Palace

About this board game

Palace is a popular playing-card game for 2–6 players that takes about 20 minutes to play. Your goal is not necessarily to finish first, but to avoid being the last player to get rid of all your cards.

Played with one regular 52-card deck, Palace gives each player a personal set of card piles: three cards face up and three face down, arranged in piles of two cards. Players also build a central pile by taking turns playing cards, while drawing from the deck to replenish their hands.

Each turn creates a tactical decision. If you can make a play, you continue adding to the central pile. If you cannot, you must pick up the entire pile, and the next player begins a new one. Aces are high, while twos and tens act as trump cards in different ways, giving the standard deck some distinctive twists.

• For 2–6 players
• About 20 minutes to play
• Uses one regular 52-card deck
• Adds 2 Jokers when six players take part
• Features hand management, card piles, and a shared central pile

Once a player has emptied their hand and no more cards can be drawn, they move on to playing from their own piles. The face-up and face-down cards create a memorable final stage as players work through their remaining cards.

Also known as Shithead or Karma, Palace has numerous variations, including Smeghead, Shit-boot, and Mukava. In Sweden, it is called Vändtia and is often played with minor rule variations. The loser usually deals the next game, keeping the competition going from one round to the next.