How many cards are in a Scoundrel dungeon?

44 cards. You remove 10 cards from a standard 52-card deck plus 2 Jokers: the 2 Jokers, the 3 red face cards of each red suit (Jack, Queen, King of Hearts and Diamonds), and the 2 red Aces.

Can I avoid every Room in Scoundrel?

No. You can avoid as many Rooms as you want, but never two Rooms in a row. After avoiding a Room, you must face the next one.

Can I use a weapon on any monster?

Only if the monster's value is strictly less than the last monster the weapon killed. A fresh weapon can fight anything once. Once used, it degrades and can only target weaker monsters from then on.

What happens to my old weapon when I pick up a new one?

Your old weapon and any monsters stacked on it go straight to the discard pile. Equipping a weapon is mandatory; you can't keep the old one.

Can I drink two Health Potions in one turn?

You can pick up two, but only the first one heals you. The second is discarded with no effect. Health can never exceed 20.

What happens to the 4th card I don't pick?

It stays face-up and becomes part of your next Room. Next turn, you only flip 3 new cards from the Dungeon to bring the Room back to four.

Is the weapon discarded after it can't fight a monster?

No. The weapon stays equipped; it just can't be used against that particular monster. It can still fight weaker monsters later, and is only discarded when you equip a new one.

How long does a game of Scoundrel take?

A typical game takes about 5 to 15 minutes, depending on how much you deliberate.

← Back to home

How to Play Scoundrel

Scoundrel is a solo roguelike card game by Zach Gage and Kurt Bieg (2011), playable in about 10 minutes with a standard deck.

Setup

Remove 10 cards from a standard 52-card deck (plus Jokers): both Jokers, all red face cards (J/Q/K of Hearts and Diamonds), and both red Aces. Shuffle the remaining 44 cards. This is the Dungeon. Start with 20 Health.

Card Types

Hearts (×9) — Health Potions. Restore HP equal to value, max 20. Only one per Room.
Diamonds (×9) — Weapons. Equip to absorb monster damage. They degrade with use.
Clubs & Spades (×26) — Monsters. Damage equals their value. Aces are 14.

Forming a Room

Each turn, flip 4 cards to form a Room. Resolve 3 of them, in any order. The 4th carries over to the next Room.

Before resolving any cards, you may avoid the Room by placing all four cards at the bottom of the Dungeon. You can avoid as many Rooms as you like, but never two in a row. After avoiding a Room, you must face the next one.

Fighting

Barehanded: take the monster's full value as damage. With a weapon: subtract weapon value from monster value; the remainder hits your health. The monster lands on top of the weapon.

Weapon Degradation

After a weapon kills a monster, it can only fight monsters with a value strictly less than the last monster it killed. The weapon stays equipped, but degrades — switch weapons or fight barehanded against bigger threats.

Health Potions

One potion per Room — extras are discarded. Health caps at 20.

Winning & Scoring

Clear the entire Dungeon to win. Your score is your remaining Health. Bonus: if your last card was a Health Potion and you are already at 20, add the potion's value to your score. If you die, subtract the value of every remaining Monster in the Dungeon from your final Health (at or below zero) for your negative score.

This page uses interactive animated examples that require JavaScript. Enable JavaScript for the full experience, or grab the app on iOS & Mac / Google Play.