Ruthless! Merciless Cards

Mission briefing

RUTHLESS! is an online multiplayer card game from the crazy eights family — with a mean streak. Empty your hand to win, or be the last one standing: every penalty makes you draw, and whoever reaches 25 cards is eliminated. What makes it different are three rules of its own. RUNS let you drop a whole sequence of consecutive numbers in the same colour in one turn — the last card rules, so a good run changes the colour, lands a penalty and empties half your hand at once. COLD BLOOD is one token per match that freezes the penalty coming at you and doubles the next one you deal. DOUBLE! raises the XP at stake when you feel ahead, and your rivals can fold before it lands on them. Play against real people online, with bots that have personality when nobody is around. Classic, a daily table that changes for everyone, ranked Arena with leagues, 2 vs 2, three-round tournaments and private rooms. 168-card deck, five languages, free.

Field manual

GOAL — Be the first to empty your hand, or the last player left alive. Penalties make you draw cards; whoever reaches 25 cards is eliminated, so you can also win by outlasting everyone. BASIC RULE — Play a card that matches the colour or the number of the card on top of the pile. If you have nothing playable, draw. CONTROLS Desktop: click a card to play it, click the deck to draw. When a card asks you to choose a colour or a rival, the choice appears on screen. Mobile: with a full hand the cards overlap, so the first tap lifts a card and the second one plays it. You can also swipe a card upwards to play it straight away. Runs: tap the first card of the run — it carries a magenta badge showing how long the run can get — then tap the following cards one by one; the game highlights what fits. Swipe up or press PLAY RUN to drop them all at once. ACTION BUTTONS (bottom row, they only appear when you can use them) LAST CARD! — call it when you are down to one card. If a rival presses CAUGHT! before you do, you draw. COLD BLOOD — freezes the penalty coming at you. One per match, and it doubles the next penalty you deal. DOUBLE! — raises the XP at stake. Rivals can fold before it lands on them. The lifebuoy icon in the top right turns the beginner hints on and off.

Launch orders: press Launch mission above and the game loads on this page itself — nothing downloads and no form stands between you and the first move. It is designed for a flexible screen and takes its orders from mouse, keyboard or touch, depending on the mission. It adapts to both upright and wide screens, so phones, tablets and desktops all frame it sensibly. If it offers a fullscreen control, use it — a fight this size deserves the whole screen.

Field notes for multiplayer operations

• The first match against strangers is tuition. You are not there to win it; you are there to learn the map, the pacing and what the regulars do that the tutorial never mentioned.
• Ping and position beat raw aim. A stable connection and a sensible place to stand will win you more rounds than any sensitivity setting ever published.
• Rematch the player who beat you cleanly. Queues are random, but lessons are not — the opponent who outplayed you is a free coach for exactly the skill you are missing.

Ruthless! Merciless Cards — questions from the ranks

What does it cost to play Ruthless! Merciless Cards?

Nothing at all. The mission is free from the first order to the last — no sign-up, no download, no paid tier guarding the good levels. The advertising around this page is what keeps the board free.

What sort of mission is Ruthless! Merciless Cards?

Ruthless! Merciless Cards is filed in our Multiplayer theatre. Like every operation on this board, it is a browser game — read the briefing above for the publisher's own account of what you are deploying into.

Can I run Ruthless! Merciless Cards on a phone or tablet?

Yes. It plays in the browser on phones and tablets exactly as it does on a computer. It adapts to both upright and wide screens, so phones, tablets and desktops all frame it sensibly.

Do I have to install anything before playing?

No installation of any kind. Ruthless! Merciless Cards is an HTML5 game: press the launch button and it loads on this page, and closing the tab leaves nothing behind.

After-action

Mission complete, or still pinned down? The full Multiplayer theatre is one click away — Other people are the content. One hundred and thirty-six operations where the opposition has a pulse, a username and no intention of letting you win politely.