Looking for something fun your entire friend group can enjoy? You’ve come to the right place if you’re into classic card games! We understand that it can be hard to find an activity that everyone will want to play, so we have compiled a list of our top recommended classic card game choices just for you.
Our selection of chosen games offers hours of fun and entertainment, perfect for all ages. Whether challenging players with strategic gameplay or encouraging them with cooperative team-based dynamics, there’s something in this list for every type of player in the group. Get ready to battle against one another for a night full of unforgettable memories!
Table of Contents
Exciting Classic Card Games for Friends to Play Everyday
It’s only natural to look for something engaging to do whenever you’re with your friends. Sometimes, too many video games can be boring. How about something more traditional, like card games? Below are some of the most fantastic card games you and your friends can play!
Go Fish
If you and your friends haven’t played card games before, the easiest game you can start with is Go Fish. It’s a game designed for kids and as many as ten players can join! You only need a standard deck of 52 cards to begin. The best part is that every round can be played in 5 to 15 minutes at the most.
If there are more than four players, each will receive five cards. After that, the remaining cards are placed in the middle as the draw pile or fishpond. Once done, the player to the dealer’s left will start by asking the next player if they have a particular card. If they do, they will give the asker that card. If not, they can say, “Go fish,” which means the asker must get a card from the fishpond.
The goal is for players to make a four-of-a-kind, which is four cards from the same suit. The game ends when all 13 books are made. The player with the most books wins. If a player runs out of cards, they can get a card from the fishpond when it’s their turn.
Hearts
The next one on our list is the card game of Hearts, which up to six players can enjoy. It’s a timeless classic that follows the trick-taking game mechanic, but the goal is to have the lowest score to win. A player can achieve this by avoiding winning tricks that contain unwanted cards, which are cards from the Hearts suit.
How to play Hearts:
- Each player receives 13 cards, and the player with 2 Clubs leads the game.
- All players must follow suit unless they don’t have the same suit; then, they can play another card.
- The player with the highest ranking value with the leading suit wins.
- Players who win a trick containing an unwanted card get a penalty point.
Cards from the Heart suit are equal to one penalty point. One strategy you should try to win is to play all high cards as soon as possible to avoid getting penalties. The game ends when a player reaches 100 penalty points, and the one with the lowest points wins.
Rummy
If you’re good at making card sets or sequences, you might want to consider playing Rummy, which is a family of card melding games. It has numerous variations due to its straightforward gameplay: making sets or sequences of three or more cards in the same suit or rank.
In Rummy, players can be between two to six. The objective is to score the most points by the end of the game, which can be achieved by melding, laying off, or discarding cards. The game begins with each player receiving seven cards; the remaining ones become a draw pile.
Players can construct their melds while laying off cards individually during the game. The player to the dealer’s left begins by playing a card. The next player can pick up the card or draw from the pile. The game ends when a player runs out of cards.
See Also: 6 Famous Genres of Card Games to Explore
Crazy Eights
A game that two to seven players can play is Crazy Eights. As the name implies, all eights are wild cards. The goal is to be the first to get rid of all cards by placing a card with the same number or suit as the flipped-up card in the center.
How to Play Crazy Eights:
- Each player receives seven cards, and the game begins with the player to the dealer’s left.
- The player must place a card with the same value or suit as the flipped-over card.
- All players must follow suit or draw a card from the pile until they find one with the same suit or value.
- Eights can be used to change the suit for the next player since it’s a wild card.
The game ends when one player no longer has cards, and the remaining players will need to calculate their points based on the value of each card. For instance, all face cards give ten points, Ace cards give one point, and the rest are worth their face value.
Egyptian Ratscrew
The last game on our list is Egyptian Ratscrew, which is ideal for two or more players. It has the same elements as Slapjack due to its slapping mechanism. It’s a fast-paced card game for players who are looking for something with a quick progression.
A standard deck is used and is dealt to each player equally until no cards are left. The game begins with the player on the dealer’s left, taking a card from their deck and placing it face-up in the middle. Each player follows until a face card, such as an Ace, King, Queen, or Jack, is played.
The next player must put down a face card to continue. If not, the one who placed down the card gets to take all the cards in the pile. The slapping mechanic appears when specific cards appear. For instance, two cards are played subsequently, like two Aces. There are many other combinations, so it’s best to be familiar with them before playing. The game ends when a player collects all the cards.
Kickstart Your Card Game Journey with a Group
These are only some of the many card games available to play with your friends and family. They’re easy to learn, fun, and can be played for hours on end. Feel free to try out different variations or make up your own rules. The most important thing is to have a good time together!