Lone Queen

• Card Café
• Tap, drag, mouse or keys
• Card
• Brainy
• Vs a bot

Read their tells, hide the lone queen, and don't be left holding it.

Take a card from a regular's hand, lay down your pairs, and don't be the one left holding the lone queen. Eight café regulars give themselves away in their own ways: Gus can't keep a straight face, and Theo gives away almost nothing. Learn their tells, hide the queen in your own hand, and try the Daily Read, a new tell to crack every day.

How to play

1. Pairs are the same number and color, like the 7 of hearts and the 7 of diamonds, and go down on their own. One lone queen has no partner: whoever holds it at the end has lost the hand.
2. On your turn, take a card from the regular's hand. Press a card and let go to look at it (three looks a turn; slide along the hand first if you missed) and watch for a tell, then press Take. Sliding a card down takes it too.
3. When the queen is yours, you get one move before each of their takes: drag a card to a new spot, or tap two cards to swap them. While a regular chooses, Grin to bluff.
4. Keys: Left and Right move along a hand for free, Space looks (or moves a card, or grins), Enter takes, Esc pauses. Whoever isn't left holding the queen scores 2; first to 10 wins.

Every way to play is equal here: touch, mouse and keyboard all move at the same top speed. A score means the same on any device.

Tips

• Look before you take. A card you looked at with no tell is usually the safe pick.
• Every regular has their own tell, and the better ones make noise on purpose. Watch for the one that keeps showing up on the queen.
• Don't leave the queen where it lands. The regulars notice where you keep it, so mix it up.
• A grin can steer a regular toward the queen, but the best ones remember what your grins meant lately.

Questions

Is it free?

Yes. It's free to play in your browser, with no download and no sign-up needed. Coins you earn are for fun and can never be bought.

How do pairs work?

Two cards pair when they have the same number and the same color, like the 7 of clubs and the 7 of spades. Pairs go down on their own.

What is a tell?

A little giveaway when you look at a card: a grin, a sip of coffee, a nudge, a remark. Each regular has one, and some of them lie.

How does scoring work?

Whoever isn't left holding the queen scores 2 a hand, the first one out scores 1 more, and you score 1 each time the queen is taken from you. First to 10 wins the match.

Is there a daily game?

Yes. The Daily Read is ten takes from one regular with a new tell every day, the same for everyone.

Can I play on a phone?

Yes. It's built for touch first and plays the same on a phone, a tablet or a computer.

Achievements

Earn coins for each one. Coins buy hats, outfits and more for your character.

• Dealt inBronzeFinish your first match.10
• Not meBronzeWin a match.10
• Today's readBronzeFinish the Daily Read.10
• Secret achievementBronzeKeep playing to find it.10
• Quick studySilverBeat Mei, or anyone above her, by 8 points or more.25
• Never stuckSilverWin a match against Mei or stronger without being stuck with the queen.25
• Pass it onSilverWin a match against Barnaby or stronger where they took the queen from you four times.25
• Seven readsSilverFinish seven Daily Reads.25
• Read the roomGoldBeat Theo in a match.60
• On a rollGoldWin 6 matches in a row against Mei or stronger.60
• Sharp readerGoldFinish three Daily Reads with ten safe takes.60
• Secret achievementGoldKeep playing to find it.60
• UnreadableDiamondBeat Theo 60 times.Title: Unreadable150
• Steady handsDiamondTake 2,500 safe cards from the queen's holder.Title: Card Reader150