About the Game

Strategize with your partner to pull the most tricks possible at this classic American game of Spades.

Recently revamped, Spades sports slick new graphics, smarter AI, and smooth gameplay.

Trumps, bids and setups: Relying on a partner for anything isn't always easy. Help each other out with the right moves and you're half way there. Spades is a trick-taking game in which the winning team must score 500 points. The player on the dealer's left makes the opening lead, and players must follow suit, if possible. If a player cannot follow suit, they can play any card. The player who plays the highest trump wins the trick, or, if no trump was played, the player who played the highest card in the suit led. The player who wins the trick leads next. There are 13 tricks up for grabs, so examine your hand and place a bid.

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Game Rules

Purpose:
Spades is played by two teams of two. Win by getting 500 points or lose with -200.

Bids:
At the start of each round, players bid the number of tricks they think they can win. If a team wins at least as many tricks as its players bid, points are earned; otherwise lost. Nil bids get you +100 points if you (partner excluded) get no tricks; -100 otherwise. Double nil gets +/-200, but you can't look at your cards first.

Playing tricks:
A random player plays the first card. If the next player's hand has any cards of the led suit, they must play that suit. The player who played the highest spade wins the trick; otherwise the highest card in the led suit wins. Spades can't be led until spades are "broken", unless spades are all the player has; They're broken after one is played.

Points:
If a team wins at least as many tricks as its bid, it gets 10 points per trick that was bid for, and one point (and a "bag") per extra trick. Otherwise, ten points are deducted for each trick that was bid. Ten "bags" loses you 100 points.

Controls:
*SELECT confirm bid/play card
*LEFT/RIGHT: change card/bid
*BACK key: quit and save
*END key: quit (won't save on some phones)

Game screen:
Your hand is at the bottom; your partner on top; your opponents to the sides.
You will be prompted for a bid, then to play cards until the hand is over. The last trick is shown in the upper right with the lead card emphasized.