Spite and Malice

What Is Spite and Malice?

Spite and Malice — also called Cat and Mouse — is a competitive two-player version of solitaire where both players race to empty their personal pay-off pile. You play cards onto shared center stacks built from Ace to Queen, and you can block your opponent by filling stacks they need. Jokers are wild. The game is called Spite and Malice because blocking your opponent on purpose is not just allowed — it is encouraged.

What You Need

• Two standard 52-card decks plus four Jokers shuffled together — 108 cards total
• Exactly two players

Understanding the Layout

• Pay-Off Pile: Each player’s personal stack of face-down cards. The top card is always flipped face-up. Getting rid of all pay-off pile cards wins the game.
• Hand: Five cards dealt to each player to use for plays.
• Center Stacks: Four shared piles in the middle where both players build cards Ace through Queen.
• Discard Piles: Each player has four personal discard piles they can use to store cards temporarily.

Setting Up the Game

1. Shuffle all 108 cards together.
2. Deal 20 cards face-down to each player as their pay-off pile. Flip the top card of each pay-off pile face-up.
3. Deal 5 cards to each player as their starting hand.
4. Place remaining cards face-down as the shared draw pile.
5. Leave space for four center stacks between the players — these start empty.

How to Play — Step by Step

The player whose face-up pay-off card is lower goes first. Play moves back and forth.

1. On your turn, try to play cards onto the center stacks. Center stacks start with an Ace (or Joker representing an Ace) and build upward: Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen. Queens complete a stack — when a Queen is placed, that stack is removed and a new one can start.
2. You can play from your hand OR from the top of your face-up pay-off pile onto center stacks. Playing from your pay-off pile is your most important move — each one flips the next pay-off card.
3. You can also play from your hand onto your own personal discard piles — up to four discard piles, any card in any order. The top card of each discard pile is available to play to center stacks on future turns.
4. You must play from your pay-off pile whenever the top card fits a center stack.
5. When you cannot or choose not to play any more cards to center stacks, end your turn by discarding exactly one card from your hand to one of your personal discard piles. Then draw back up to five cards.

Jokers

Jokers are wild and can represent any card on a center stack.

Winning

The first player to play their last pay-off card onto a center stack wins.

Tips for New Players

• Always play from your pay-off pile when you can — that is the path to winning.
• Use discard piles strategically — organize them so useful cards are on top for future turns.
• Block your opponent by playing onto the center stack they need next, especially if completing that stack would help you more than them.

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