Objective

Stitch is a tricky card game where the goal is to gather the most points by winning tricks. The game is played over several rounds, where players try to win tricks with clever card play that have specific point values.

Components

• A standard 52-card deck.

Setup

• Shuffle the card deck thoroughly.
• Each player is dealt an equal number of cards. With four players, all cards should be dealt, so each player gets 13 cards.

Gameplay

1. Playing Cards: The player to the left of the dealer starts the trick by playing a card of their choice.
2. Following Suit: The other players must follow suit if they can.
3. Trump and Discard: A player may play a trump card to win a trick or discard a card of a different suit if they cannot follow.
4. Winning a Trick: The player with the highest card in the lead suit or the highest trump card wins the trick.
5. Next Round: The winner of the trick leads the next round.

Scoring

After each round, players tally their won tricks to score points. The exact scoring system can vary, but a simple method might be: - Each trick is worth 1 point. - At the end of all rounds, the player with the highest score wins.

Strategic Tips

• Track Played Cards: Remember which cards have been played to better predict future outcomes.
• Trump Management: Save strong trump cards for critical tricks where their play could be decisive.
• Using Low Cards: Employ weak cards strategically to avoid unnecessary trick wins or use them as throwaway cards.

Game End

The game typically ends after a predetermined number of rounds. The player with the highest score is declared the winner.