Authors (card game) Authors (card game) Authors or, The Game of Authors is a card game for three to five players. The first "Game of Authors" was published by G. M. Whipple & A. A. Smith of Salem, Massachusetts in 1861. In 1897 it was also published by Parker Brothers, which also was in Salem, Massachusetts at the time. The deck of cards consists of eleven sets of four cards each representing the works of eleven famous authors. The object of the game is to form complete sets of the four cards comprising the works of a particular author. The winner is the
Commerce (card game) face up to the table to form the "widow". Before looking at his own cards, the dealer may exchange one or two of his cards for one or two of the exposed cards on the table, putting his own, face upwards, in their place. His object is to "make his hand", but if he exchanges all three cards at once he cannot do it again. Thereafter, each in turn, starting with the eldest, can do likewise. Usually there are as many rounds in the game as there are players, and a fresh card is added to the "widow" at the