Placing nine cards on Survey Grid

Survey Grid is the only Carthoryn game where what you do changes the result. Nine cards arrive one at a time and each goes on an empty square of a three-by-three grid. When the grid is full, eight lines are read as three-card hands: three rows, three columns and two diagonals.

Count the lines through a square

The centre square sits on four lines: the middle row, the middle column and both diagonals. Each corner sits on three, and each edge square on two. A strong card in the centre works four times; a card that fits nothing is best on an edge, where it spoils only two lines.

Pairs first, runs second

A pair is the easiest hand to finish and it counts in every line it sits in. Early in the round, put matching ranks where their lines cross. Runs score more but need exactly the right third card, so build them only when two of the three are already in place and the line has room.

Suits are slow

Three of one suit scores 2 points, and with only nine cards from a full pack, suits rarely line up by accident. Treat a suit as a bonus on a line you are building for another reason, not as a plan of its own.

When to ask for a suggestion

Suggest a square marks the square our helper would choose. It looks at every empty square and favours the one that leaves the most lines promising. It is a sensible rule of thumb, not a perfect player, and the returns in the field key were measured with its play. Finish for me places every remaining card the same way, which is handy if you need to go.

18+ only. For entertainment only. Ink has no cash value.