Best Card Games to Play with Friends

Card games are a lot of fun and also offer us a little break from our phones. If you get too bored then you can always come back to simple word games like Wordle or Words with Friends that you can play with your friends online. In this article, we’ve compiled a list of a few card games you might enjoy playing with your friends over a weekend.

Uno

Officially rated for ages 3+

Uno is the classic card game from Mattel, which graces the game tables in many countries worldwide. There are a ton of different versions of Uno, including an express version for quick gaming sessions.

Each player, of which there are between two and ten, begins the game with seven cards. Players take turns placing cards in the discard pile when they have a card with either the color or a number matching the card at the top of the discard pile. Players can only place one card per turn. The aim of the game is to get all of your cards in the discard pile.

While deceptively simple at first glance, Uno also has special cards that force players to pick up cards, skip a turn, change the color of the discard pile, or even reverse the direction of play!

Poker

No official age, but gambling should not be considered unless the player is 18+

Poker is a hugely popular card game, especially when involving money and gambling.

It's a little complicated, but here are the basics: Players make wagers across a total of four betting rounds, and the winner is the person with the strongest hand.

Poker is a strong game-night choice for those who enjoy risking a little cash between friends, and the world of online poker is growing each day.

You don't always have to play for money, but having something at stake ensures that everyone plays with intention rather than going 'all in' with any lousy hand.

Cards Against Humanity

Officially for ages 8+

For those with a darker sense of humor, Cards Against Humanity is a unique card game where players compete to create the funniest sentences, with each round having a judge who awards a point to the best play.

There are tons of expansion packs available that players can mix and match, ensuring a unique mix of plays in each game.

Cards Against Humanity sometimes offers mature themes. The game's official rating is 8+ and has supposedly been playtested with families, but we feel like 13+ might be more appropriate.

Snap

No official age rating, but it is extremely friendly for younger players of around 3+

Snap is a fast-paced game that can be played with a standard deck of cards! Players simply take turns placing a card onto a pile. When two of the same cards are placed, the first player to place their hand on the pile and shout snap is the winner and takes the pile of cards.

The deck is evenly distributed to all players at the beginning of the game and is played until one player has all the cards in the deck.

Snap really gets the adrenaline going, and the joy of taking a whole stack of cards is genuinely wondrous, even for fully-grown adults!

Dobble

Officially for ages 6+

Dobble is similar to snap but a bit more complex and unique.

In Dobble, various pictures from a theme are placed on circular cards with multiple images on them. Each player is given an even distribution of Dobble cards. When a player places the card on the table, players must check if the next card they have has a picture matching the one on the table; if so, they can place it. The player who puts all of their cards down first is the winner.

Each Dobble pack comes with a theme. At present, there is Dobble Classic, Collector, Animals, and even Harry Potter up for grabs!

Dobble also comes with other game modes to enjoy with the same deck of cards, and players can find detailed instructions for those in the pack.

Never Have I Ever

For ages 18+, with different versions available for children and families.

Never Have I Ever is a game that originated at parties, without the use of cards. Players take turns making statements of things they have done, beginning with the words 'never have I ever.' Those who have committed the act in the statement take a forfeit, which is usually a drink of alcohol.

The card game version follows this same formula but with a whopping 485 question cards, taking a lot of the work out of the game for those whose turn it is to ask questions.

The game also comes with 65 rule cards intended to change the pace of the game and add additional flair.

The developers of the game have created various editions of the game, with some suitable for families, parents, girls and so on.

If you enjoyed reading about card games you may find this list of pen and paper games useful as well. Have fun exploring new games!