Play Knaves Online
Play the Knaves card game at a lavender garden table. A trick earns a point, but a captured Jack can cost more than the trick is worth. Knaves offers a complete three-player match against two computer opponents and 20 open-information studies. Learn the scoring and practice choosing which tricks to win. Play free online, with no ads or download.
How to play Knaves online
- Inspect the face-up trump indicator. Each player receives 17 cards from a standard 52-card deck; the one remaining card sets trump and is not played.
- Select a card and press Play card. Follow the suit led if possible. When you have none of that suit, you may play any card, including a trump.
- Review the complete trick and its net score. After all 17 tricks, add deal points to the match totals and choose Next deal. The highest total wins once at least one player reaches 20.
Controls
Tap or click a hand card, inspect its enlarged preview and press Play card. Previous, Next card and Select also move through the hand. Keys 1–9, 0, minus, equals, Q, W, E, R and T cover all 17 starting slots. Arrows move focus; Enter or Space selects; P plays, H hints, U or Ctrl+Z undoes in studies, C starts the next completed deal, and Escape clears the selection. Score & rules and Help open separate dialogs.
A tip before you start
Count the net value before trying to win. A trick containing the Jack of hearts is worth 1 minus 4, or −3 points, to its winner. A trick with no Jacks is worth +1. If more than one Jack falls in the same trick, add all of their penalties.
The three-player 17-card version
Knaves uses the WhiteKnuckle Cards profile: three players, 17 cards each and one exposed trump indicator. You play first in the initial deal; the dealer then rotates clockwise. The player to the dealer's left leads the first trick, and each trick winner leads the next. The archived Dave Barker rules describe a different 13-card deal. This game consistently uses the 17-card version.
Follow suit, then compare trump
Cards rank Ace high, then King, Queen, Jack, 10 down to 2. Play the led suit whenever you have it. Otherwise you may discard any card or play trump. Trump is not compulsory when you are void, and there is no requirement to overtrump. The highest trump wins; if nobody plays trump, the highest card of the led suit wins. Cards of an unrelated suit cannot win that trick.
Four Jacks, four different costs
Every won trick scores +1. Capturing the Jack of clubs subtracts 2, the Jack of diamonds subtracts 3, the Jack of spades subtracts 1, and the Jack of hearts subtracts 4. Penalties belong to the player who captures the Jack, not necessarily the player who played it. All penalties in a trick add together. Negative deal and match totals are allowed.
The indicator never enters a trick
The exposed 52nd card is set aside for the entire deal. Its suit defines trump, but the card cannot be played or captured. If that card is a Jack, its penalty does not appear in the deal. A repeated indicator suit still sets the same trump suit in the next deal; this implementation does not add a repeated-suit no-trump variation.
Complete each deal before scoring the match
Play all 17 tricks before adding the deal's net points to each player's match total. Next deal rotates the dealer and deals fresh hands while preserving those totals. At the end of a deal where someone has at least 20, the highest total wins. If two or three players share that highest total, this app declares joint winners. That tie convention is explicit because totals are assessed together at the end of the deal.
Twenty studies with every hand visible
The studies start from positions reached through legal full deals. All three hands are open. Guarantee at least the displayed additional net points against every possible opposing continuation. A zero target means avoid a net loss; a negative target means limit your loss. Every target-reaching line is accepted. The sequence grows from two-card to five-card endings, with strictly increasing distinct decision states and nondecreasing necessary choice depth. Both defenders supply worst-case replies in these studies so that the target is a guarantee, not a prediction about normal opponents.
Advice and editable choices
The normal computer players and normal Hint use only their own hand, exposed cards and public play history. They do not inspect hidden opposing hands. Selecting a card is only a preview; Play commits it, and an illegal off-suit card cannot be committed. A study Hint selects a move that preserves the target. A search limit is reported as unknown, and a position that can no longer guarantee the goal asks you to Undo. Two successful hints per study are not refunded.
Undo, progress and related games
Study Undo restores your preceding decision and both computer replies, including after an unsuccessful ending. Full matches keep choices committed. Restart repeats the initial deal after confirmation; New match starts fresh. Unlocks, best study results and sound preference save locally, while an unfinished match restarts on reload. Knaves here is a trick-taking game with weighted Jack penalties. It is separate from no-trump Polignac, Knaves solitaire and truth-teller logic puzzles.
Frequently asked questions
Why did winning a trick lower my score?
A trick earns one point, then the penalties for every captured Jack are subtracted. Taking the heart Jack alone gives a net −3.
Does the exposed trump Jack cost somebody points?
No. The indicator remains outside every hand and trick. It sets trump but is never captured or scored.
Must I play a trump when I cannot follow suit?
No. Any card is legal when you hold none of the led suit. You are not required to trump or overtrump.
What does a negative study target mean?
It asks you to control the loss. For example, a minimum of −2 is met by −2, −1, 0 or any positive gain from the study position.
Do the computer players see my cards?
Normal computer players receive only their own hand and public information. Studies deliberately expose all three hands and test the worst possible replies.
Can I play with friends online?
This version has two computer opponents and solo studies. It does not include remote multiplayer, accounts, cash stakes or in-game ads.
About Knaves
Play the Knaves card game at a lavender garden table. A trick earns a point, but a captured Jack can cost more than the trick is worth. Knaves offers a complete three-player match against two computer opponents and 20 open-information studies. Learn the scoring and practice choosing which tricks to win. Play free online, with no ads or download.
Play this puzzle / casual game in the embedded browser player. No app installation or MangoFun account is required. Follow the instructions shown inside the game; controls and device support depend on the title.
