Cuttle is a 2-player card game, played with a standard 52 card deck, without jokers. You can read the rules with interactive gif-previews the rules page
The goal is to be the first player to have 21 or more points. When a player has 21 or more points, they win immediately and the game is over.
Each player starts on one side of the game board and is dealt a hand from the deck. One player is dealt six cards; the other is dealt 5 and goes first. A scrap pile area is designated for scrapped cards.
On your turn you must make exactly one of the following actions below.
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Draw: You may take one card from the deck. You may not draw past the 8-card hand limit. If there are no cards left in the deck, you may pass. Three consecutive passes ends the game in a stalemate.
- Click the deck to draw a card
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Points: You may play any number card, Ace-Ten for the number of points shown on the card (Ace is one point). The first player to have 21 or more points wins.
- To play a card for points, click a card in your hand to select it, then click your field.
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Scuttle: You may player a number card from your hand onto a lower valued number card that your opponent has played for points; this scraps both cards. You may also scuttle a card of the same rank, if your card has the higher suit. The suit order is Clubs (weakest) < Diamonds < Hearts < Spades (strongest).
- To scuttle an opponent's point card, click a higher number card (Ace - Ten) in your hand to select it, then click the card you'd like to scuttle.
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Royals and Glasses Eights: Royals and eights can be played as Royals and Glasses Eights. While on your board, Royals and Glasses Eights provide you advantages. An explanation of the different Royals and Glasses Eights can be found below.
- To play a Royal or Glasses Eight, click the card in your hand to select it, then click your field (in green) to play it.
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One-Offs: Ace-Sevens and also Nines can be played as One-Offs. Playing a card for a One-Off effect scraps the card in exchange for an effect, based on the rank of the card. A list of all the effects can be found below.
- To play a card as a One-Off, click a card in your hand to select it, then click the Scrap Pile or an opponent's card to target.
- Ace: Scrap all Point cards
- Two: One of two effects:
- Counter target One-Off (play this when an opponent plays a One-Off effect to stop it from happening)
- Scrap target Royal or Glasses Eight
- Three: Choose one card from the Scrap Pile and put it in your hand.
- Four: Your opponent discards two cards of their choice from their hand to the Scrap Pile
- Five: Discard one card then draw up to three cards from the Deck up to the 8 card hand limit.
- Six: Scrap all Royals and Glasses Eights
- Seven: Reveal the top two cards from the Deck and choose one of them to play immediately. Play this card however you would like. The other card is placed back on top of the deck.
- Nine: Return an opponent's card on the field to their hand. It can't be played next turn.
- Eight: While you control an Eight as a "Glasses Eight", your opponent plays with her hand revealed to you. Unlike one-offs, Glasses Eights remain under your control until scrapped.
- Jack: Play a Jack on top of an oppnent's Point Card to steal it. Point card returns to opponent if the Jack is scrapped or if another Jack is used to steal it back.
- Queen: While you control a Queen, your other cards cannot be targeted by your opponent's cards. (Does not protect against aces, sixes or scuttling.)
- King: While you have a King, the minimum points needed to win is reduced. Each additional King further reduces the limit.
- 1 King: 14 points to win
- 2 Kings: 10 points to win
- 3 Kings: 5 points to win
- 4 Kings: 0 points to win
Can I play a two to counter a point card? What about a scuttle? Can I play a two to scrap my opponent's Royal or Glasses Eight on their turn?
Nope! Twos can only counter One-Offs. You can play a two to destroy a Royal or Glasses Eight, but this takes your turn, unlike countering.
Yes! Queens protect against targeting, when a card applies a unique effect to one specific card. This means your other cards (not the Queen, herself) are protected against Twos (either effect), Nines, and Jacks.
No! Scuttling doesn't count as targeting, and neither do the board-wiping effects of Aces or Sixes. Queens only protect against the effects of Twos, Nines, and Jacks.
Heck yeah! Playing a Two to counter is a One-Off, which can be countered with a two. Stacked counters make for exciting plays.
Yes. If you meet the required number of points, you win immediately. This means if you play a King when you already have enough points to meet the new limit, you win on that turn.
Yes. Aces and Sixes destroy all Point Cards and all Royals and Glasses Eights, respectively. That includes any that you have out. Try to avoid destroying many of your own cards!
If playing both cards revealed by a Seven is impossible (namely revealing two Jacks and your opponent has no point cards in play), choose one card to discard and place the other back on top of the deck.
Reveal just the one card and continue play like normal. Similar to the above situation, if you reveal a Jack and your opponent does not have any point cards in play, that Jack is scrapped.
When there are no cards left in the deck, players may pass on their turn instead of drawing. If there are three consecutive passes i.e. player 1 passes, player 2 passes, then player 1 passes again, the game ends in a stalemate and neither player wins.
You can play Cuttle anywhere you have a deck of cards and a friend! If you want to play online, there is only one place: www.cuttle.cards