In Sultan’s Game, every card, every event, and every choice matters. For new players, it’s tempting to hold onto powerful cards until the last second or use destruction opportunities the moment they show up—but doing so can ruin your run.
Let’s break down the most important things every beginner should know in this Sultan’s Game Beginners Guide, from when to play cards to what to prioritize at the Destiny Shop.
Sultan’s Game Beginner’s Guide – Use and Fold Cards
Don’t Hold Cards Indefinitely – It Hurts You More Than You Think
A common new player instinct is: “Why not just hold this card until I really need it?”
That sounds logical… until you’re faced with a time-limited event and realize you can’t react in time because the card you need is stuck behind a full hand or already missed its use window.
Key Tip: Don’t hoard cards just because they seem important. Use them smartly when the game provides stable, repeatable elimination methods (like specific map locations), not just when the timer is about to run out.
Understand the Best Timing for Card Consumption
Not all cards need to be played right away. Many stable, non-time-limited locations appear later in the game—around week 4 onwards. These are safe spots to eliminate cards without pressure.
Examples of stable card elimination areas:
- White Rhino – reliably clears Silver Conquest cards.
- Gloomy Mansion – clears Bronze Conquest (and can clear Silver Indulgence if your wife is upgraded).
- Home Lust – you can just “indulge” at home, no need to waste special zones on Gold Indulgence.
- Mixed Evil builds – can use Killing Cards in other flexible ways.
So if you’re holding a card and see one of these events soon—that’s your window.
Avoid Using Cards Below Their Max Grade (Unless You Really Need To)
Here’s another mistake new players often make: You get the chance to destroy a Bronze card, so you use it—even if you might need that same method later to destroy a higher-grade card.
But in Sultan’s Game, card destruction methods are often one-use only. If you use it on a Bronze version, you might lock yourself out of removing the Silver or Gold version later.
Only break this rule when:
- A limited-time event shows up (like Wild Dogs or Lion Hunt).
- You happen to have the right card on hand, even if it’s not max grade.
- You have no other way out and can’t risk letting the event expire.
Otherwise, save your destruction methods for cards of higher grades.
Backtracking
Backtracking isn’t a magic undo button—it only takes you back to the moment after you pressed the “Next Day” button, not to the start of the previous round.
To redraw cards or re-roll events that happen before that button press, you’ll need to use 2 backtracking points, not just 1.
Quick backtracking tips:
Play on Simple Difficulty first – it gives you unlimited backtracking.
Use it to test card outcomes or shuffle card draws if you’re stuck.
Don’t waste backtracking unless you’re confident it’ll change the outcome.
Simple mode also lets you stockpile Destiny Points, which are crucial for your future playthroughs on Medium or Hard.
Bathing Events
Taking a bath isn’t just for flavor—it can trigger limited-time events where you can cancel dangerous cards.
Example:
A bath triggers Bandit Brothers.
Use 1 Silver Conquest + 2 Copper Killing to eliminate them cleanly.
No increase in notoriety. No event expiry. Just clean, efficient elimination.
Hold off on using Copper Killings unless you’re forced to. They eat up space and are better saved for limited-time events. If you don’t have the right card when a bath event appears? Backtrack and try again—events reroll after bath if you rewind.
Destiny Shop
Let’s talk Destiny Points. You won’t have a lot at first, so every purchase has to be worth it.
Must-Have Upgrades:
- Golden Wife – The MVP. Removes almost all indulgence cards through specific events. Unlock her ASAP.
- Golden Family Armor – Gives +2 Magic, which is insanely useful in multiple situations.
- Max Out Initial Gold Coins – Super cheap, and gives you flexibility right from the start.
- Madam Becky’s Cat – A cat that earns gold in court and becomes wearable equipment later. Cute and profitable.
Pro Tip: The Golden Wife alone can carry entire sections of the game. If you’re only unlocking one major upgrade, make it her.