Capturing Loose cards
These are normal cards sitting on the table. You can capture one or more of them using a card from your hand that equals the sum of what you're capturing.
2♣
3♥
5♦
How to play Seep
Learn how to play one of the best playing card games you've probably never heard of.
The shortest version
1
You play exactly one card from your hand on each turn.
2
The numberic values of cards can be added together to build houses of 9 or more
3
A house, or other loose cards can be captured using a card of that value from your hand
4
Captured Spades are worth points. But a full table Sweep (aka a seep) scores 50 points!
1. Cards are just numbers
Every play in Seep is about numbers or addition of numbers. The face cards are worth numbers too.
A♣
5♠
J♥
Q♦
K♣
A=1. J=11, Q=12, K=13.
A card from your hand can be combined with one or more cards from the table to make houses where the value is the total sum of the numbers of the cards. A card from your hand can be used to capture something of equivalent value from the table.
2. The Moves
Building a house
Loose cards from the table can also be combined with a card from your hand to build a new house. You may only build houses that you have a card to capture later.
2♣
3♥
+8♦
=13
Modifying a house
You can add cards to an existing house to change its value. For example, you can add a 2 to a house of 10 to turn it into a 12-house.
10♣
2♥
=12
Re-inforcing a house
You can double up (or triple, or quadruple...) the value of a house to re-inforce. Example, you can add an extra 12 into a 12 house. Once a house is re-inforced, it can no longer be modified.
10♣
2♥
+12
=12🔒
Capturing a house
Just like loose cards, you can capture a house with a card of the same value from your hand. Example, a 12-house must be captured with a 12 from your hand.
12🔒
-12♥
= POINTSThrowing loose cards
If the card from your hand cannot capture something and you choose not build with it, you can throw it as an additional loose card for the table.
5♣
3. Starting round
The game starts with four cards in hand and four face-down cards on the table.
2♣
3♥
5♦
12♠
The first player must then announce a number from their hand of value 9 or higher. The suit is not announced.
12
ANNOUNCEDAfter this, the four cards on the table are revealed.
7♣
1♥
9♦
10♠
The first play MUST match the value of the announced number. In this example, a 2 from the hand can be combined with the 10 on table. OR the 3 from the hand can be combined with the 9 on the table.
7♣
1♥
9♦
...10♠
+2♣
=12
If no other play is possible, the first player must throw the card with the announced value from their hand.
12♠
4. Scoring
Add these at the end of the hand, then apply the bonus for a cleared table.
Every ace+1
Every spaderank value
10 of diamonds+2
More captured cards+4
Clear the table+50
The total points, other than any Seep bonus points, add up to exactly 100.
When the round ends, any leftover loose cards, house cards, hidden floor cards, and undealt cards go to the last team that made a capture.
5. Seeps (aka Sweeps)
If you capture from the table to leave behind an empty table. You score a bonus 50 points.
This means that a common strategy in Seep is to try to always leave behind exactly 2 houses on the table. This puts pressure on your opponent. And when they have no other options remaining, force them into capturing one the houses on the table, giving an easy Seep.
After you score a Seep bonus, your opponent has to throw another card on the table, giving you the opportunity to score subsequent Seeps!
6. Two or Four player games
In a two player game, the cards are deal in two rounds. This makes it harder to know your opponnent's hand as you would need to memorize the cards played in the first round to know what your opponent has in the second round.
In a four player game. Opposite seats play as teammates, and all cards are deal in a single round. All of the same rules apply, except you are allowed to add cards to houses built by your teammmate even if you don't have a card to capture that house yourself.