The rules of Scorpion

Setup

The game uses a deck of 52 cards, without jokers. The app deals 49 cards into 7 columns of 7 cards:

• columns 1 to 4: 3 face-down cards, then 4 face-up cards on top;
• columns 5 to 7: all 7 cards face up.

This gives 12 face-down cards and 37 face-up cards. The remaining 3 cards form the stock, face down. Beside them, 4 spaces await the completed sequences.

Allowed moves

Any face-up card can be moved, even from the middle of a column. It moves with all the cards on top of it as a single unit, whether they are in order or not. Only the first card in the group determines whether the move is allowed:

• in a column, it can be placed on the top card if it is of the same suit and exactly one rank lower: the 9 of spades on the 10 of spades, the Jack on the Queen;
• nothing can be placed on an Ace.

For example, the first move of the winning game: the 4♥ from column 2 moves onto the 5♥ in column 7, carrying the 7♠ on top of it, even though it is not of the same suit.

The empty column

An emptied column only accepts a King, alone or with the cards on top of it. Any other card is rejected; with interactive rules enabled, the app displays “Only a King can go in an empty column”.

Face-down cards

When the last face-up card covering a face-down card is moved away, that card automatically turns face up and becomes playable.

The reserve

The 3 cards in the stock can be dealt only once, with a tap: one face-up card onto each of columns 1, 2 and 3. In the app, you can do this at any time. Dealing counts as one move.

Complete sequences

When a sequence of 13 cards of the same suit, from King to Ace, all face up, forms at the top of a column, the app removes it and places it in one of the 4 spaces. It checks the column where cards have just been placed (and columns 1 to 3 after the stock is dealt). A sequence covered by other cards stays in place. You never place a card in one of these spaces manually.

The end of the game

The game is won when all 4 sequences have been removed. The app does not detect a loss: when no more moves are possible, you undo moves or start a new game.

Relaxed rules

In the New Game window, the app offers Classic rules, the default, or Relaxed. In Relaxed, a card can be placed on any card one rank higher, regardless of suit: the 7 of hearts on the 8 of spades. Everything else is identical: only a King may go in an empty column, and complete sequences must be of a single suit to be removed from play. In Classic, this move is rejected with the message “Rule: cards must be of the same suit”.

Scoring

The score starts at 0. Playing a move never lowers it:

A game won without undoing any moves therefore earns at least 460 points: 12 cards turned over × 5 and 4 sequences × 100, plus 5 points for each placement on the same suit. Undoing a move subtracts its points; the app keeps the last 100 actions.

The app's choices and the traditional rule

Scorpion has no official rulebook. The app makes three choices worth knowing about:

• Removed sequences: the traditional rules leave completed sequences on the tableau; the app removes them and sets them aside.
• Stock at any time: the traditional rules deal the stock when no more moves are possible; the app lets you deal it whenever you like.
• Scoring: there is no recognized scoring system; the app uses its own.

The literature also mentions variants that the app does not offer: Wasp (any card or sequence can occupy an empty column, not just a King); Three Blind Mice (10 columns of 5 cards and 2 cards set aside face up, playable at any time). See the sources.