Clear the Dungeon

One-Deck game type. 1 joker deck. No redeal.

Object

Clear the dungeon by removing all the "monster cards" (face cards) from the tableau.

Rules

The face cards are dealt in four rows of three cards each, with only the top card of each pile face-up. These represent the dungeon monsters. The remaining cards are set aside in the talon, called the "power deck".

Cards are dealt from the talon three at a time. These cards can be moved to the monsters on the tableau, or moved to a single reserve pile. The top card of this reserve pile can also be moved to the tableau. Once all three cards have been moved to either the tableau or the reserve, three additional cards are dealt.

To slay a monster and remove it from the tableau, three additional cards must be placed on it.

• The first two cards must have a total rank that's greater than or equal to the rank of the face card (Jacks are 11, Queens are 12, Kings are 13). This represents the monster's power.
• Finally, a card of the same suit as the face card must be played to it to finish the attack.

Jokers are wild. They are treated as having a value of 10, and can be of any suit.

Once all three cards have been played correctly, the monster is slain, and all four cards are immediately removed (to the foundation). Cards in the tableau cannot be moved or removed otherwise.

The game is won if you're able to discard all the monster cards in the tableau.

Notes

Clear the Dungeon was invented by Mark S. Ball. More details can be found on his website.

Glossary
General rules

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