The Lockup Card Game

I just discovered this new game online three days ago. The game was originally called Quarantine.

Quick run-down of the rules:

  • Standard 52-card deck.

  • Avoid getting clubs.

  • Must follow suit unless you do not have suit led, then you may play a Club.

  • Exception is if a face card of another suit has been played to the trick, you may play the matching Club face card (someone played King of Hearts, you may play the King of Clubs even if you do have a Heart in your hand).

  • If you win a trick with Clubs, you are “locked up” (cannot play) for the same number of tricks as the number of Clubs you took in the trick. For each trick during your “lock up”, one card is randomly removed from your hand is set aside (it does not play in the tricks, so even if it’s a Club, it does not affect anyone–other than you). This obviously has no effect in the last trick of the hand.

  • You cannot lead a Club to a trick unless you only have Clubs in your hand.

  • You get one point for each trick you take.

  • Game is to 20 points, but I think that’s a bit low. 50 points sounds more reasonable to me.

The site author says he created the game so people can have fun while they’re stuck at home during this pandemic. Personally, I think he did a very good job creating this game. I really cannot think of a game similar to it. Of course, there are thousands (at least) of trick-taking games and there are games where you must avoid taking one suit. I do not know any games with this combination of trick-taking, suit avoidance, permitted playing of penalty cards, and sitting out tricks.

I left off two rules.

  • If you take a trick, you lead to the next trick.

  • If you take a trick with Clubs, then you obviously cannot lead to the next trick. The first player going around the table clockwise who is not locked up will lead to the next trick.