In Robot Tricks two-player teams each control a robot moving on a checkerboard, attempting to retrieve treasure chests.
The robots are controlled via card play, specifically by playing Spades. However, no bidding takes place and the number of tricks won is irrelevant. Instead, the winner of a trick chooses one of the four cards in it and moves their team's robot accordingly: the suit determines the direction and the rank determines how many spaces it moves, according to a table. Court cards allow the robot to be rotated.
However, if a trick contains an ace the winner chooses one of the other cards and moves the opposing team's robot instead.
When a robot moves to one of its treasures exactly it retrieves it. Opposing treasures and robots may be pushed.
The game can be set up with two treasures per team for a short game or four each for a long game.