New game: Batak - win the bid, call trumps, make your contract

Batak, the much-loved card game of Turkish coffeehouses and long evenings at home, is live. It is played by four with a 52-card deck; you sit down against three computer opponents. Whoever wins the bid calls trumps and must take at least that many tricks, or they go down.

How to play

There are three types: in Bidding everyone plays alone and the highest bidder calls trumps; in Partners the players sitting opposite are a team and the minimum bid is 7; in Spades Trump there is no bidding and spades are always trumps. You must follow suit; tap a card you cannot play and the game tells you why. The full rules are on How to play Batak.

What's in the game?

• A simple bidding strip, trump choice, last trick and an end-of-hand breakdown.
• Table rules: regional variations as settings.
• Three levels of opponents; the AI never sees your cards.
• Table Journey: 5 tables and 10 characters, from the corner coffeehouse to the city final.
• Original coffeehouse music in the Uşşak makam.

No chips, no money, no betting. Free, no sign-up, no download, on phone and computer in 7 languages.