What You'll Need
Kings in the Corner is one of those card games that feels instantly familiar — it plays like a cross between Solitaire and a multiplayer race. Perfect for family game night or a casual hang.
- One standard 52-card deck
- 2 to 6 players (sweet spot is 3-4)
- A table large enough to spread cards out — you'll need space for 8 piles
Setup
Shuffle the deck and deal 7 cards to each player. Place the remaining cards face-down in the center as the draw pile.
Flip the top 4 cards from the draw pile and place them face-up in the four cardinal positions around the draw pile — North, South, East, West. These are the four foundation piles.
The four corner spaces (NE, NW, SE, SW) remain empty for now. These are where Kings will go. Hence the name.
How to Play
Players take turns clockwise. On your turn, you can make as many moves as you want before drawing a card. Here's what you can do:
Legal Moves
- Play a card from your hand to a foundation pile — the card must be one rank lower than the top card of the pile AND a different color. Red on black, black on red, descending order. (Just like Solitaire.)
- Play a King from your hand to an empty corner — Kings can only go in the corner spots. Once a King is in a corner, you can build on it just like a foundation pile.
- Move an entire foundation pile onto another pile — if the bottom card of one pile can legally be placed on the top card of another pile, you can move the whole stack. This frees up space and can open strategic plays.
- Play from your hand to a corner pile — same rules as foundation piles.
Drawing
After making all your moves (or choosing not to move), you MUST draw one card from the draw pile. If the draw pile runs out, play continues without drawing.
Passing
If you have no legal moves and it's your turn, you still draw a card, then pass.
Winning
The first player to empty their hand completely wins the round. In the base game, that player wins the round outright.
Scoring version: Play multiple rounds and keep score. At the end of each round, all losing players count the cards remaining in their hand. Each card = 1 point. Kings = 10 points. Lowest cumulative score after an agreed number of rounds wins.
Tips & Strategy
- Get Kings out fast. Kings in your hand are dead weight — they can only go to corner spots, and corner spots are only useful once a King is there. Dump them as early as possible.
- Think about color before rank. The color-alternating rule catches people off guard. A black 7 can only go on a red 8, not a black 8 — always double-check color.
- Look for chain plays. Before you play a card, scan the board for sequences. Sometimes one move opens up three more. The best turns are ones where you clear several cards in one cascade.
- Don't pile on piles you'll need to move. If you stack heavily on one foundation pile, it becomes hard to relocate. Keep piles manageable.
- Watch opponents' hands. You can't see their cards, but you can watch what they play and how many cards remain. If someone is getting low, start blocking moves they might need.
Variations
Penalty Draw
If you can't play any card on your turn, draw 2 cards instead of 1. Punishes stagnant hands and speeds up the game.
Draw Until You Can Play
Instead of drawing exactly one card, keep drawing until you can make a legal play. If the draw pile runs out and you still can't play, pass. Makes turns more dynamic.
Speed Kings
Remove the turn structure — everyone plays simultaneously, as fast as they can. First to empty their hand wins. Chaotic but hilarious.
Drinking Game Version
At the end of each round, losers drink once per card remaining in hand. Kings count as 3 drinks. Winner assigns 5 drinks to distribute however they like.
Drinking variation is intended for adults 21 and older. Please drink responsibly.