Hearts is a card game that is included in several versions of Microsoft Windows. It is based on the game of the same name, specifically the rules of the variant Black Lady. Some versions of the game are single-player with computer opponents, while others allowed players to join other players.
History[]
Hearts was first included in Windows for Workgroups 3.1, which included network features. The game allowed computers to connect over a network to play against one another. The title bar for the program reads "The Microsoft Hearts Network". This program was also part of Windows 95 and Windows 98.
Hearts was included again in Windows Me and Windows XP, in two different versions: Hearts, which is played against computer opponents (based on the code of the same game that was in previous versions), and another, Internet Hearts, that took place online by connecting to MSN and searching for other players.
Hearts was remade by Oberon Games in Windows Vista and Windows 7, featuring a new style (as with the other built-in card games) but based on the same rules. This version is played against computer opponents.
Hearts was removed in Windows 8 and is not a part of any later versions of Windows. Microsoft's online version of Hearts was discontinued with the end of support on January 22, 2020.[1]
Gameplay[]
All versions of the Microsoft Hearts computer game are based on the rules of the card game Black Lady. In versions of the game that are played offline, the three computer opponents have default names: East, North, and West.
Rules[]
The aim of the game is to have the fewest points, done by avoiding the cards of the Hearts suit and the Queen of Spades.
The game involves a standard deck of 52 cards: 13 cards (in order of value - 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A) for each of the four suits (Clubs, Diamonds, Spades, and Hearts). 13 of the cards are randomly given to each of the four players. Each player passes three cards to another player. Cards are passed to the next player to their left in the first round, to their right in the second round, and to the player in the opposite direction for the third round. This pattern repeats for subsequent rounds.
Each “trick” has each player use a card of their choice. The first hand (this is always West in the first trick) plays the first card, which can be of any suit except for Hearts. The other players each play a card in the clockwise direction; they must play a card of the same suit as the one played from the first hand. If a player does not have cards of that suit, they can use any other card in their deck.
After all four players have played a card, the four cards disappear. The player who played the card of the highest value and appropriate suit collects the four cards. Of the four cards, each card of the Hearts suit gives the player one point, while the Queen of Spades gives the player 13 points. The next trick has this player become the first hand, with this cycle repeating across all tricks until all 52 cards have disappeared.
Cards of Hearts cannot be played until the “hearts are broken” - this is when a player does not have a card of the same suit as that of the first hand, then decides to play a card of Hearts from their deck. From that point onward until the end of that round, the first hand can play a card of Hearts, and the other players must follow suit if they have cards of Hearts.
Once all 52 cards have disappeared, the round is over; the computer shows the points of every player. Each card of Hearts taken is worth 1 point, while the Queen of Spades is worth 13 points. A new round begins, with the 52 cards shuffled and randomly given to the players again. Each round adds score to each player’s score from previous rounds. Any number of rounds takes place until a player exceeds 100 points, after which the game ends. The player who has the lowest score is the winner.
There is a mechanic in the game which allows a player to avoid the penalty from Hearts cards and the Queen of Spades: “shooting the moon”. It occurs when the player has collected all 13 cards of Hearts, as well as the Queen of Spades. If this happens, no points are added to that player’s score for that round, while 26 points are given to all three other players.
References[]
- ↑ Microsoft is shutting down its online versions of Hearts, Spades, Checkers and more by Mark Hachman, PCWorld. 2019-07-14.
External links[]
- Microsoft Hearts at Wikipedia