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Scala 40 Online

The classic Italian card game, free in your browser: play against the computer, draw from the deck or discard pile, open with 40 points and go out first. No ads, no tokens, no sign-up.

YOU: 0 CPU (): 0 HAND: 1
Computer13 cards
Deck
0
Discard
Your melds
CPU melds
Your hand (13)

SCALA 40

Challenge the computer in the classic Italian card game. Draw from the deck or discard pile, open with 40 points in sets and runs, then meld and add freely to any meld until you go out.

Difficulty

Quick rules

Goal: be first to empty your hand (go out).

Turn: draw a card from the deck or the discard pile, then optionally meld or add cards, and always discard one card to end your turn.

Melds: sets (3-4 same rank, different suits) or runs (3+ sequential same suit). The joker substitutes any card and is always worth 25 points.

Joker swap: if you hold the real card a joker is standing in for in any meld already on the table — yours or the CPU's — you can reclaim it: select the card, press SWAP JOKER and tap the meld. The joker moves into your hand, ready to be reused.

Opening: your first meld must total at least 40 points (you can lay down several combinations in the same turn to add them up). If you fall short, press UNDO to take the cards back before discarding.

After opening: you can meld new combinations and add cards to any meld already on the table, yours or the CPU's.

Going out & scoring: whoever empties their hand wins the hand and scores points equal to the value of the opponent's remaining cards. If the opponent hadn't opened yet, the points double.

How to play Scala 40

Each hand starts with 13 cards per player, drawn from two combined decks with jokers (108 cards). On your turn you draw a card from the deck or the discard pile, then you may meld sets (3-4 cards of the same rank, different suits) or runs (3+ sequential cards of the same suit). Each player's first meld, the opening, must total at least 40 points: until you reach it, melds stay provisional and can be taken back with UNDO. Your turn always ends by discarding a card.

After opening you can meld freely and add cards to any meld already on the table, yours or the CPU's: just like in Machiavelli, you can work on anyone's combinations — the difference is that here you can only start doing it once you've reached the 40-point opening, not from the first move. The joker substitutes any card in a set or run and is always worth 25 points, both for the 40-point opening count and as a penalty if left in hand at the end of the hand. If you hold the real card a joker is standing in for in a meld already on the table — yours or the CPU's — you can reclaim it with the joker swap: the real card takes its place and the joker returns free to your hand, ready to be reused elsewhere. Whoever empties their hand first wins the hand; if the opponent hadn't opened yet, the score doubles.

How it differs from Machiavelli and Burraco

If you already know Machiavelli or Burraco on this site, you'll find the same visual style but a different dynamic: here you draw (from the deck or discard pile, not just for a penalty), and you need a minimum 40-point opening before you can meld or add cards to any meld on the table — in Machiavelli, by contrast, that's possible from the very first move, with no minimum threshold. The joker, meanwhile, is specific to this version: Machiavelli doesn't use one. It's a more "closed" game in the early turns and strategic around discarding: every card you throw away could become the computer's opening.

Simplifications in this version

To keep it playable I made one simplification compared to some club variants: the joker always has a fixed value of 25 points, rather than the value of the card it replaces. Everything else — 40-point opening, joker swap, mandatory discard, doubling if the opponent hasn't opened — follows the classic rules.

Why I built it

Scala 40 is one of the most searched Italian card games, and at the same time one of the most mistreated by app store versions: banners at the end of every hand, timers that force you to wait, tokens to buy to get back into the game. None of that here: no sign-up, no ads, instant play against the computer, installable as an app and working offline too. Like the other games on roversia.it, it's written entirely in vanilla JavaScript, no framework or external libraries.

Frequently asked questions

How do you play Scala 40?

Each player gets 13 cards from two combined decks with jokers. On your turn you draw from the deck or discard pile, then you may meld combinations (sets or runs), but only if the total of your first melds reaches at least 40 points: that's the opening. After opening you can meld freely and add cards to any meld already on the table, yours or the CPU's. The turn always ends with a discard. Whoever empties their hand first wins.

What does "opening" with 40 points mean in Scala 40?

Each player's first meld must total at least 40 points (number cards at face value, face cards 10 points, ace 1 point, joker 25 points). Until you reach 40 you can't add cards to melds already on the table, and provisional melds stay locked: if you don't reach 40 in the same turn, you can take them back with UNDO.

How does the joker swap work in Scala 40?

If you hold the real card a joker is standing in for in a meld already on the table — yours or the CPU's — you can reclaim it: the real card takes the joker's place in the meld, and the joker returns free to your hand, ready to be reused in another combination. You can do this on any meld already on the table, whether it's yours or not.

What's the difference between Scala 40 and Machiavelli?

Unlike Machiavelli, in Scala 40 you draw from a deck or the discard pile instead of only drawing as a penalty, you need a minimum 40-point opening before you can meld or add cards to any meld freely (in Machiavelli you can do that from the very first move), and the turn always ends with a mandatory discard instead of a simple pass.

Is Scala 40 Online really free and ad-free?

Yes, it's completely free, with no ads, no forced waiting timers, and no tokens or coins to buy to keep playing. No sign-up needed: just open the page and play against the computer.

Can I install Scala 40 as an app on my phone?

Yes, it's an installable PWA: on Android/Chrome use "Add to Home screen", on iOS/Safari "Share → Add to Home Screen". Once installed it also works offline.

Does my score reset if I close the app?

No, your total match score is saved locally in your browser via localStorage and stays there when you reopen the page, even offline. Progress won't follow you if you switch device or browser.