begin! Have fun playing Spite and Malice, and may the best strategist win!
