Solitaire
Spite and Malice at a glance
Spite and Malice is a turn-based card game about timing, blocking and clearing your pay-off pile before your rival. Suit does not matter in the center; rank and opportunity do.
Play online with a friend, meet an opponent, or challenge the computer. The table enforces legal moves and handles completed center piles automatically.
- Players
- 2 · Head to head
- Layout
- 20-card pay-off pile
- Play
- Take turns
- Goal
- Clear the pay-off pile
How to play Spite and Malice online
Play free in your browser, with no download or account required. Choose the kind of table you want to join.
Practice with computers
Choose this game in the multiplayer lobby, set a computer pace, and select Play the computer. Use Show a move when you need help finding a move.
Invite your friends
Create a private table from the multiplayer lobby and share its invite link or room code with your opponent.
Find an online opponent
Choose Find an online opponent to look for other people. If no matching players are available, you can practice with computers instead.
Computer games also need an internet connection. The table handles dealing, legal moves, and scoring. These rules describe the version played here; other tables may use different house rules.
Rules of Spite and Malice
Your starting piles
Each player receives a 20-card pay-off pile, a hand and four personal discard piles.
Center piles
Build three shared center piles from Ace through Queen without regard to suit.
Wild Kings
Kings are wild and may represent the next rank needed on a center pile.
Playing and drawing
Play from your pay-off pile, hand or the top of a discard pile. Emptying your hand refills it.
Scoring and winning
Ending a turn and winning
Discard one hand card onto a personal discard pile to end your turn. Clear the pay-off pile first to win.
How to get better at Spite and Malice
Tip 1
Prioritize the exposed card on your pay-off pile whenever it can be played.
Tip 2
Arrange discard piles so useful sequences remain accessible rather than burying key ranks.
Tip 3
Save a wild King when an ordinary card can keep the same center pile moving.
Frequently asked questions
Is Spite and Malice the same as Skip-Bo?
They are closely related building games, but this table uses traditional Spite and Malice rules and ordinary playing cards.
Do suits matter in Spite and Malice?
No. Shared building piles follow rank only, beginning with Ace and ending with Queen.
What do Kings do?
Kings are wild. They can stand for whichever rank is next on a shared center pile.
Can I play alone?
You can play against the computer, or choose online matchmaking or a private table for another person.
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