How long is a game of Kings in the Corner?

A single hand takes about 15 to 30 minutes . A multi-hand match played to the common 25-point penalty threshold typically runs 30 to 60 minutes. Kings in the Corner is family-friendly and suitable for ages 8 and up — once a player can read rank and color, they can play.

Free Printable Kings in the Corner Rules

Q: How do you set up Kings in the Corner?

Deal 7 cards face-down to each player (2 to 4 players, best with 4). Place the rest of the deck face-down in the center as the stockpile . Turn the top 4 cards of the stockpile face-up and place them in a cross around the stockpile — one to the north, south, east, and west. Leave the four corner positions empty — they are reserved for Kings only. The player to the dealer's left plays first and play proceeds clockwise.

Q: What can you play on a foundation pile?

Every build move requires the played card to be exactly one rank lower than the top card of the pile AND of the opposite color — red on black, black on red. Suits do not need to match, only color (hearts/diamonds = red; clubs/spades = black). Rank order is K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A. Ace is the lowest rank — nothing can be played on top of an Ace.

Q: Where do Kings go in Kings in the Corner?

The four corner positions (NE, NW, SE, SW) of the cross can only be started by a King . Queens, Jacks, or any other card may NOT be placed in an empty corner. Once a King is in a corner, build down on it in alternating colors like any other foundation — a Queen of the opposite color, then a Jack of the opposite color, and so on.

Q: What is consolidating piles?

Consolidating means picking up an entire foundation pile and stacking it onto another foundation pile, provided the bottom card of the moving pile is one rank lower and opposite color to the top card of the destination pile. This is the key strategic move — it frees the original cardinal slot, into which the active player may then play any card from their hand to start a new pile (not just a King — corners remain King-only).

Q: How is Kings in the Corner scored?

The most common scoring (Pagat, Dice Game Depot) gives 10 penalty points per King still held in hand and 1 point per other card . Play hands until a player reaches the agreed threshold — commonly 25 points — and the player with the lowest total wins the match . Wikipedia's version awards 10 for Kings, 2 for Queens and Jacks, and 1 for all other cards. Longer pip-value variants count Aces as 25, face cards as 10, and numbered cards at face value, playing to 100 or 250.

About Free Printable Kings in the Corner Rules

Free printable Kings in the Corner rules — setup, turn flow, building down in alternating colors, placing Kings in corners, scoring, and common variants.

How to use

Choose your print style. Full color renders the cards with classic red and black suits on white card faces — great as a reference poster. Ink-saver (black & white) drops the colour for a cheap family or classroom handout.
Choose whether to show card diagrams. Diagrams on (the default) includes the starting cross layout, worked examples of building down in alternating colors, consolidating piles, and placing Kings in the corners. Text only gives the most compact, fewest-pages version.
Read the preview to confirm the layout — rules flow from the objective and setup, through the turn flow (builds, King placements, consolidations, refills), special rules, scoring, winning the hand, and common variants.
Click Print Rules to send it to your printer or save it as a PDF. The illustrated guide prints cleanly across one or two letter / A4 pages; choose Text only for the most compact summary.

Frequently asked questions

How do you set up Kings in the Corner?

Deal 7 cards face-down to each player (2 to 4 players, best with 4). Place the rest of the deck face-down in the center as the stockpile. Turn the top 4 cards face-up and place them in a cross around the stockpile — one to the N, S, E, and W. Leave the four corner positions empty — they are reserved for Kings only. Player to the dealer's left starts; play goes clockwise.

What can you play on a foundation pile?

Each build must be exactly one rank lower than the top card AND of the opposite color — red on black, black on red. Suits don't need to match, only colour (hearts/diamonds = red; clubs/spades = black). Rank runs K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A. Ace is low — nothing plays on an Ace.

Where do Kings go in Kings in the Corner?

Kings are the only cards that may start a corner pile (NE, NW, SE, SW). Queens, Jacks, and other ranks may not. Once a King lands in a corner, you build down on it in alternating colors just like any other foundation.

What is consolidating piles?

Consolidating means lifting an entire foundation pile and stacking it onto another, provided the bottom card of the moving pile continues the descending-rank, opposite-colour sequence onto the top of the receiving pile. The empty cardinal slot it leaves behind can then be filled by any card from your hand (corners stay King-only).

How is Kings in the Corner scored?

Standard scoring (Pagat / Dice Game Depot): 10 penalty points per King still in hand, 1 point per other card. Play hands to an agreed total — commonly 25 — and the lowest total wins the match. Wikipedia's variant: 10 for Kings, 2 for Queens/Jacks, 1 for the rest.

What other printable game rules do you have?

Chess (printable chess rules), Checkers (printable checkers rules), Crazy Eights (printable crazy eights rules), and a growing collection of classic public-domain card and board games. See the printables hub for everything available now.

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About Free Printable Kings in the Corner Rules

How to use

Frequently asked questions

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