In the trick-taking card game Stick 'Em, initially released as Sticheln, players seek to gather points each hand by taking as many cards as possible of all but one color, while trying to avoid cards of one color of their choosing.

In more detail, at the start of each hand, each player simultaneously selects and reveals one card from their hand, with the color of this card representing their "pain" color. At the end of the hand, every card of this color that they've collected (including their initial choice from their hand) is worth negative points equal to the card's face value. Every card of another color that this player has collected is worth 1 point.

To play out the hand, the active player leads a card, then every other player in clockwise order plays one card. If all cards are the same color, then whoever played the highest card collects these cards, then leads the next trick; if all cards are not of the same color, then whoever played the highest card of a color not initially led takes these cards, then leads the next trick. (One exception: A zero card nevers win a trick.) In effect, every color played in a particular trick that doesn't match the color of the card led is considered a trump card, and the highest trump wins. In the event of a tie, the earlier played card will break the tie.

Play as many hands as there are players in the game, summing each player's points over those hands to determine a winner.

Some versions of Sticheln allow for play with up to six players, while the third and fourth German editions of the game comes with enough cards to allow for play with up to eight players. (These versions also allow players to play the game Hattrick by the same designer, with rules for this game contained as a variant.)