Card games have been a source of entertainment for centuries, offering endless possibilities for fun, competition, and social interaction. Whether you’re looking for a game to play with family and friends or want to learn something new for your next game night, this article introduces ten awesome and easy-to-learn card games. Each game comes with clear and concise instructions so that you can jump right into the action and start enjoying these engaging and entertaining pastimes.
Crazy Eights:
Objective: Get rid of all your cards by matching the rank or suit of the previously played card.
Instructions:
- Deal 5 cards to each player. Place the remaining cards face-down as a draw pile.
- The first player starts by playing a card that matches the suit or rank of the top card on the discard pile.
- If a player cannot play a matching card, they must draw a card from the draw pile.
- If the drawn card is playable, the player may immediately play it. Otherwise, their turn ends.
- The game continues clockwise. Play continues until one player has no cards left, making them the winner.
Go Fish:
Objective: Collect sets of four cards of the same rank.
Instructions:
- Deal 5 cards to each player. Place the remaining cards face-down as a draw pile.
- The first player asks another player if they have a specific rank of card (e.g., “Do you have any sevens?”).
- If the player asked has the requested card, they must hand it over. The asking player can continue asking for the same rank or ask another player.
- If the player asked doesn’t have the requested card, they say, “Go fish.” The asking player must draw a card from the draw pile.
- If the drawn card is the requested rank, the asking player gets another turn. Otherwise, play moves to the next player.
- The game continues until all the sets of four are completed. The player with the most sets wins.
War:
Objective: Collect all the cards in the deck.
Instructions:
- Shuffle the deck thoroughly and evenly distribute all the cards among the players.
- Each player reveals the top card from their deck simultaneously.
- The player with the highest-ranked card takes all the cards played in that round.
- In the case of a tie, a “war” occurs. The players place face-down cards and then play another face-up card. The player with the higher-ranked second card collects all the cards.
- The game continues until one player has collected all the cards, making them the winner.
Rummy:
Objective: Form sets or runs of cards and have the lowest score.
Instructions:
- Deal 7 cards to each player. Place the remaining cards face-down as a draw pile.
- The first player starts by drawing a card from the draw pile or the top card from the discard pile.
- The player then discards one card face-up on the discard pile.
- Each player takes turns drawing from the draw or discard pile and then discarding an unwanted card.
- To form sets, players must collect three or more cards of the same rank. To form runs, players must collect three or more consecutive cards of the same suit.
- The game ends when a player “goes out” by forming all their cards into sets or runs. Points are awarded based on the remaining cards in each player’s hand, and the player with the lowest score wins.
Spoons:
Objective: Be the last player remaining without all the letters spelling “SPOONS.”
Instructions:
- Gather a set of spoons (one fewer than the total number of players) and place them in the center of the playing area.
- Deal 4 cards to each player.
- The dealer takes a card from the deck and passes one card to the left.
- Players simultaneously pass cards around the circle until someone collects four cards of the same rank.
- Once a player collects four cards of the same rank, they discreetly take a spoon from the center.
- Once one spoon is taken, all players can grab a spoon.
- The player left without a spoon receives a letter, starting with “S” for the first loss.
- The game continues until there’s only one player remaining without all the letters spelling “SPOONS.”
Slapjack:
Objective: Be the first player to collect all the cards.
Instructions:
- Deal the entire deck of cards evenly among the players.
- Each player takes turns flipping the top card of their deck into a central pile.
- When a Jack is revealed, players race to slap the pile.
- The first player to slap the pile gets to collect all the cards underneath it.
- The game continues until one player has collected all the cards, making them the winner.
Uno:
Objective: Be the first player to get rid of all your cards.
Instructions:
- Deal 7 cards to each player. Place the remaining cards face-down as a draw pile.
- The first player starts by playing a card that matches the colour, number, or special action of the top card in the discard pile.
- If a player cannot play a card, they must draw a card from the draw pile. If the drawn card is playable, the player may immediately play it.
- Special action cards, such as Skip, Reverse, and Draw Two, add twists to the gameplay. Follow the instructions on each card when played.
- The first player to play all their cards shouts “Uno!” and the round ends. Points are awarded based on the remaining cards in the opponents’ hands, and the first player to reach a certain point threshold wins.
Egyptian Rat Screw:
Objective: Collect all the cards.
Instructions:
- Shuffle the deck thoroughly and evenly distribute all the cards among the players.
- Players take turns playing cards from their hands onto a central pile.
- When certain combinations of cards are played, such as doubles or face cards, players have the opportunity to “slap” the pile.
- The first player to slap the pile gets to collect all the cards underneath it.
- The game continues until one player has collected all the cards, making them the winner.
Spades:
Objective: Collect as many tricks as possible with your partner.
Instructions:
- Divide players into two teams of two, sitting opposite each other.
- Shuffle the deck and deal 13 cards to each player.
- Players bid on the number of tricks they believe they can win in a round.
- The highest bidder leads the first trick by playing a card.
- Players must follow suit if possible. The highest-ranked card of the led suit takes the trick, and that team collects the cards.
- If a player cannot follow suit, they can play a Spade or discard a card of another suit.
- The game continues until all the tricks have been played. The team with the highest number of collected tricks wins.
Solitaire:
Objective: Arrange all the cards in foundation piles in ascending order by suit.
Instructions:
- Deal 28 cards into seven tableau columns, with the first column containing one card, the second two cards, and so on.
- Turn the top card of each tableau column face-up.
- The remaining cards form the stockpile.
- Move cards from the tableau to build sequences in descending order and alternating colours.
- Empty tableau columns can be filled by a King or a sequence starting with a King.
- Use the stockpile to turn over cards one at a time.
- Create foundation piles by placing Ace cards in ascending order by suit.
- The game is won when all cards are successfully moved to the foundation piles.
Summary:
Card games offer a world of entertainment, and these ten awesome and easy-to-learn games provide a fantastic starting point for players of all ages and experience levels. With clear and concise instructions for each game, you can jump into the action and start enjoying these engaging and entertaining pastimes. So gather your friends and family, shuffle the deck, and dive into the exciting world of card games. Enjoy the fun, friendly competition, and the opportunity to create lasting memories.
