Vingt et Un for the RISC OS platform*

This is a RISC OS desktop version of the old card game. The idea of the game is to reach a total of 21, without exceeding it, by counting the pips of the cards that are dealt to you. The suits do not play a part in the game. This is a game for one player.

Aces count either one or eleven at the player's option, court cards count ten, other cards their face value. A total of 21 therefore can be made with an Ace and a ten or a court card and this beats any other combination. Betting is an integral part of the game and it ends when the player or the dealer runs out of chips!

The game features sprite movements by dragging with the mouse and can be played completely by using the mouse. Instructions accompany every move that the novice makes, although these lessen as time goes on.

The full game, version 1.53, 19th November, 2002
This is the complete version of the game and no further additions are envisaged. It is available on CD and adds the following features to the sample game:-

• Active Training Tutorial with eight demonstration hands
• Save game at any stage; load game at any time
• Ace (or optionally Honours) splitting into two hands, each to be played independently
• Sound: 30 configurable sound events, supported by 18 default sound modules
• Speech output of messages, if Jonathan Duddington's Speak is available
• A standard set of cards featuring 32k coloured sprites
• Up to ten chip denominations: much higher scores and longer games are possible
• Up to ten texts per instruction message
• Veneers (14 supplied) providing for full configuring of the games features, including backdrop, cards, chips, sound, and settings for colours, size and positioning, etc.
• Many minor improvements and bug fixes.
• A special set of large format veneers for the Iyonix computer and Viewfinder system extension.
• Size is approximately 65Mb.

The CD also contains sets of photos which relate to the themes of several of the veneers, together with a copy of Thump, by kind permission of Rick Hudson. Thump enables the sets of photos to be viewed as a slide show and the topics include 47 photos taken on the London Eye, several of the Eden Project, together with pictorial shots of Skye and Mull.

The game was reviewed for Archive by Richard Watkinson, who wrote:-
	“Although I rarely play games, I found Vingt et Un to be quite addictive ...”
and
	“Vingt et Un is more than a computerised game which is quite useful in its own right, both educationally and recreationally.”
and, of the previously available version of the game, Richard wrote:-
	“ ... some changes were made resulting in the much improved version 1.42 at the time of writing.”
These quotes are repeated here by kind permission of Paul Beverley of the Archive magazine.  The article is to be found on page 61 in the September edition, Vol.15.12.

The CD may be purchased from ian@maceng.karoo.co.uk and is priced at £10 which includes post and packing to UK and European addresses.  VAT is not applicable. 

Dealer's cards >>>   Stake pool >>>   Player's cards >>> and chips >>>

Five card trick

Two Vingt et Uns

A possible five card trick?

Platform independence: thanks to VirtualAcorn