How to Play Kings in the Corner
Build down from the kings and empty your hand first.
Also known as Kings Corners · King's Corner
Learn Kings in the Corner for 2–4 players: the draw, building down in alternating colors, kings in the corners and moving whole piles. Follow one turn, then play in your browser.
One turn that frees a side space
Your turn starts with the K♠ dealt from the stock, and the north-east corner is empty, so the king goes there; the Q♥ from your hand builds on it. The east side holds a pile of 10♦ with 9♠ on top, and the north side ends in the J♣: the 10♦ builds on the J♣, so the whole east pile moves onto it. The east side is now empty and you fill it with the 5♥, then tap End Turn.
| Situation | Play |
|---|---|
| You draw K♠; the north-east corner is empty | Play the K♠ into the corner: kings go only to empty corners |
| Q♥ in hand, K♠ now tops the corner | Q♥ builds on K♠: one rank lower, the other color |
| East pile is 10♦ then 9♠; north pile ends in J♣ | Move the whole east pile onto the J♣: its bottom card fits |
| East side is now empty; you hold 5♥ | Fill the side space with the 5♥, then tap End Turn |
| You hold only an 8♠ and nothing fits | Your turn simply ends; nobody is obliged to play |
The first player to empty their hand wins the round. In the scored game the others take 10 points per king and 1 per other card left in hand, and the lowest total wins when someone reaches the target.
Practise this game in your browser🎯 Objective
Be the first player to play every card from your hand onto the layout. With the scored option on, keep the lowest penalty total when someone reaches the target.
🃏 Kings in the Corner Setup & Rules
- 2 to 4 players with one 52-card deck, aces low and kings high. Each player gets 7 cards; the rest is the stock, face down in the middle.
- 4 cards are turned from the stock onto the side spaces: north, east, south and west, leaving the four corners empty.
- A king turned this way goes straight to a corner, and its side space stays empty until someone fills it during play. The player left of the dealer starts, and the deal passes left each round.
▶ How to Play Kings in the Corner
- Every turn begins with the top card of the stock, dealt to you as your turn starts. Once the stock is gone there is no draw.
- Play a card onto any pile when it is one rank lower and the other color: a red 6 on a black 7, a queen on a king, an ace on a 2.
- A king may only be played into an empty corner, and the corner pile is then built down the same way. Any other card may be placed into an empty side space.
- Move a whole pile onto another pile when its bottom card fits the other pile's top card; the side space it leaves is empty and may be filled from your hand. Corner piles never move, since their bottom card is a king.
- Make as many plays as you like, then end your turn. Nobody is obliged to play; if you cannot, your turn simply ends.
- The first player to empty their hand wins the round. If the stock is empty and a whole lap passes with nobody playing or moving a pile, the round ends and the lowest hand wins it.
🎬 Watch: How to Play Kings in the Corner
This video is embedded from YouTube and remains the intellectual property of its respective creator and/or rights holder. Vanikar LLC claims no ownership of, or rights in, the video content, and no affiliation with or endorsement by its creator is implied. The video is displayed via YouTube’s public embed feature in accordance with the YouTube Terms of Service and the agreements between YouTube and the content uploader.
📖 Detailed Guide
Setting up your table
- From the game menu choose Kings in the Corner, then pick 2, 3 or 4 seats and fill the empty ones with AI players.
- Leave the scored option off for a single round won by the first player out, or turn it on to play to a penalty target of 25, 50, 75 or 100 (50 by default).
- Each player gets 7 cards from one 52-card deck, aces low and kings high; the rest is the stock in the middle.
- Four cards are turned onto the side spaces, north, east, south and west. A king turned this way goes to a corner and its side space stays empty.
Building on the layout
- Each pile is built downward in rank with colors alternating: a red 6 on a black 7, a queen on a king, an ace on a 2.
- Tap a card, then the pile it goes onto, or Play to put it on the first pile it fits.
- Only a king may start a corner pile; any other card may fill an empty side space.
- A corner pile is built down like any other, but it never moves because its bottom card is a king.
Taking a turn
- The top card of the stock is dealt to you as your turn starts; once the stock is gone there is no draw.
- Play as many cards from your hand as you legally can, in any order, then tap End Turn.
- Move an entire pile onto another when its bottom card fits the other pile's top card: tap the pile, then the pile it goes onto. The freed side space may be filled from your hand.
- Nobody is obliged to play. If you have nothing, your turn simply ends.
Winning
- The first player to play the last card from their hand wins the round at once.
- In the default single-round game, that player wins. If the stock is empty and a whole lap passes with nobody playing or moving a pile, the round ends and the lowest hand wins; ties share.
- In the scored game the others take 10 penalty points per king and 1 per other card left in hand, and the deal passes left for the next round.
- Rounds continue until a total reaches the target, and the player with the lowest total wins.
📊 Kings in the Corner Scoring
By default the game is a single round and the first player out wins; in a stalemate the lowest hand wins, and ties share. With the scored option on, the other players take penalty points for the cards left in hand, 10 for each king and 1 for every other card. Rounds continue, the deal passing left, until a total reaches the target (25, 50, 75 or 100; 50 by default), and the lowest total wins.
❓ Kings in the Corner — Frequently Asked Questions
How many players do you need for Kings in the Corner?
Kings in the Corner is played with 2–4 players. On Vanikar, empty seats can be filled with AI opponents so you can always start a game.
How many players can play Kings in the Corner in the app?
2, 3 or 4, each with 7 cards from a single 52-card deck. Any empty seat can be filled with an app opponent.
What happens when a king is turned up at the start?
It goes straight to a corner and its side space stays empty, to be filled from a hand during play. Kings may only ever be played into an empty corner, never into a side space.
Do you draw a card every turn?
Yes, while the stock lasts: the top card of the stock is dealt to you as your turn starts, before you play. Once the stock is empty there is no draw, and if a whole lap passes with nobody able to play, the round ends.
How is Kings in the Corner scored?
By default it is a single round and the first player out wins. With the scored option on, the others take 10 penalty points per king and 1 per other card left in hand; rounds continue until a total reaches the target of 25, 50, 75 or 100, and the lowest total wins.
