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Wizard
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- 45 min
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- 6.5
HeartSwitch
2013
Rules assistance for HeartSwitch
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–6 players
- 45 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.9/5
For 3 players
Rules assistant for HeartSwitch
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
HeartSwitch is a board game released in 2013 for 3–6 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Ken Fisher and Joe Andrews and its main mechanics are Trick-taking.
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About the game
The object of HeartSwitch – a card game inspired by Hearts – is to have the lowest score at the end of the game. The sixty-card deck consists of the standard 52-card deck, plus four Magicians and four Witches, two good and two bad, with Witches ranking between Jacks and Tens. As in Hearts, HeartSwitch is a trick-taking game with fairly standard rules. The lead player plays a single card, then each other player must follow suit, if possible – except that a player can always choose to play a Magician. A Magician is a null card that can never win a trick (unless a trick consists only of Magicians). Whoever plays the highest card in the suit led collects the cards, then leads to the next trick. After everyone's hand is empty, players score points for the cards they've collected. As in Hearts, each heart collected is one point, while the Queen of Spades is 13 points. What's new in "HeartSwitch" is that the Witch of Spades is worth 5 points, while the Witch of Clubs cancels points earned for either of the Spades cards. The Witch of Hearts doubles points earned from hearts up to a maximum of 15 points, while the Witch of Diamonds knocks up to 5 points off your score. If a player "shoots the moon" by collecting all the hearts and either the Witch or Queen of Spades (or both), that player scores no points while everyone else scores 20, 25 or 30 points. Players continue playing rounds until one player reaches 70 points, at which time the player with the lowest score wins. Alternatively, players can agree to play a set number of rounds, with the lowest-scoring player winning the game.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Piatnik
- AMIGO
- U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
- Gametrade Distribuzione
Questions and answers
HeartSwitch supports 3–6 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for HeartSwitch is 45 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists HeartSwitch for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
HeartSwitch has a complexity rating of 1.9 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
HeartSwitch belongs to these categories: Card Game. Its main mechanics are Trick-taking. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of HeartSwitch are: Ken Fisher and Joe Andrews. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists HeartSwitch as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.