About Spade
A turn-based strategy game for debate.
Choose a side, make your case, and use abilities to test the argument. Every debate leaves a readable transcript and records where both minds land.
Sign in to playChoose a side
Take turns
Play abilities
Lock your stance
How to play
The complete rules of a Spade debate.
Start a debate
Choose
Find a topic and choose how strongly you agree or disagree.
Open
Explain your take and join the queue, or challenge someone.
Play
Once matched, alternate turns with the person on the opposite side.
Turns and rounds
One day per turn
You have 24 hours. A saved draft is submitted when time expires; an empty turn is an abandonment.
One round
One turn from each debater. You can quote a specific passage when responding.
Make your case
Both players can build arguments and challenge each other. Either player can receive any ability.
Ending a debate
Checkpoint
Every 5 rounds, both players choose Keep debating or Agree to Disagree. The debate ends only if both choose Agree to Disagree.
Concede
From round 3, you can concede that your mind changed. The debate ends immediately without an abandonment penalty.
Abandon
Leaving—or letting an empty turn expire—ends the debate. Before round 15, the rating penalty is at least 25 points. From round 15, either player may leave without that penalty.
Abilities
Both players draw from the same ability pool, starting in round 2 with at least one ability each. More abilities unlock as the debate progresses. A charge lasts 3 rounds, and you may play one ability with each turn. Required answers must be completed before the normal response is submitted.
Define
Ask your opponent to define a word or short phrase they used.
Align
Propose common ground for your opponent to accept or reject.
Pin
Ask a question that must be answered Yes or No before any explanation.
Budge
Make your opponent name what would change their mind about a claim.
Frame
Reframe the debate premise and test whether the disagreement survives different wording.
Root
Ask a why-question that requires a substantive justification.
Sever
Test whether a conclusion survives when one of its premises is removed.
Suppose
Pose a scenario and test whether an opponent’s claim still holds.
Trace
Make your opponent explain how something they said relates to the topic.
Steelman
Make your opponent argue the strongest case for the side they oppose.
Mirror
Make your opponent restate your argument accurately before continuing.
Anchor
Introduce another opinion in a chosen direction. Allow binds the debate; Reject ends it and starts a new one on that premise.
Axiom
Introduce a matured opinion and explain why it matters. Its majority direction becomes binding.
Axiom is available from round 2, with 3 rounds between uses. Ignored or improperly used abilities can be flagged for review.
Results
Final stance
When a debate concludes, each player chooses where they stand. Switching sides counts as a mind change.
Spade Score
Your rating reflects debate performance. The review judges how you argued, not which side it agrees with.
Rewards
Hearts
Earned when an opponent switches sides in your debate. A Heart can help create and promote a topic; otherwise topic creation requires a Spade Score of 900. Spending one lowers that requirement to 700.
Diamonds
Earned when you switch sides, provided your starting Spade Score is at least 500. Diamonds boost a topic in Explore.