Splitrick takes the classic card game genre of trick-taking and adds a clever twist of hand management and penalty dodging. Your main goal is to avoid devastating negative points and push those penalties onto your opponents instead.
At its heart, Splitrick follows simple traditional rules: a must-follow suit requirement, no trump suits, and no special cards. The trick lies in how you handle your hand. Before a round begins, you can freely split your cards into a first half and a second half. Doing so lets you strategically deplete specific suits early and steer clear of dangerous tricks. Alternatively, you can brave the round with an undivided hand. Playing undivided is a risky move, but it grants you lead player rights or bonus points to help fuel a dramatic comeback.
Every round introduces shifting penalty conditions, from taking specific cards like a green seven, to winning the first or last trick, or taking two tricks in a row. The pressure builds as conditions stack across three rounds (one in the first, two in the second, three in the third), with 4,860 different penalty combinations keeping every session fresh and unpredictable.
Designed for three to five players aged eight and up, a full match plays in a swift 15 to 30 minutes.
Split Trick is a simple trick-taking game with must-follow rules, no trump suit, and no special cards. Players divide their hands freely between the first and second halves of each round to avoid severe penalty points and force them onto other players.
At the start of each round, penalty conditions are determined, such as taking the red 7 for -48 points, winning the first or last trick for -24 points each, or being the first player to win two consecutive tricks for -36 points. One condition applies in Round 1, two in Round 2, and three in Round 3, with 4,860 possible condition combinations. After three rounds, the player with the highest score wins.
Players may also choose not to split their hand, gaining the right to lead the first trick and starting the round with bonus points. For 3 to 5 players, ages 8 and up. Playing time: 15 to 30 minutes.
