Split Mind

Full rules

1. Overview
2. The cards
3. Setup
4. A round
5. Winning the game
6. Differences from Jekyll vs. Hyde
7. Tips for beginners
8. Variants

Overview

Split Mind is a trick-taking game for two in which the players want different things. One player is the Keeper, who tries to keep things balanced; the other is the Shadow, who wants the opposite. After each round, the difference between the two players' tricks moves the Shadow forward on a track of ten cards – no matter who won more. If the Shadow reaches the end of the track, the Shadow wins. If the track is not finished after three rounds, the Keeper wins.

On top of that, the three suits have no fixed order: the order is set by the cards played in each round, and four elixirs (small spades) can change it, swap cards or steal a trick.

• Players: exactly 2.
• You need: 38 cards from one standard deck (see below).

Split Mind is our own adaptation for an ordinary deck, inspired by Jekyll vs. Hyde (Geonil, 2021). The names and texts are our own, and there is no story. It has not been playtested yet.

The cards

Take these cards out of the deck:

The 25 colour cards and elixirs are the playing cards. The rest of the deck is not used.

Elixir values. Each elixir is worth a little more than its number: the 4♠ beats a 4 of any suit, but not a 5. Think of it as "4 and a half".

Setup

1. Decide who is the Keeper and who is the Shadow. The Shadow deals every round; who leads is explained under "Who leads the first trick?".
2. Track: lay the 10 track cards face down in a row at the side of the table. Each time the Shadow moves forward, you turn one of them face up, from left to right.
3. Suit order: keep the three 8s ready next to three places marked weakest – middle – strongest.

A round

The game has three rounds. Each round has three steps: deal and exchange, play ten tricks, move the Shadow.

1. Deal and exchange

1. The Shadow shuffles the 25 playing cards and deals 10 to each player. The last 5 cards go aside face down – nobody looks at them.
2. Exchange: each player chooses cards from their hand and lays them face down; then you swap them at the same time. In round 1 you exchange 1 card, in round 2 2 cards, in round 3 3 cards.
3. If you were dealt two or more elixirs, at least one of the cards you give away must be an elixir.

2. Play ten tricks

A trick is one card from each player. The leader plays any card, the other player plays a card to it, and one of them wins the trick. The winner keeps the two cards face down in front of them and leads to the next trick.

Who leads the first trick? In round 1, the Keeper. In rounds 2 and 3, the Keeper if fewer than 5 track cards are face up, otherwise the Shadow.

Following:

• If a colour card is led, you must play a card of the same suit – or an elixir, which you may always play instead. If you have neither, play any card.
• If an elixir is led, the leader names one of the three suits (♥, ♦ or ♣). You must play a card of that suit if you can – you may not answer with an elixir then. If you have none, play any card.

The suit order

At the start of each round, the three suits have no order. It is set by the colour cards as they are played:

• The first suit that is played this round becomes the weakest. Put its 8 on the "weakest" place.
• The second suit that is played becomes the middle one.
• The third suit is then automatically the strongest.

The order holds until the end of the round – unless an elixir resets it (see ♥ below). Elixirs have no suit and never get a place.

Who wins the trick?

• Same suit: the higher number wins.
• Different suits: the stronger suit wins, whatever the numbers.
• One elixir: first carry out the elixir's effect (below). Then the higher number wins – suits don't matter, and the elixir beats a card of the same number.
• Two elixirs: they cancel each other out – no effect; the higher one wins.

Example: The Keeper leads the 6♦ – the first suit this round, so diamonds become the weakest. The Shadow has no diamonds and plays the 2♣. Clubs become the middle suit, and hearts are now the strongest. Clubs beat diamonds, so the Shadow wins the trick with a 2.

Elixir effects

When one player plays an elixir, its effect depends on the suit of the other card in the trick:

Example: The Keeper leads the 4♠ and names hearts. The Shadow must play a heart and plays the 6♥. The heart triggers Reset: the markers come off. Then 6 beats 4, so the Shadow wins the trick.

3. Move the Shadow

After the tenth trick, count your tricks. Take the difference between the two players' tricks and turn that many track cards face up. It doesn't matter who won more – the Shadow always moves forward.

Example: The Keeper won 6 tricks, the Shadow 4. The difference is 2, so turn up two more track cards. With 5–5, the Shadow wouldn't move at all.

If the last track card is turned up, the Shadow wins at once. Otherwise, take the 8s off the suit order, gather all 25 playing cards – including the 5 set aside – and start the next round.

Winning the game

• The Shadow wins as soon as all ten track cards are face up.
• The Keeper wins if at least one track card is still face down after the third round.

Differences from Jekyll vs. Hyde

Split Mind uses the rules of Jekyll vs. Hyde: three suits of 1–7, four elixirs worth 2+ to 5+, ten cards dealt and five set aside, the growing exchange, the suit order set by play, and the three effects. The original has a game board with an identity track; we use ten track cards instead. The original board shows on whose side the marker stands, and whoever's side it is on leads the round; we set the halfway mark at 5 face-up cards.

Tips for beginners

• As the Keeper, aim for 5–5. Winning too many tricks helps the Shadow just as much as losing too many.
• As the Shadow, push either way. You can win by taking lots of tricks – or by giving them all away.
• The first card of a round matters. The suit you lead first becomes the weakest. Lead from a suit you want to lose with.
• Keep an elixir for the right moment. Against a club it can steal a trick – a swing of two in the difference.
• Count the 5 cards set aside. Five of the 25 cards are not in play, so not every card you are waiting for will come.

Variants

Optional – agree before you start. This variant comes from the original rules.

• Return match: play two games and switch roles. Each time you are the Shadow, you score 1 point per track card turned up (10 if you finished the track). The higher score wins; if both scored 10, the player who needed fewer rounds wins. Otherwise it is a draw.