Last Updated on May 18, 2025 by The Official Game Rules Team

(Also known as Sip, Sweep, Siv, or Shiv)

Seep is a traditional Indian card game played in partnerships or individually, focused on capturing valuable cards from a shared layout. Using building, capturing, and strategic play, players try to win valuable cards and clear the layout with sweeps. The game has two primary scoring variants: a 100-point full game and a 30-point shorter version.

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How to Play Seep

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Table of Contents

1. Components and Setup
2. Initial Deal
3. Card Values and Building Numbers
4. Objective
5. Playing the Game
6. Special Rules and Clarifications
7. Scoring
8. Winning the Game

Components and Setup

• Players: 2 to 4 players (individual or in 2-player teams)
• Deck: Standard 52-card deck (no jokers)
• Card Ranks: Ace (low) to King (high)

Initial Deal

• If playing with four players: Players form two partnerships, sitting across from each other.
• The dealer shuffles and deals 4 cards to each player.
• Four cards are also placed face-up in the center to form the layout or table.
• The rest of the deck is set aside and dealt in rounds of four cards per player after each trick until all cards are used.
• If the initial four layout cards contain any spades or face cards, they are returned to the deck, reshuffled, and replaced with non-spade number cards.

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Card Values and Building Numbers

Seep assigns point values only to certain cards. All other cards have no point value.

Point Cards:

• Ace (any suit): 1 point each
• 10 of Diamonds: 6 points
• Each 10 (except 10♦): 1 point each
• Each Jack (J): 1 point each
• Each Queen (Q): 1 point each
• Each King (K): 1 point each
• All Spade cards: 1 point each (including Ace, face cards, and number cards)

There are a total of 100 points available in a full round.

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Objective

Players aim to:

1. Capture point cards by matching or combining cards from their hand with those on the layout.
2. Perform a sweep (called a “seep”) by clearing all cards from the layout in a single play.
3. Build combinations to control valuable cards for future captures.

The game ends when one team reaches the agreed-upon score (usually 100 or 30 points).

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Playing the Game

Gameplay proceeds clockwise, starting with the player to the dealer’s left.

Each player, on their turn, may choose one of the following actions:

1. Capture (Picking Up Cards)

A player can capture cards from the layout by:

• Matching a card in hand to an individual layout card of the same rank (e.g., play a 7 to capture a 7).
• Matching a card in hand to the sum of layout cards (e.g., play a 9 to capture 5 + 4).
• Capturing previously built stacks they have made.

Captured cards go face-down into that player’s (or team’s) scoring pile.

Note: You cannot capture using face cards (J, Q, K), except by exact match.

2. Build (Creating a Number Pile)

A player may combine a card from their hand with one or more layout cards to create a build, a pile representing a total value. The build must be “held” — meaning the player must retain a card in their hand that can capture the pile on a future turn.

Example:

• Player has 4 and 8 in hand. The layout has a 4.
• The player plays their 4 onto the 4, announces a build of 8, and retains the 8 in hand to capture it later.

Rules for Building:

• Builds must be numerical and not contain face cards.
• Builds can be increased or extended by any player if they can prove ownership of a capturing card.
• You may only extend your own team’s build, not the opposing team’s.

3. Trail (Discarding a Card)

If a player cannot or chooses not to build or capture, they must trail (play) a card to the layout.

• Face cards can only be trailed, never built or captured.
• A trailed card becomes available to be captured by other players.

4. Sweep (Seep)

A sweep, or seep, occurs when a player captures all the cards on the layout in a single move.

• Sweeps are worth 5 bonus points in the 100-point version.
• Sweeps are not separately scored in the 30-point variant but are still strategically advantageous.

Indicate a sweep by turning one card in the captured pile face-up.

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Special Rules and Clarifications

Face Cards:

• Kings, Queens, and Jacks cannot be used in builds or combinations.
• They can only be captured via direct match or trailed.

Building Limits:

• You cannot build if you do not hold the capturing card.
• You cannot create a build using only face cards or combinations that result in a face value.

Capturing Multiple Cards:

• You may capture multiple cards and builds with a single card if they add to the same value.
• You may not partially capture a build.

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Scoring Breakdown

100-Point Game

Each round scores up to 100 points:

Category	Value
Each Ace	1 point
10♦	6 points
Other 10s	1 point each
Each Jack	1 point
Each Queen	1 point
Each King	1 point
Each Spade	1 point each
Sweep (Seep)	5 bonus points each

• After the last trick, remaining unplayed cards go to the last player who captured.
• If teams are tied, the game continues until one side leads after a round.

30-Point Variant

This shorter version uses a streamlined scoring system:

Category	Value
Each Ace	1 point
10♦	6 points
Other 10s	1 point each
Each Sweep	No extra point, just prestige
Most Spades	1 point (team or player who captures the most spades)

• The first team to reach 30 points wins.
• Face cards are not counted for points in this version.

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Winning the Game

The game ends when a team or player reaches or exceeds the chosen score threshold (30 or 100). If both teams exceed the limit in the same round, the team with the higher total wins. If tied, continue playing until the tie is broken.

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Optional House Rules

Ace as 14 Rule: Allow aces to act as 1 or 14 when summing layout cards.

No Multiple Builds: Disallow extending or stacking builds to simplify play.

Double Seep Bonus: Award 10 points for sweeping with a build.