How to Play

This is a digital implementation of the classic card game Scoundrel by Sivan Tal, freely distributed under Creative Commons.

The Goal

  • Survive all 44 cards with your health above 0
  • You start with 20 HP

The Deck

  • Monsters (26): Black cards (Spades 2-Ace, Clubs 2-Ace) - each deals damage equal to its value
  • Weapons (9): Diamonds 2-10 - equip to reduce monster damage
  • Potions (9): Hearts 2-10 - heal for the card's value (one per room only)
  • Total: 44 cards (red face cards and red Aces have been removed from a standard 52-card deck)

Each Room

  • Four cards are drawn
  • Decide: You can Flee or Stay
  • If Flee: All 4 cards go to the bottom of the deck. Cannot flee again next room!
  • If Stay: Choose 3 of 4 cards to interact with (1 auto-discards)

Card Interactions (If You Stay)

  • Monster: Choose to fight with weapon or barehanded. Damage = Monster Value - Weapon Value (minimum 0)
  • Weapon: Equip it (replaces previous weapon). Resets any degradation.
  • Potion: Heal for its value (only first potion in room works; others ignored)

Weapon Degradation

  • Once a weapon is used on a monster, it can only be used on weaker monsters going forward
  • Example: Use a Diamond 5 on a Jack (11) → weapon locked to maximum value 11 → next monster of value 12 appears → cannot use weapon (need value < 11), must fight barehanded
  • Key Mechanic: Weapon remembers the strongest monster it fought and can only be used on monsters weaker than that
  • Equipping a new weapon resets degradation (new weapon starts fresh)
  • Strategy: Don't waste high-value weapons on weak monsters, and upgrade to better weapons when available

Fleeing Rules

  • You cannot flee twice in a row - you must face the next room
  • You can flee any other time (except the final room)
  • When you stay and complete a room normally, the "fled last room" flag resets
  • Final room restriction: When 4 or fewer cards remain (final room), you cannot flee - you must interact with all remaining cards

Final Room

  • When 4 or fewer cards remain in the deck, the next room is the "final room"
  • In the final room: Only those remaining cards are drawn (not padded to 4)
  • You must interact with ALL remaining cards (not just 3 of 4)
  • You cannot flee the final room
  • Any card you don't select carries over to the final room (if more than 4 cards remain initially)

Card Carry-Over

  • If you stay in a room, any cards you don't select are carried over to the next room
  • Example: 4-card room, you select 3 monsters but skip the potion → the potion appears in the next room
  • Carry-over cards appear in the same position they were in the previous room
  • The next room draws fewer new cards to make room for the carry-over card

Victory & Defeat

  • Victory: Defeat all 44 cards with HP remaining
  • Defeat: Your HP drops to 0 or below

Strategy Tips

  • Better weapons significantly reduce damage - prioritize them early
  • Potions are valuable but limited - save them for critical situations
  • Fleeing pushes difficult cards to the end, giving you a chance to heal up first
  • Weapon degradation punishes wasting high weapons on weak monsters - plan ahead
  • High monsters early are deadly barehanded - focus on weapons first
  • Plan for the final room: Don't save potions if you'll face it soon
  • Carry-over cards let you escape bad rooms - skip a dangerous card to draw it later

Tutorial

Welcome to the dungeon, Scoundrel. Your goal is simple: survive the deck.

The Core Loop

You face a room of 4 cards. You must interact with (use or discard) at least 3 cards before you can move to the next room.

Tip: If the room is too dangerous, you can Run Away! But be warned: you cannot run from two rooms in a row.

Card Types

  • Monsters (Spades ♠ / Clubs ♣): Deal damage equal to their value. If you have a weapon equipped, you take (Monster - Weapon) damage.
  • Weapons (Diamonds ♦): Equip these to fight. Dealing damage reduces your HP loss.
  • Health Potions (Hearts ♥): Restore HP. You cannot heal above 20 HP.
    Note: Only the first potion you drink in a room heals you. Any others in the same room give 0 HP!

Example: A Standard Turn

Below is a typical room. Strategic players might try to save a potion for later.

5
♦
Weapon
4
♥
Health
6
♥
Health
8
♠
Monster

Option A: Equip 5♦. Drink 6♥ (Heal 6). Drink 4♥ (Heal 0). Leave 8♠ (Skipped).

Option B (Pro): Equip 5♦. Drink 6♥ (Heal 6). Fight 8♠ (Take 3 dmg). Leave 4♥ so it appears in the next room (where it will heal you!).

Example: Managing Carry-Over

Any card you do not interact with is placed on top of the deck for the next room.

14
♠
Monster
5
♥
Health
3
♦
Weapon
2
♣
Monster

Scenario: You have no weapon. The 14♠ deals 14 damage!

  • Interacting with the Potion, Weapon, and Small Monster (2♠) is easy.
  • You Skip the 14♠.
  • Next Room: The 14♠ will be the first card you see. You cannot skip it forever, but maybe you'll find a stronger weapon next time!

Example: When to Run

Sometimes a room is just too deadly. If you haven't fled recently, you can put the entire room at the bottom of the deck.

K
♠
Monster
Q
♣
Monster
J
♠
Monster
2
♥
Health

Total Damage: 33+! Even with a weapon, this is lethal.

Action: Press . All 4 cards go to the bottom of the pile.

Example: Weapon Memory

Weapons don't break, but they get picky. After you use a weapon, it can only be used again on monsters strictly weaker than the one you just fought.

7
♦
Equipped
10
♣
Monster
6
♣
Monster

Scenario: You use your 7♦ Weapon to fight both monsters.

  • Step 1 (Fight 10♣): Damage is 3 (10-7). The weapon "remembers" 10. Next target must be < 10.
  • Step 2 (Fight 6♣): 6 is < 10, so it works! Damage is 0. The weapon now "remembers" 6. Next target must be < 6.
  • The Trap: If you meet an 8♣ later, you cannot use the weapon (8 is not < 6). You must fight barehanded!