Smitten
Smitten Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 1 rulebook
- 18 cards (63mm x 88mm), numbered 1-9, in two sets of nine
Smitten is packaged inside a paper envelope; it's an entirely plastic-free, eco-friendly product.
Goal
Two players work cooperatively to complete two identical 3x3 grids of cards.
Setup
Shuffle the 18 cards into a deck and set aside 1 random card face down. Decide on a difficulty level, then each player draws a hand based on that difficulty. We recommend starting each session on Medium difficulty and adjusting it for subsequent games.
- Easy: 4 cards
- Medium: 3 cards
- Hard: 3 cards (includes a slight rule change as noted below)
Gameplay
Throughout the game, the only information you may discuss is whether you can or want to play a card, saying nothing more than, "I can play/I want to play" or "I can't play/I don't want to play." A combined statement is fine too. For example, if you have a card you can legally play but it may quickly lead to a losing situation, you could say, "I can play, but I don't want to play."
Whichever player chooses to play becomes the active player. The active player PLAYS a card in either grid. Then their partner must follow the instructions on the played card; this often includes the requirement that they must PLACE a card, which does not trigger any instructions on the placed card.
Important
All played/placed cards must be orthogonally adjacent to a card already in the grid (except the first card in each grid) and must be positioned correctly in the grid (the art must align).
Difficulty Levels
Hard Difficulty
You may not play or place a card if it results in a grid having ±2 cards than the other grid. For example, if a grid has 4 cards, you can't play or place a 6th card in the other grid.
End of Turn
At the end of each turn, both players draw back up to a full hand if possible (the active player draws their card(s) first). Then decide who will take the next turn. The same player may take multiple turns in a row.
Winning & Losing
Lose instantly if neither player can play a card or a partner can't follow the instructions on a played card. Win instantly if 17 cards are in the grids (when the 17th card is played, ignore the instructions on that card). As the finishing touch, place the final card to complete both grids.
Solo Mode
There's no need to read the 2-player rules to learn the solo mode.
Goal: Complete two identical 3x3 grids of cards.
Setup: Shuffle the 18 cards into a deck, set aside 1 random card face down, then create 2 hands by dealing 2 face up cards and 1 face down card to each. Each hand is the other hand's partner.
Gameplay: Each turn, PLAY a card from either hand in either grid. If the card you play is a face down card, flip it before putting it in a grid. Whenever a card has been played, if the partner has a face down card, immediately flip it. Finally, follow the instructions on the played card. This often includes the requirement that the partner must PLACE a card, which does not trigger any instructions on the placed card.
Important: All played/placed cards must be orthogonally adjacent to a card already in the grid (except the first card in each grid) and must be positioned correctly in the grid (the art must align).
Easy Mode: At the beginning of any turn, either hand may set a card aside face up and replace it, face up, with the card that was set aside during setup.
Hard Mode 1: If you play card 5 in the left grid, you must choose "higher" and if you play card 5 in the right grid, you must choose "lower."
Hard Mode 2: You may not play or place a card if it results in a grid having ±2 cards than the other grid. For example, if a grid has 4 cards, you can't play or place a 6th card in the other grid.
The modes can be combined.
At the end of each turn, draw both hands back up to 2 face up cards and 1 face down card if possible. The hand that started the turn draws its card(s) first, face up before face down.
Winning & Losing: Lose instantly if neither hand can play a card, if you try to play a face down card and it turns out to be impossible to play legally, or if a partner can't follow the instructions on a played card. Win instantly if 17 cards are in the grids (when the 17th card is played, ignore the instructions on that card). As the finishing touch, place the final card to complete both grids.
Clarifications: Card 1: Partner must have at least 2 cards in hand: 1 to "reveal" and another to place. Card 5: If the partner has a face down card, choose higher or lower before flipping it face up.
Solo mode designed by Morten Monrad Pedersen. Art by Vincent Dutrait. 1 player · 10 minutes · ages 10+.
Card Reference
Each grid uses one card of each number, 1 through 9. When a card is played, its partner must follow its printed instruction:
- 1: Your partner must reveal 1 card from their hand, then place another card in either grid.
- 2: Your partner must play a card in either grid (and trigger its instructions).
- 3: Your partner must reveal the top card of the deck, then place it in either grid.
- 4: Your partner must place a card in either grid so that it completes a row and/or column.
- 5: Choose higher or lower. Your partner must place a card in the other grid that is higher/lower than 5.
- 6: Your partner must place a card in either grid, but no other card with that number may already be in any grid.
- 7: Your partner must place a card in the other grid.
- 8: Your partner must place a card in this grid.
- 9: Your partner must place a card in either grid, but neither player may draw cards this turn.
(Cards 4 and 9 above are carried over from the earlier photo-based transcription. The official rulebook PDF reproduces the printed text of cards 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, and 8 as illustrative artwork but does not print the text of cards 4 or 9, so those two entries could not be checked against it.)
Panorama Artwork
Illustrator Vincent Dutrait's artwork on one completed grid (cards 1 through 9, left to right and top to bottom) depicts scenes inspired by Tapestry, Euphoria, Wingspan, Between Two Castles, My Little Scythe, Charterstone, Pendulum, Viticulture, and Between Two Cities, with Scythe's mech in the background — all previous Stonemaier Games titles, assembled to celebrate the publisher's 10th anniversary.