How to play
The board shows playing cards. On your turn, play a card from your hand and put your chip on a matching space on the board. Then you draw a new card. Make a line of five of your chips in a row, across, down or diagonally, to score a row. In a two-player game you need two rows to win. With three players, one row wins.
- Free corners: the four gold corner spaces count as a chip for everyone.
- Wild jacks (clubs and diamonds): place your chip on any empty space.
- Remove jacks (spades and hearts): take an opponent's chip off the board, unless it is already part of a completed row.
- Dead cards: if both spaces for a card you hold are covered, you can swap that card for a new one once per turn, then play normally.
- Two rows may share one chip.
Tips to win
- Use the corners. A line that touches a corner needs only four chips.
- Build lines that can be finished in two ways, so one block is not enough.
- Save wild jacks to finish a row or to stop an opponent who is about to win.
- Remove jacks are best used to break an opponent's four in a row.
How a turn works
Rowdy Jacks is a strategy game that mixes cards and a board. The board is made of playing cards, and your hand tells you where you may place your chip this turn. Play a card, put a chip on a matching empty space, then draw a replacement. The game rewards the same skills as Gomoku, such as threats and double threats, but your options are limited by the cards you hold, so you also have to plan with what you have.
Jacks are special. The one-eyed jacks (spades and hearts) remove an opponent’s chip, so they are your best defence against a line that is almost complete. The two-eyed jacks (clubs and diamonds) are wild and let you place a chip on any empty space. The four gold corners count as a chip for every player.
Strategy in depth
Think in lines, not single chips. Each chip you place should belong to at least two possible lines, so that blocking one still leaves you another. Corners are valuable because a line that touches a corner needs only four of your own chips.
Be careful with the cards you hold. A card whose two spaces are both covered is dead, and you can swap it once per turn. Do this early, because a hand full of dead cards slows you down. Keep a wild jack for the move that finishes a line or blocks one that cannot be stopped any other way.
Remember that you cannot remove a chip that is already part of a finished row. If your opponent is close to a finish, use your remove jack before they complete it, not after.
Teams and playing online
You can play against the computer with two or three players. Online, rooms can hold up to six people in teams of two: 1 against 1, 1 against 1 against 1, 2 against 2, or 2 against 2 against 2. If you have five people the sixth seat is filled by a computer player. Everyone chooses a team colour (red, blue or green) before the game starts. With two teams you need two rows to win, and with three teams the first row wins. Your hand is kept private on the server, and the room chat is temporary.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to know Gomoku first?
No. If you have played Gomoku or Four Connect you will understand the goal quickly, but the rules are explained above and the computer opponent is a gentle way to learn.
What if I cannot play any of my cards?
If both spaces for a card are covered, that card is dead and you can swap it for a new one once per turn before you play.
Can two rows share a chip?
Yes. One chip may belong to two different rows, which is a good way to score both quickly.
What does a free corner do?
The four gold corner spaces count as a chip for everyone, so they help every team build a line.