CardShark Spades ("CSS") is the most challenging Spades game available, but includes many unique features to even the odds for non-experts such as getting hints, peeking at other players' cards, starting a deal over, and more.
You can choose to play against three experts or against average or beginner CardShark skill levels or any combination of the three skills. Unlike games which force you to play partners with a weak computer partner, CSS is the best test of your skill because it is you against CSS.
Extensive in-game documentation includes a large section on strategy which explains the CardShark's decision making and how to incorporate it into your own play. See the complete documentation (excluding the Strategy section) at www.cardsharkspades.info.
A Duplicate mode allows you to compete against the CardShark playing your cards after you complete each deal. View the bidding and play a card at a time for maximum learning, or Zip through the CardShark's turn in a second to quickly get the Dupe score. In the non-Duplicate mode, if you want to know how the CardShark would have played your cards, you can hit Replay and AutoPlay and the CardShark will play your hand for you.
Turn on Explanations and CSS will explain any non-obvious bids and plays.
If you have trouble remembering which cards have been played or who has run out of cards in a particular suit, turn on Show Suit Counts to have CSS keep track of them for you.
For a particularly interesting deal, you can View Deal Records to see a recap of the bidding and plays and optionally send the record to your device's email app for later viewing.
When a deal comes down to one player having nothing but winners in his hand, CSS will Cash Out for the player, display the remaining cards, and award him the tricks. You don't have to continue playing one meaningless card after another just to get to the end of the deal.
With standard scoring, CSS keeps track of each player's total number of games won. With Scaled Scoring, an additional record is kept reflecting the net of total points won and lost in each game, so Scaled Scoring rewards bidding and making the max in each deal, even if you are way ahead. It is much more effective than playing "Bags".