​

                  Clear Ace

The Privacy behind Cards

A card game created by:

Richard Dalm

Game Design I

All aces are your claim to victory.

Be sure to collect the aces secretly by sabotage or manipulation with the cards in your hands.

 

Goal

Be the first to obtain all aces in the deck of cards.

​

Play tools

1. A full standard deck of 52 cards (excluding the jokers).

2. A six standard sided die.

3. (Optional) Six individual markers or paper with written numbers 1-6 evenly spaced to place the cards next to each other.

​

Setup

1. The game is played with two players only.

2. Shuffle the deck of 52 cards.

3. Give each player two cards face down.

4. Separate the remaining 48 cards into six piles of eight cards off to the player’s side.

   • If you have the markers or paper be sure to use them to label the stacks.

   • Otherwise, make sure both players know the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth piles of cards.

5. Roll the die to determine which player goes first.

   • Highest roll between the players goes first.

   • If both of the player’s rolls are the same, roll again until one player has a higher roll than the other player.

   • The player that rolls the highest rolls first for every round.

 

Completion

• The game ends if one of the players holds all the aces in their deck of cards.

• If all cards of the card piles are used throughout the rounds and both players hold aces (or at least one ace), then the showdown commences.

• If a player has not won a round and cannot commence the showdown.

 

Playing

After the setup of the game, a round initiates by the following:

1. The player who goes first rolls the die.

2. The next player rolls the die after the first player.

3. Players must go into battle.

4. After the battle, a new round begins.

 

Rolling the die

When rolling the die on a round, players must understand that the representative integers on the die correspond to the six card piles. Once the known integer of the die is seen, the player who rolled the die must draw one card from the representative card pile. After the player who drew a card from a pile has their card in hand, they must pass the die to the next player.

There is only one roll of the die per person on a round.

The player that won the set up rolling of the die rolls first every round.

 

Example of a die roll:

The first round starts with the player who starts the game rolls the die. The number on the die is the integer six. The player must draw a card from the sixth card pile and place it with their card hand. Once the card has been drawn, the player hands the die over to the other player.

Once both players have rolled the die and drawn their cards, the die sequence is complete.

If the die rolls on one of the exhausted of card piles that do not contain any more cards, then the pile to the right must be drawn. Continue moving right until a card pile contains a card to be drawn.

If the last two cards are about to be drawn and are in the same pile, then the first player to roll draws first card. But if the either of the two cards are in different piles, then the first player to roll rolls to obtain one of the cards.

If there is only one card available for a player to draw from the card piles and the next player needs a card, then the first player to roll takes the remaining card and the other player draws a card from their deck. If the player who needs to draw from their deck does not have a deck, the game is over.

 

Example of empty card piles:

A player rolls a six and the sixth pile of cards is out of cards to be drawn. The player then moves to the right until they have a card. Unfortunately, there is not a seventh pile of cards to draw from, so the player moves back to the first pile to draw a card from.

There is a chance that a player may not have a card to draw from a pile after the first player has drawn the last card of the piles. If this happens, draw a card from your deck to make three cards in your hand.

 

Rounds

A round in Clear Ace is something that completes a sequence of events and ends with a new sequence.

Only the first round is unique. After the first round and every round thereafter, the player who lost has to reveal their attacking card face up. 

During the first round, both players must have their attack cards face down. If a player of the first round wins, the losing player for the next round must reveal their attacking card face up.

 

Example of Rounds

Player 1 and Player 2 are at the attack phase after beginning the game. Both Player 1 and Player 2 have placed their attack cards face down. After flipping over the attack cards to reveal the evaluations of the cards, Player 1 wins the first round. The second round moves to the attack phase and because Player 2 lost she now has to reveal her attack card by placing the card face up.

 

Battle

Battling in Clear Ace is where the players choose cards to sabotage their opponent or manipulate the game to their favor. However, they must follow guidelines to support their victory.

 

Attack

The attack phase of battle is a sequence of procedures players must do in order to win. The following procedures are:

1. Both players must pick one of 3 cards of their existing hand of cards.

   • Usually players pick their strongest card.

2. Once the player has decided to draw their card, they must have the card face down and wait for their opponent to choose their card.

   • If a player has a “2” card in their card hand, they must play the card.

   • If a player uses an ace, they may not use the ace again until the showdown.

   • If a player has a “2” card and uses the card while the other player uses an ace, then the “2” card wins over the ace.

3. After both players have chosen a card and the losing player of the last round has placed their card face up (both cards are face down if first round), the opposite player must deal their attacking card.

The strongest of cards are determined by the number on the card or the rank of the card. Example:

 

Weakest to Strongest Cards

Weakest

                                                                          2

                                                                          3

                                                                          4

                                                                          5

                                                                          6

                                                                          7

                                                                          8

                                                                          9

                                                                          10

                                                                          Jack

                                                                          Queen

                                                                          King

                                                                          Ace

Strongest

 

1. The revealing of the cards determines the winner of the round.

2. The card with the highest value wins.

​

If a value two card is used by a player and the other player uses an ace, then the value two card wins over the ace.

Once the winner is determined, the player who won the attack takes the cards and makes their own deck of cards face down. This is the player’s own deck of cards and will be used for the showdown.

The entire round ends with the winner receiving their cards.

​

Duel

Within an attack of Clear Ace there is a sequence that takes place if players both played the same value card. If a duel takes place, the following happens:

1. Each player draws one card of each of the six card piles.

   • If a card pile runs out or is completely out, move on to the next card pile.

   • Each player should have eight cards in their hand.

   • If there are not enough cards for a player, they must take cards from their stacked pile.

     1. If a player does not have a stacked pile to draw from, the game ends.

1. Both players must choose a card of their hand and place the card face down.

   • The only other time both players must have their attacking cards for a duel faced down on the first round.

2. The winning player of the last round reveals the winner of the card they deal.

   • If both cards are the same value, another duel commences.

   • If a second duel happens while in an existing duel, the players must use their existing card hand to play.

3. The winner reaps the benefits of all cards used in the duel and places the cards in their stack.

4. After the winning player for the duel removes the played cards from the attack and duel, the players must:

   • Take the two highest cards in their hand and create a new hand using those two cards.

   • Take the remaining cards and make a stack face down of their own or add to their existing stack.

Duels are a great way for a player to quickly obtain an ace hidden in one of the six card piles.

 

Showdown

A showdown happens when both players have aces and all the playable cards are stacked into individual decks for each player. This is the last part of the game; each player needs to have their own deck of cards and at least one ace.

This transition of the game acts just like a duel, but the following setup needs to take place:

1. Each player shuffles their deck of cards.

2. Each player deals from their own deck eight cards.

3. Once each player has eight cards each, the showdown starts.

 

In order to win a showdown, the follow procedure happens:

1. Both players deal one of their aces.

2. Both players must place a card facing down.

3. Reveal both dealt cards by flipping the cards over.

   • If both the cards are the same value, a duel starts.

4. The highest value card wins the aces.

Only during the final showdown is the restriction of the value two cards removed. Players do not always have to play the value two cards if they have the card.

Instead the value two card gains the ability to beat the King cards.

 

Example of value two cards during Showdowns:

Player 1 plays a King on the showdown and reveals the card to Player 2 because he lost the first showdown round. Player 2 has a value two card in his hand and plays the card. Player 2 wins over the King and obtains the aces for the showdown round.

If there is still another ace in play for both players, then the following procedure takes place:

1. The winner of the aces takes the dealt cards and puts them in their deck.

2. The players reshuffle their decks.

3. Both players deal eight cards of their own deck.

4. The aces get played and the players use the eight cards in their hand.

5. The loser of the last showdown round must reveal their card by placing the card face up.

6. The winner of the lasts showdown round deals their card.

   • If both cards are the same value, a duel starts.

7. The player with the highest value wins.

   • If a player plays a “2” card and the other player plays a King, then the “2” card wins over the King.

 

Winning

A player wins Clear Ace by affirming the following:

1. They have all the aces in their possession.

2. The other player has no deck of cards to deal from.

If all the conditions are clear then the game of Ace ends with one player winning.