GAMES ROOM - Cheat!
is a game of cunning and skill, and a large portion of luck presented to you
by the wonderful people at NeoPets.
How to Play:
Each player adds cards to a pile by playing another of lesser, equal, or greater
value. What do you do if you don't have a playable card? You fake it. Play a
six, but call it an eight (for example). If all opponents believe you, then
you get to move on. If an opponent does not believe you, he may accuse you of
cheating. If he is correct, and you were cheating, you must pick up the discard
pile. If he is wrong, then he must pick up the discard pile, and you receive
a small amount of NP.
The cost to play is 50 NP, but winning games can give you 250 to 500 NP
and sometimes a Battlecard (we'll get to that later). The Battlecards feature
the faces of some familiar Cheat! opponents.
Note: There were some Hidden Tower items called Battledecks that are now retired.
These were retired. The Battledecks would generate three random Battlecards
for use in the Battledome. They are now worth around one to 2.5 million NP (very
valuable, indeed).
During the game, if you successfully catch a cheater in the act, you can win
a few menial NP. Here is a guide to in-game NP earnings:
| Level 1: |
08 NP |
| Level 2: |
12 NP |
| Level 3: |
16 NP |
| Level 4: |
20 NP |
| Level 5: |
24 NP |
| Level 6: |
28 NP |
| Level 7: |
32 NP |
After each game (assuming you have won), you will receive some NP and possibly
a Battlecard, but after certain levels (namely 3, 5, and 7), you will receive
a trophy. This trophy stands as a testament to all that find you that you are
not one to be trifled with. This shows your prowess of wit and your devotion to
the game.
The character bios can be viewed before the match, but here is some extra info
for you to read. The characters although similarly scripted, do seem to have
many differences:
Capara:
She does not seem to cheat as often as most people. She lets you get away
with many obvious cheat (let's put it this way, if you could play twelve sixes,
she might let you get away with it).
Little Timmy:
He makes too many obvious mistakes to even be taken seriously (he would
be intelligent enough to actually play twelve sixes).
Branston:
An early example of good cheater. He plays cunningly. When he cheats,
he usually does it on a small scale. He is a powerful adversary, but cannot
even rival the wit of Spectre...
Chuffer Bob:
He is not as intelligent as Branston, but do not underestimate him. He
can prove to be a strong opponent. He doe seem to cheat an extraordinary amount.
Sometime, I love to think back at the matches against good old Chuffer Bob (sigh...)
Brucey B:
The cheapest Cheat! player ever. He seems to almost read your cards at
times. He usually knows what you have, but (just like Branston) cannot even
rival the wit of Spectre...
Kalora:
A skilled Cheat! player. Kalora is very talented, but does not accuse
you of cheating very often (which is a good thing...). Be careful not to cheat
too much, because Kalora will catch you.
Fernypoo:
She is one of the most disappointing players you will come across. Fernypoo
cheats often, yet does not accuse you of cheating often. However, when you do
make her mad, two words: the eyes...
Agent 00
Hog: He is a very good player, almost rivaling the talent of Spectre...
except for one fatal flaw: he accuses everyone of cheating all of the time.
This gives you the benefit of choosing to play ANY card you want.
Spectre:
There really are no human words to describe the talent and awe-inspiring
skill of Spectre (he really is that good). He never cheats, always knows when
you are cheating, and is usually one card ahead of you the entire game...
***
Here is where we start explaining how to play the intensive game of Cheat!.
There are many strategies to get through each game, but this is one of the best
that I have found.
In playing, in most cases, you will receive a message, telling you the last
card(s) played. You, then, play a card of equal value, of higher value, of lower
value, or cheat (which is a completely different issue).
Working your way towards your goal (of a hand with no cards) takes time and
planning (sometimes). For example, if you have a two, an eight, and a nine,
and you can play any card, you should (in most cases) play the eight or the
nine. The reasons for this are:
a. with a wider space between remaining cards, you have a greater
chance of having a card to play off of. This keeps you from needing to cheat,
and gives you a greater chance of winning.
b. playing the two card could work in the early levels, but in the
later levels, the computer accuses of cheating all of the time, making the card
flow very unpredictable.
What I mean by card flow is that, when someone is accused of cheating, whether
they were or not, the next player is allowed to play any card of their choice.
This means that the next card can be anything. This can make the game very unpredictable.
NOTE: This is just a strategy. If you have a better plan, you should do it.
Cheat! should be played however makes you feel the most comfortable.
On an obvious note, play cards that you have the most of first. This can throw
off the computer and make them accuse you of cheating when you aren't. This
allows the card flow to move again. This can really help the game.
I believe that Cheat! can be played carelessly (with a little bit of luck) and
still lead to victory, yet a good player knows that Cheat! is one-third skill
and two-thirds luck.
***
Cheat! is a simple concept, but difficult to pull off. To cheat, tell your
opponents that you are playing one card, but actually play another.
To catch a cheater in the act takes a complex thought process. First, if you
notice that they are playing more of one card than is physically possible, they
are cheating. For instance, if you are holding a three, and they "play" four
threes, they are obviously cheating.
Another sign of a cheater is if an opponent plays enough cards to win. For
instance, if your opponent is holding three cards, and they "play" three Kings,
they are very possibly cheating. This is not always true, but there is a very
good chance of it.
One good way to catch a cheater is to go on your first instinct (except for
on Spectre... he rarely cheats). If you believe that someone is cheating, they
very possibly are. The worst that can happen is that you have to pick up the
deck.
If the discard pile is low, opponents are more likely to cheat (because there
is less punishment for being caught). When the discard pile is low, that is
a better chance for you to cheat also (for the same reason). On the other hand,
when the discard pile is large, you should play more conservatively.
When you cheat, do not overdo it; play either one or two of a card. Sometimes
playing four can work, because you seem to be sure of yourself. Just try not
to overdo it.
Cheat! is difficult, but if you just play slowly, you can get the hang of it
after awhile. A phrase was used to describe a game by a Japanese game enthusiast
(named Goro Hasegawa) called Othello. The slogan was: a moment to learn;
a lifetime to master...
Good Luck in playing Cheat!. I am lordmager, signing off.
Good Luck, Space Cowboy... | 
