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Spite and Malice is a competitive patience game for two players. Both players race to get rid of their pay-off pile by building shared center piles in order from Ace to Queen. Kings are wild, and blocking your opponent is half the fun.
- Players
- You vs 1 computer player
- Cards
- Two standard decks
- Game length
- 15–25 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
How to play Spite and Malice
- Each player has a pay-off pile with the top card face up, a hand of five cards and up to four discard piles.
- Center piles are built in rank order from Ace up to Queen, regardless of suit. A completed pile is cleared.
- Kings are wild and can stand for any card.
- Play from your pay-off pile, hand or discard piles onto the center piles. End your turn by placing a card on one of your discard piles.
- The first player to play the last card of their pay-off pile wins.
How to win at Spite and Malice: strategy and tips
Spite and Malice is a race: the first player to empty their pay-off pile wins. Every turn, ask one question: how can I reach my pay-off card, and how can I stop my opponent from reaching theirs?
Work towards your pay-off card
Look at the top of your pay-off pile and count up from the center piles. If a pile shows a 5 and your pay-off card is an 8, you need a 6 and a 7. Look in your hand and on top of your discard piles for that chain before playing anything else.
Use kings for the pay-off
Kings are wild and can stand for any card. They are most valuable when one king completes the chain to your pay-off card. Using a king just to play an ordinary card from your hand often wastes it.
Organize your discard piles
Only the top card of each discard pile can be played. Build each pile downward, such as a 9 on a 10, so the cards come back in the order the center piles need them. Keep one pile for high cards and use the others for the middle and low ranks.
Empty your hand when it helps
If you play all five cards from your hand, you draw five more and keep going. A long turn can carry you to your pay-off card, so look for a way to use the last card or two in your hand.
Block your opponent
Watch your opponent's pay-off card. Avoid building a center pile up to one below it, and if you hold the card they need, keep it out of play as long as you can.
Mistakes to avoid
- Covering a useful low card on a discard pile with a high card.
- Playing a king when a normal card would have done the job.
- Building a center pile right up to your opponent's pay-off card.
Spite and Malice questions
Is Spite and Malice the same as Skip-Bo?
Skip-Bo is a commercial game based on Spite and Malice. Spite and Malice is played with regular playing cards.
Are kings wild in Spite and Malice?
Yes. In the standard rules kings are wild and can be played as any card on a center pile.
