Card games

54 card games from around the world. Pick one and open it in DECK.

Games to play together

• Basra

  A capturing game loved across Egypt and the Arab world. Clear the table for a basra.

• Bhabhi

  Follow suit or dump the pile on someone. Don't be left holding the last cards.

• Big Two

  Poker hands meet a shedding race. Also played as Pusoy Dos in the Philippines.

• Blackjack

  Get closer to 21 than the dealer without going over. Play for points, not money.

• Briscola

  A fast trick-taking game where you don't have to follow suit. Aces and 3s rule.

• Canasta

  The rummy game invented in Montevideo that swept the world. Build canastas with your partner.

• Cheat

  Play cards face down and claim what they are. Lie well or get caught.

• Crazy Eights

  Match the suit or number, and play an 8 to change everything. Easy to learn in one hand.

• Cribbage

  Count fifteens, pairs and runs as you peg to 121. A classic two-player duel.

• Durak

  Attack, defend, and don't be the last one holding cards. Russia's favorite.

• Egyptian Ratscrew

  Flip cards into a pile and slap doubles to win them. Fast reflexes beat good luck.

• Escoba

  Capture cards that add up to 15. Sweep the table for an escoba.

• Euchre

  A short-deck partner game with a twist: the Jacks become the top trumps.

• Gin Rummy

  Build sets and runs, then knock before your opponent. The best head-to-head game.

• Go Fish

  Ask friends for cards to collect sets of four. Great warm-up and kid-friendly.

• Golf

  Nine holes of swapping cards to get the lowest score. Relaxed and a little sneaky.

• Hand and Foot

  A team marathon with piles of decks and wild Jokers. Big melds, big points.

• Hearts

  Dodge every heart and the Queen of Spades, or take them all and shoot the moon.

• Injera Be Wat

  Ethiopia's fishing game, laid out like the meal it's named for: a ring of injera with the wat in the middle.

• Kadi

  East Africa's power-card shedding game. Call “Niko Kadi” before your last turn, or keep drawing.

• Kings in the Corner

  Solitaire you play together. Build down in alternating colors and claim the corners.

• Mau-Mau

  Germany's take on Crazy Eights. Say Mau-Mau on your last card, or draw.

• Nertz

  Competitive solitaire, all at once. Everyone races with their own deck.

• Oh Hell

  Bid exactly how many tricks you'll take. More or fewer and you get nothing.

• Old Maid

  Pair up and pass cards around. Nobody wants to end up holding the odd Queen.

• Palace

  A backpackers' favorite. Play your hand, then your face-up cards, then blind.

• Pasur

  Iran's capturing game: make 11, sweep with a Jack, and go for the sur.

• Pishti

  Match the top card to sweep the pile. Catch a single card for a pishti.

• President

  Shed cards in pairs and runs to climb the social ladder, from Scum to President.

• Ronda

  North Africa's quick capture game. Take a card, and the run that follows it.

• Rummy

  Draw, lay down sets and runs, and race to empty your hand. Works for a crowd.

• Scopa

  Italy's classic capturing game. Sweep the table clean for a scopa.

• Sevens

  Build out from the 7s, one card at a time. Easy to learn, surprisingly tactical.

• Slapjack

  Flip cards and slap every Jack. The perfect first game for little ones.

• Snap

  Flip cards and shout Snap when two match. All reflexes, great with kids.

• Spades

  Partner up, bid your tricks, and let spades trump everything. The classic team game.

• Spar

  Ghana's favorite card game. Only the last trick counts, so save your best card for the finish.

• Speed

  Two players, no turns. Slam cards one up or down as fast as your hands allow.

• Spoons

  Pass cards fast, grab a spoon when you see four of a kind. Loud and chaotic.

• Sueca

  Portugal's partner trick game. Count your points and win more than half.

• Tarneeb

  The Levant's favorite partner game. Bid big, name trump, and take your tricks.

• Tiến Lên (Thirteen)

  Vietnam's favorite shedding game. Beat each play with something higher, and save your bombs for the 2s.

• Trix

  Four mini-games in one. Each player takes a turn choosing the contract.

• Truco

  Argentina's bluffing trick game. Bet on your hand and raise the stakes by shouting “Truco!”

• War

  Flip, compare, the higher card wins. Zero strategy, all suspense.

Games to play solo

• Accordion

  Squeeze one long line of cards into a single pile. Rarely won, oddly relaxing.

• Aces Up

  Four piles, one rule: toss the lower card of a suit. End with just the four Aces.

• Clock Solitaire

  Deal a clock face and let the cards tell the time. Pure luck, two minutes a game.

• FreeCell

  Every card face up from the start. Pure planning, and nearly every deal can be won.

• Golf Solitaire

  Seven columns, one waste pile. Play one up or one down and chase a low score.

• Klondike Solitaire

  The classic solitaire. Uncover the columns and build each suit from Ace to King.

• Pyramid

  Pair up cards that add to 13 and take the pyramid apart from the bottom up.

• Spider Solitaire

  Two decks, ten columns. Build full King-to-Ace runs of one suit to clear them away.

• TriPeaks

  Three peaks of cards. Clear them in long chains of one higher, one lower.

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