Classicard

Description

This is probably the best card game available on the xbox 360 for the price.

For 200 points you can enjoy euchre, hearts, oh hell, spades, knockout whist or Romanian whist solo or with your friends.

It’s a classic card game for up to four players over live or system link. Invite your friends and let them join while you play. Customize your game experience to fit your house rules. 99 unlockable awards. Nice graphics and effects.

Limited time 50% rebate so get it now!

To download the game go to Game Marketplace -> Community Games -> All Community Games -> C -> Classicard.

History

V1

• Released 22/11-2008
• Rules: Hearts, Knockout whist & Spades.
• Single and multiplayer games.
• Multiplayer supports join in progress.
  

V1.1

• Released: 10/12-2008
• Added rules: Euchre, Oh Hell, Romanian whist
• Improved the look and feel.
  

V1.2

• Release date:  14/2-2009
• Added 99 awards
• Added team support in most games.
• Added house rules support for all game types.
• A card deal phase was added to make it easier to identify the dealer.
• Added player statistics recording.
• Improved the server browser.
• Added card zoom.
• New backgrounds.
• Improved the look and feel.
  

V1.3

• Release date:  28/2-2009
• Improved team AI.
• Added proper 16:9 & 4:3 support.
• Improved the look and feel.
  

V1.4

• Release date:  14/5-2009
• Added particle effects.
• Added optional player response time limit in multiplayer.
• Added better indications of how close you are to unlocking a award in the award browser.

• Improved the indication of which player made the trump.
• Added flexible zooming (press left stick and use right stick up/down to modify the zoom).
• Added in match player kicking (so idle players can be kicked by the host). The host can press left bumper to activate the menu.
• Added new card decks. 
• Improved the look and feel.

 

Rules - Euchre

Euchre is a partnership game using only 24 cards: the 9, 10, jack, queen, king and aces of each suite. The partners are fixed: North South and East West. The dealer passes 5 cards to each player and turns the upper card on the deck leaving it visible to all players.

The bid

The dealer can either accept the deck card as trump or pass. If the dealer feels confident he can even play without backup from the partner. If the dealer chooses to pass the player to the left of him gets the same choice. If everyone fails a second bidding round starts - the players can now select a trump themselves. If everyone still passes the dealer is forced to accept and the game begins. Once a trump is selected, the dealer then swaps the visible deck card with a card from her hand.

The Play

The dealer starts by playing a card. Each player must follow suit from the lead if possible. If unable to follow suite any card is allowed. A trick containing trump is always won by the largest valued trump; if no trump is played, the trick is won by the highest valued card that followed suit from the lead. The winner of a trick leads to the next. A special rule in euchre is that the jack is the highest valued card - and the jack of same color than trump is the second highest valued card. Example: if Hearts is selected trump the highest valued cards would be: jack of hearts, jack of diamond, hearts of ace, king, queen, 10 and 9.

Scoring

If the makers (the team who accepted) get 3 or 4 tricks they score 1 point. If they get 5 tricks they score 2 point. If the makers scores 2 tricks or less the defenders (the opposing team) scores 2 points instead.  The game ends when a team reached 10 points.

For more details and information about various house rules some of which are supported by this game take a look  here.

Rules - Hearts

The m ain goal of Hearts is to avoid getting points. The game is played in a series of rounds and points are given after each round. The first player who reaches 100 points has lost and the game is finished. The winner is the player with the least points.

Playing the game

Each player gets 13 cards from the deck.

The Pass

Each player selects three cards and passes them face down to another player  (indicated by an arrow). Once all four players have selected three cards each, the cards will be passed.

The Play

The player who has the deuce of clubs makes the open lead by playing this card. Each player must follow suit to the lead if able - otherwise any card may be used. A trick is won by the highest card of the suit led. The winner of a trick leads to the next. The Heart suite cannot be selected as lead before it has been broken (used in a previous turn because a player could not follow suit).

Scoring

A separate account is kept for each player. At the end of each hand, the points taken in tricks are summed up. Each heart card gives 1 point. Queen of spades (called black lady) gives 13 points. If on player

For more details and information about various house rules some of which are supported by this game take a look here.

Rules - Knockout Whist

The main goal of whist is to get as many points as possible. The game is played in a series of rounds and points are given after each turn. The game continues as long as there are players left. If a player does not get any points in a round he gets ‘knocked out’. If this happens in the first round, the player will get a second chance to get in the game - but only with one card. This is called ‘dog’s life’.

Playing the game

Each player gets 7 cards diminishing from the deck. The trump is determined by the top card of the deck in the first round, and is chosen by the winner of the previous turn.

The Play

The first player leads by playing a card. Each player must follow suit to the lead if able otherwise any card may be used. A trick is won by the highest card of the suit led (or the highest trump if used). The winner of a trick leads to the next. 

Scoring

A separate account is kept for each player. At the end of each hand, the points taken in tricks are summed up. Each trick simply gives 1 point and the winner is the player with most points when three players are knocked out.

For more details and information about various house rules some of which are supported by this game take a look  here.

Rules - Oh hell

This is also known as blackout and nomination whist.
Each player receives 10 cards diminishing until only one card is dealt. From this round more cards are dealt again until it’s up to 10 cards again.

The bid

In this phase the player will tell how many tricks he thinks he can take in this round. The total amount of bids may not be the same as the amount of tricks that will be taken in this round. Example in a round where 3 cards are dealt and player 1,2 and 3 has bid 1 the last player may not bid 1 as this would get to a total of 4 tricks. In this situation the player may only bid 0,2,3 or 4.

The Play

The lead starts by playing a card. Each player must follow suit from the lead if possible. If unable to follow suite any card is allowed. Trump is suit of the top card on the deck. The first and last rounds are played without trump. The trick is won by the highest trump. If no trump is played the trick is won by the highest card that followed suit from the lead. The winner of a trick leads to the next.

Scoring

Hitting the bid exact gives 10 points.
Tricks give 1 point each.

For more details and information about various house rules some of which are supported by this game take a look  here.

Romanian whist

This is a whist variant that plays over 24 rounds for four players with only 32 cards in the deck. The amount of cards received per round starts at 1 and climbs to 8 in the middle of the game and decreases back to 1 towards the end.
 

The bid

In this phase the player will tell how many tricks he thinks he can take in this round. The total amount of bids may not be the same as the amount of tricks that will be taken in this round.Example in a round where 3 cards are dealt and player 1,2 and 3 has bid 1 the last player may not bid 1 as this would get to a total of 4 tricks. In this situation the player may only bid 0,2,3 or 4.

The Play

The lead starts by playing a card. Each player must follow suit from the lead if possible. If unable to follow suite any card is allowed. Trump is suit of the top card on the deck. The trick is won by the highest trump or if no trump is played, the trick is won by the highest card that followed suit from the lead. The winner of a trick leads to the next. Notice that in rounds where each player receives 8 cards there is no cards left in the deck. These rounds are played without trumps.

Scoring

If the player made his bid exact 5 points is awarded plus one point per trick.
If the player gets more or less cards than bid the player loses one point per trick higher or lower.
The goal is to get most points within the 24 rounds.

For more details and information about various house rules some of which are supported by this game take a look  here.

Rules - Spades

The bid

In this phase the player will tell how many tricks he thinks he can take. This can be done "blind" for more points or after looking at his cards. Alternatively a nil can be bid. By doing so the player declares that he will get no tricks at all. A player who bided nil will receive a penalty if this fails.

The Play

The lead starts by playing a card. The lead my not select spades until it's "broken". Spades are broken when either a player has spades only or if a player cannot follow suit. Each player must follow suit from the lead if possible. If unable to follow suite any card is allowed. Spades is always trump hence a trick containing spades is always won by the largest spade; if no spades is played, the trick is won by the highest card that followed suit from the lead. The winner of a trick leads to the next.

Scoring

If the player made his bid 10 points is awarded per trick in the bid (A bid of 2 will make 20 points).  Each overtrick the player gets is called a bag and awards one point each (A bid of 2 and 3 tricks gained will give 1 bag for 1 point) If the player failed his bid 10 points is deducted per trick in the bid (A bid of 4 deducts 40points).

Bonuses

If a NIL bid is successful the player is awarded 100 points, if it fails 100 points are deducted.
If a blind NIL bid is successful the player is awarded 200 points, if it fails 200 points are deducted.
If a blind bid is successful the player is awarded 100 points, if it fails 100 points are deducted.

The game ends when a player reached 500 points

For more details and information about various house rules some of which are supported by this game take a look  here.