Palace
A lively shedding game with hidden face-down cards saved for the finale.
Setup
Deal each player 3 face-down cards, 3 face-up cards on top, and a hand of 3 cards.
How to Play
- Play equal or higher than the pile, then draw back to 3 cards while the deck lasts.
- Special cards can reset, burn, or skip depending on house rules.
- After your hand is empty, play face-up cards, then blind face-down cards.
How to Win
First player to get rid of all cards wins.
Put your strongest or most flexible cards face-up during setup.
Is Palace Right for You?
Palace, known just as often as Shed, is a tense shedding game where each player has hidden face-down cards they must clear last. It shines with three to five players who enjoy memory, timing, and the gut-punch of being forced to pick up the whole pile.
Maybe skip it if: Players who hate sudden reversals of fortune will resent how one bad face-down flip can bury a winning position.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Playing your good cards too early; you want to save twos and tens for when the pile is dangerous.
- Forgetting that a 10 burns the pile and four-of-a-kind also clears it, letting the same player lead again.
Strategy Tips
- Arrange your three face-up cards as your best magic cards so your hidden flips come later when fewer cards remain.
- Dump duplicates to build toward a four-of-a-kind burn, which clears the pile and hands you a free lead.
Popular Variations
Magic card sets
The special ranks vary by region: 2 resets the pile, 10 burns it, and 7 commonly forces the next card to be lower; some groups also make 8 'invisible' or transparent.
Our Take
We think Palace is the best of the casual shedding games because the face-down cards turn the endgame into pure nerve-wracking luck-and-memory theater. It is cheap, portable, and reliably produces shouting, which is exactly what we want from a party card game.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do the special cards do in Palace?
Commonly a 2 resets the pile to any card, a 10 burns the whole pile away, and four of a kind also clears it; agree on the 7 rule before starting.
How do you win Palace?
Be the first to empty your hand, then your three face-up cards, and finally your three face-down mystery cards.