The Game of 50 States

Play what you capture. Capture to win.

Start with seven cards each, drawn from one deck of fifty states.

Choose one card and press Confirm to see the computer’s choice. The highest card wins the match–and the winning card is discarded from the game. But the winner captures the losing card–which will be playable in the next round. The round continues until one player has played all their cards.

Use unplayed and captured cards to make the next hand. Game matches continue until either player runs out of playable cards. The last player holding cards wins the game.

Your cards are dealt when you press Play.

Your trophies

A star per win; a flag per 50 wins.

Game rules

  1. You and the computer each receive seven random cards from the same fifty-card deck. The other thirty-six cards sit this game out.
  2. Choose a card from your hand, then press Confirm to reveal both choices. The computer picks at random without looking at your choice.
  3. The higher number wins the match. That winning card is discarded from the game; its owner captures the lower card for the next round.
  4. Keep playing until either current hand is empty. Any unplayed cards stay with their owner—only the winning card spent in each match is discarded.
  5. Combine your retained, unplayed cards with your captures to make your next hand. A player with no captures can still continue if they have retained cards. Only a player with an empty combined hand is out; the other player wins.
  6. Every card has a unique statehood rank, so every match has a winner.
  7. Each game you win adds a local star. Every fifty wins earns a flag badge.