War of Words

The game

War — the card game — turbo-charged under playing-card heraldry: crimson and ivory court suits, gold filigree borders, and your tally burned into a wax seal. Each flip sends a champion from your deck against the Crimson Admiral's; the higher rank seizes the pile. When ranks match, a WAR erupts — a battle card flashes at center and the first to seize it takes everything on the table, unless the Admiral's gauge fills first. Hold a shield to unleash power cards: the Joker beats all ranks, and the Inquisition demands three verdicts at once. First house to 52 cards carries the realm.

How to play

• Click your deck (or press Space / Enter) to flip a battle card — higher rank takes both cards into your pile and your wax-seal count climbs.
• On a tie, WAR erupts: click anywhere (or hit Space) before the Admiral's Reach gauge fills to seize the whole pile — every card on the table.
• Hold the JOKER shield for half a second to arm it — your next flip plays the Joker, which beats all ranks (12 s cooldown).
• Hold the INQUISITION shield to demand three verdicts at once — each row goes to its higher rank, ties to the accuser (20 s cooldown).
• Press P or Esc for a parley (pause); click or press Space on the end screen for a rematch.
• First house to 52 held cards wins the realm; if night falls after 350 battles, the house with more cards wins.