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Quintus

Quintus is a tactical trick-taking game where players aim to collect exactly five cards of each color to score bonus points, while having too few or too many results in penalties.

Game Objective

The goal is to have exactly five cards of as many colors as possible in front of you by the end of the round. Each color set of exactly five cards scores positive points; any deviation leads to point deductions.

Gameplay

The game is played over several rounds. In each round, all cards are dealt to the players.

1. Playing the Trick

• One player leads a card.
• Must Follow Suit: Players must follow the suit led if they have a card of that color in their hand.
• If a player cannot follow suit, they may discard any other card.
• There is no trump suit. The player with the highest card of the suit led wins the trick.

2. Collecting Cards (The Tableau)

• The winner of a trick does not place the cards in a hidden pile.
• Instead, the cards are placed face-up and sorted by color in front of the player.
• Throughout the round, each player builds their own tableau of color stacks.

The "Quintus" Rule & Scoring

The decision of which trick to win depends on the number of cards already collected:

• The Magic Five (Quintus): As soon as a player has exactly 5 cards of a color, that stack is worth 5 positive points during scoring.
• Penalties:
  • Every card under five (1 to 4 cards) counts as 1 negative point per card.
  • Every card over five (6 or more cards) also counts as 1 negative point for each excess card.
• Example: 5 cards = +5 points. 4 cards = -4 points. 6 cards = -1 point (for the sixth card).

Symbols & Categories

• Numerical Values: Only used to determine the winner of a trick.
• Colors: There are five different colors. The goal is to maintain balance across each.

End of Game

A round ends when all hand cards have been played. The overall game ends after a pre-agreed number of rounds. The player with the highest total score wins.

Strategic Decision Factors

• Counting Cards: Keep track of how many cards of each color have been played to avoid being forced to take a sixth card in a stack.
• Discarding: Use moments when you cannot follow suit to get rid of colors where you already have five cards or suits you don't want to collect at all.