Sueca: four at the table, two pairs, one trump in plain sight

About Sueca

Sueca is a trick-taking game for four players in two partnerships, played with 40 cards (no 8s, 9s or 10s). Play goes counterclockwise, and the trump card, the dealer's last card, stays face up for the whole round. If you hold the suit led you must follow it; if not, you may trump or throw off. In a trick the ranking is A > 7 > K > J > Q > 6 > 5 > 4 > 3 > 2, and trump beats everything. Aces are worth 11, sevens 10, kings 4, jacks 3, queens 2: 120 points in the deck. Pass 60 and you mark one dot on your cross; pass 90 and you mark two; take all 120 without leaving the other pair a single card and it's a clean sweep, which wins the game outright. A 60–60 tie stays pending for the next round. Four dots on the cross win, and a 4–0 game over two or more rounds is a shutout, complete with a cat face drawn on both crosses. Whoever opens the table sets the house rules: live scoring (everyone sees each pair's running total) or count at the end (nobody sees a thing until the cards are tallied on the table one by one); and revokes blocked (the game only lets you play legal cards) or allowed (revoke at your own risk: anyone may call it until the count, and the table rules on the record. A real revoke loses the game; a false call loses it for the accuser). Everyone plays with the deck they prefer, from the four in the Kingdom's collection. The table lives on the site, so the four of you don't need to be online at once: the game tells you when it's your turn, and anyone who opens the link once the table is full can watch. The player leading the round with 10 points or less may call a weak hand before the first card. When the game ends the table stays open: rematch as many times as you like, and the host may change the partnerships.

One of Selminha's ideas

“Sueca is the game that gathers people around a table. I wanted ours: the Kingdom's deck, the green felt, the cross with its dots, and a link to call three people, each on their own phone, no sign-up and no app.”

How to play Sueca and what counts in every round

1. Tap OPEN A TABLE, pick the scoring (live or at the end), the revoke rule (block or allow) and your deck (each player picks the deck design they see), enter your name and COPY the link. Send it to three people: the first three to open it play, anyone after that watches.
2. Once all four are seated, tap the person who plays with you (the other two form the other pair) and START THE GAME. You deal the first round; the trump is your last card and it stays face up.
3. On your turn, tap a card. If you hold the suit led you must follow; with none, trump it or throw a card away. The card flies to the table, and once the trick is complete the four cards go to whoever won it. If you lead the round holding 10 points or less, you may call WEAK HAND before the first card.
4. End of the round: the COUNTING THE CARDS box shows each pair's cards (one by one when scoring at the end), who marks and how many dots; any player taps NEXT ROUND. Four dots on the cross win; all 120 without leaving a card is a clean sweep; 4–0 over two or more rounds is a shutout.
5. After the game, all four answer the rematch right at the table, and the host may keep or change the pairs. With revokes allowed, CALL A REVOKE asks the table to rule on the record. P or Esc open the menu (the table keeps going); M toggles the sound.

The rules of the table

The deck

40 cards: A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, Q, J and K of each suit. Ten cards each; the dealer's last card is the trump and stays face up.

Card ranking

A > 7 > K > J > Q > 6 > 5 > 4 > 3 > 2. A trump beats any card of another suit.

Points

Ace 11, seven 10, king 4, jack 3, queen 2: 120 in the deck. The other cards are worth nothing but still count as cards taken.

Following suit

If you hold the suit led you must play it. With none, you may trump or throw off any card.

Order of play

Counterclockwise: the player to the dealer's right leads, and the deal passes to the right.

How you score

1 dot

61 to 90 points in the round.

2 dots

91 to 119 points, or 120 when the other pair took at least one card, even a worthless one.

Clean sweep

All 120 points without leaving the other pair a single card: 4 dots, the game is won on the spot, flag waving and all.

60–60

Nobody scores; the dot stays pending and goes to whoever wins the next round.

Shutout

A game closed 4–0 over two or more rounds. A cat face shows up on both crosses.

The Queen's trash talk

On a clean sweep or a shutout, the Queen of Hearts steps up to the table and needles the losing pair, meow or party horn included. Winners can send a ready-made jab; losers fire back with REMATCH!. The tally of shame keeps count for the night.

Controls on phone and computer

Computer

Tap or click a card to play it · ← → move along your cards, Enter plays · P or Esc open the menu · M sound · F full screen · gamepad: d-pad moves along the cards, A or X play, Start menu, Back sound.

Touch

On phones and tablets the game follows the device: portrait or landscape, it never asks you to rotate. Tap a card to play it; WEAK HAND, CALL A REVOKE and RESIGN sit next to the trump. Invite with the COPY button and paste the link wherever you like (WhatsApp, a text message…).

The host's choices

Live scoring

Everyone sees each pair's running total during the round.

Scoring at the end

Nobody sees the points until the count: the cards are tallied on the table one by one.

Revokes blocked

The game won't let you trump while holding the suit led: only legal cards can be played.

Revokes allowed

Revoke at your own risk. Anyone can accuse an opponent until the count; the table rules on the record: a real revoke loses the game, a false call loses it for the accuser's pair.

Weak hand

Only the player leading the round, holding 10 points or less and before the first card, may call it: the cards are dealt again and the deal passes on.