Cards4Couples
Hard · 4/5Combat gamesNorth America, 1970s

Cuttle

A duel-style card game, an early ancestor of games like Magic, where the same card can be a point, a weapon to destroy an opponent's points, or a special effect. First to 21 points of cards on the table wins.

You'll need: One standard 52-card deck, no jokers.

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Objective

Be the first to have 21 or more points of point cards laid out on your side of the table.

Setup

  1. 1Dealer deals six cards to themselves and five to the opponent.
  2. 2The rest becomes a face-down draw pile; discards go face-up to a 'scrap pile'.
  3. 3The dealer's opponent takes the first turn.

How to play

  • On your turn you must do exactly ONE of: draw a card; play a point card; play a one-off effect; or play a permanent effect. Then your opponent goes.
  • Point card (A-10): laid face up to add to your total, OR played as a 'scuttle' to destroy an opponent's point card of lower value (ties broken by suit order clubs < diamonds < hearts < spades) — both cards go to scrap.
  • One-off effect (A-7, 9): resolved immediately then scrapped.
  • Permanent effect (8, J, Q, K): laid face up and stays in play.
  • If the draw pile is empty you may pass; three passes in a row ends the game with no winner.

Card effects

One-off effects (resolved, then scrapped)

  • Ace: scrap all point cards on the table (both sides).
  • 2: scrap any permanent effect card, OR counter an opponent's one-off as they play it.
  • 3: take any card from the scrap pile into your hand.
  • 4: opponent discards two cards of their choice.
  • 5: draw two cards.
  • 6: scrap all permanent effect cards (both sides).
  • 7: draw a card and immediately play it.

Permanent effects (stay in play)

  • 8 (played sideways, 'glasses'): opponent must play with their hand exposed.
  • Jack: attach to a point card to steal its control to your side.
  • Queen: protects your other cards from single-target effects (2, 9, Jack) but not from scuttling or wide effects.
  • King: lowers your points-to-win — one king 14, two 10, three 7, four 5.
  • 9 (one-off): return any permanent card to its owner's hand.

Scoring

Scored in points on table · play to 21

Good to know

  • 'Score' is the sum of point-card values on your side of the table, not a cross-game tally.
  • Kings reduce your personal target (21 / 14 / 10 / 7 / 5 for 0-4 kings).
  • For a couples app, track a games-won tally across rounds.

Winning

You win the moment your point cards on the table reach your current target (21, or lower if you hold kings).

Game mechanics referenced from pagat.com (John McLeod); rules text is our own wording.

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