a Decktet game for 2 to 4 players

(It might work with five, but we haven't tried it.)

Object of the game: To score points by placing cards.

Setup: Deal each player six cards. Deal one card face down in the middle of the table and another card face up crossways on top of it. The remaining cards form the draw pile.

The player to the left of the dealer takes the first turn.

Game play:

On your turn, you choose one card from your hand and place extend one of the lines of cards. The card you play must match at least one suit with the card adjacent to it in line.

The first player will place a card to the left or right of the initial card. Subsequent players may place cards on the left or right side of this main line. Later in the game, there may be cross lines that allow cards to be played up or down.

If you do not have a card that can be legally played, then you must draw a card. You may play it immediately if possible. Then it is the next players' turn.

If there are no cards left in the draw pile when a player is supposed to draw, the player does not draw and play continues.

Straights: If the card you played forms a continuous run of cards in rank order, then you score the length of the run. Aces are before 2s, Crowns are after 9s, and straights do not wrap around.

For example: If the initial card is a 5 and you play a 6 next to it, then you score two points. If the next player plays a 7 next to the 6, then they score three points.

It does not matter if the straight goes left-to-right, right-to-left, or (on cross lines) up-down, but all the cards must be in the same line.

Elevensies: If the card you play and the card at the opposite end of the line add to 11, then every opponent must draw a card. (In a four-player game without partners, only the player to your left must draw.)

Biscuits: If the card you played in the main left-to-right line and matches the card at the other end of the main line, it's called a hot biscuit and is worth 2 points.

If the card you played is on an up-to-down cross line and matches the card at the other end of that cross line, it's called a hot cross biscuit and is worth 4 points.

If the card you played matches the end of another line, then it's a biscuit worth 1 point.

It is possible to score multiple biscuits in a single turn. For example: You play a Crown at the top of a cross line that already has a Crown at the bottom of it; there is also a Crown at one end of the main line. This scores 5 (=4 for the hot cross biscuit + 1 for the biscuit).

Cross lines: If you play a card in the main line that is the same rank as the initial face up card, then you open a cross line. Subsequent cards may be played up or down from the cross card. The main line may still be continued to the left or right of the cross card.

Note that the initial face up card is not a cross card. Cards played in cross lines (up or down from cross cards) cannot start cross lines.

Going out:

If you play the last card in your hand, then you score 5 points, plus a bonus for the cards remaining in your opponents' hands: 1 for each Ace or Crown, 2 for each number card.

If the draw pile is exhausted and no player is able to make any further plays, then the game is stale. The hand ends. There is no penalty for cards left in your hand if this happens.

Variants

The Excuse: If you include the Excuse card in the deck: The Excuse may be played in any line, regardless of suit. Any card may be played next to it. Playing the Excuse card does not score any points, and it may not be included in a straight.

Partner Biscuit A four-player game may be played with partners, who combine their score. Use the rules for standard Biscuit with the following differences: An Elevensies play makes both your two opponents draw, but does not make your partner. If you go out, any cards remaining in your partner's hand are a penalty rather than a bonus.

Credits

Original design: David Van Slyke

Rules text: P.D. Magnus

Playtesting: Cristyn Magnus

The Decktet is presently available only as a digital document. You assemble it yourself.

• Download the basic version [PDF] containing bridge sized cards. It has colour suits and lineart illustrations, so as to minimize the drain on your printer ink. Scaled for Japanese size card sleeves.
• Download the deluxe version [PDF] containing poker sized cards and full colour illustrations. Scaled for American size card sleeves.
• Download reference cards [PDF] that summarize scoring for Biscuit, Quincunx, and Turtle Butt.
• Download a game box [PDF] that you can cut out and assemble. It is scaled to hold poker sized cards in plastic card protectors.

The Decktet is ©2003-8 P.D. Magnus. Some rights reserved. The deck, illustrations, and supporting text are offered as open content under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial ShareAlike 3.0 License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be negotiated.