18 amazing fun card games to play with friends and family

A deck of 52 cards is always fun for players of all ages. It is my beloved past time and whether I am playing it with my friends or family. Cards have always been a big part of my life. They boost mental skills, memory and logic. There are tons of games that are entertaining. Watching TV with your kids all the day is not good. Playing cards with them would definitely give you memory and you would be available to teach them lessons.

1. Crazy Eights Game

This game is all time favorite of little older kids. This game can be played with 2 or more players. The reaming cards forms a pile with the top card is turned face down. The game commences by dealing five cards to each player. 1st player will put a card that will match the face up card by either suit or number. Eights are the wild cards as they can be played over any card. If you have played an eight, then you can say “suits are now jacks”. Players have to play the jack otherwise they have to pick a card or set of cards. The player who gets rid of his cards first proclaimed as the winner.Sportsbooks like RealBet.eu also has a casino where you can play crazy eights game for free to test out your knowledge of the game.

Read how to play crazy eights.

2. Go Fish Game

This game is best for young kids. The objective of the game is to collect a set of 4 cards. Player collect card by asking them to the other player on their turn. To ask for a card, you must have at least one card of that rank. If you receive the cards then you can play one more turn. In case the player does not have the requested rank you would be told to Go Fish. In this case you have to take 4 cards from the top of the pile. As you make set of 4 cards they are discarded to the pile and player who gets rid of his cards wins the game.

Read how to play Go Fish.

3. Snap Game

It is best for 2 players. However more than 2 can play but the cards may not be spread out evenly, this is acceptable. The skill required is alertness. At the starting, the cards are spread evenly among players. Each player has to put one card from the top of his stack to the center of the table. If two consecutive cards are identical then players have to shout “SNAP” and place their hand over the center pile. Whoever does this fastest will take the pile and place it at the bottom of his deck. Player who acquires the entire deck wins the game. There are amazing variations of this game like players have to snap their heads before reaching out to pile to add humor and fun.

Read how to play snap with killer variations.

4. Concentration Game

This game is best to boost the mental arithmetic of children. Played with 2-6 players, objective is to turn the cards into pairs. The whole deck is spread face down on floor or table. Player will flip two cards at a time. If they are in pair they will remain face up. If cards do not match they will be turned face down. Players with most number of players by flipping will win the game. More than 6 players can play but a second deck must be added. Player with good memory wins the game.

5. War Game

This is the easiest game which can be played by the youngest children. It is a game designed for only 2 players. A singe deck is divided evenly among players. Each player will deal one card from the top of the stack. The highest rank wins the round and takes both the cards. The game is continued till one player has all the cards. If the name of the game does not suit you call it head to head. You will enjoy playing this game with your kids.

6. I Doubt It Game

This is not the only name. It goes by different ones when the adults play that includes drink. Well, it is played with family and the drinks are not involved. This game is played with 3-6 players and 5-7 cards are dealt to each player.

Only the rank matters, suits do not. Game commences by playing a card face down of specific rank by the player who has the lead and proclaim the rank to the centre such as “Queen, Ace, etc.” Player takes their turn clockwise. They will play a card and proclaim the rank but no one is sure they have told the truth. Player has 2 choices.

1. They pass the chance to other player without playing a card.
2. They play the rank but no one is sure that it matches the rank of lead.

7. Go Boom Game

This game is ideal for 12 players. Each player is dealt with 7 cards face down and the rest of the cards are stack together forms a pile kept at the center of the table face down. Game commences by the player to the dealer’s left plays a card face up to the center. The next player has to play a card of matching suit or ran. Otherwise, he has to draw a card on every turn until the matching card comes up. Player cards are scrutinized after all the players have completed 1 round. Whoever has the highest rank will lead the next round. Player who get rid of his cards first would shout “BOOM” as loud as possible.

8. Animal Game

This game is played by young children for fun. Each player has to pick up the name of the animal, the longer the name the better. Each player is dealt with equal cards face down. Each player will play a card face up to the center so that every player is able to see. As the two consecutive cards matches, the two players have to shout the name of opponent’s animal three times. Whoever is able to this fastest wins the other’s discarded pile. Player with most cards wins the game.

9. Spoons Game

This game is designed for 3-13 players. Teach player must have a spoon. The aim of this game is to collect all 4 cards of same rank. Player who picks up the spoon last would lose the game.

Number of players will decide the number of cards. Each player will have 4 cards to commence. All the spoons would be kept at the center of the table within every players reach. Each player will pick 1 card from his 4 cards and keep them to their left. Player wait till the card from his right is kept on his left. As soon as they pick the card player will match if they have made a pair of four cards.

If any player has made a set of four cards, then that player will pick up a spoon quickly. Following him, all other player would try to snatch the spoon as soon as possible. Player who snatches it last would be the loser.

There are many variations of this game. The most popular is the pig. Instead of spoons, the player who accumulates for of a kind will place his finger on his nose. The last person to realize this would be loser.

10. 31 Game

It is an easy game to play with kids. It demand basic math, as it requires addition of numbers up to 31. Three or more players can play this game. Each player will be dealt with 3 cards face down and the rest will be kept at center. They are allowed to look at their cards. The aim is to score a total of 31 before the other player. They will pick up a card from the pile while discarding a card from their own hand. Cards from 2-10 have their face value while face cards have 11 and aces can either have 1 or 11 depending on the variation decided by the player.

11. Chase the Ace Game

It is played with a single deck with 3 or more players. Each player is dealt with 1 card exactly. This card should remain face down. Player can look at their cards bit it should not be revealed to other players. The aim is not to have lowest rank. After the dealer has finished dealing, every player has two choices either to pass it to the player to their left or hold that card. You can hold a card if it has high value than 10 that means you have to pass the lower ranks from 1-A.

You want to switch lower rank cards from the player next to you. Game commence by the dealer who either switch card from the player to his left or draw a new one from the pile by discarding his card. If anyone holds Ace, they get hold to it irrespective of what other players. Generally, this game is played with three chances. In its variation you can give any number of lives. Player who lost all their lives is out of the game.

12. Kemps Game

They are played with 4 players (two members in each team). This game involves gestures to your team partner. This game is played with single deck but two decks can be used if there are more than 8 members. The objective is to collect four of a kind and say “KEMPS”. The partner other than the one who has four of a kind has to shout “KEMPS”. You can also win the game by saying “STOP KEMPS” if the opponents have four of a kind. This is Hand Goal.

In game goal, the loser get word KEMPS as penalty. Team who spells “KEMPS” first would lose the game.

13. Hole Golf Game

The game is played with at least 4 players. The objective is to score minimum points as in Golf Sport. Two standard decks of 52 cards with 2 or 4 jokers included. Each player is dealt with 6 cards. The remaining cards form the pile with its top card turned face up. Each player divides them in 2 two roes and three columns. Two cards out of six are turned face up. The layout is maintained throughout the game.

Players have to score minimum points by pairing them up or by swapping them. Each player take his turn starting from the dealer’s left by drawing cards from the discard piles or stock. The card drawn can be swapped from the available 6 cards or discarded. The swapped card would remain face up. A round is finished when a player’s cards are face up. Other players then have 1 turn to boost their hand. The score is calculated. The game has 9 or 18 rounds. Player with minimum points declared as a winner.

14. Speed Game

Speed is a card game in which player has to get rid of his cards. Each player is dealt with 5 cards forming a hand and 15 additional cards face down to form a pile and each player has pile of 16 cards. There are replacement files of 5 cards each which are kept between the players.

Jokers are excluded but they would be used as a wild card if included in game. Game starts when the player start flipping cards at exact time. They have to form stack by placing 1 card above or 1 card below the center pile and shuffle the cards too. If a pile has 4 as its top card, then you can place 3 or 5 but not another 4. Player who made his pile fastest wins the game. There are three rounds. The best two wins the whole game.

15. Sevens Game

Cards are dealt equally in order but some players have 1 card more than others, this is acceptable. The game is started by player who owns the seven of diamonds. The other seven of diamonds can be played can be played consecutively. Cards are played either to the low rank (Ace) or to the high rank (King). If they have six of diamond they will play them under the pile and if they have eight of diamond they will play on the top of the pile.

Player will pass if he does not have the required rank. There is one more option to start a new stack. This game is suitable for players of all ages. The first player to play all his cards is the winner. Game can still be till one player is left.

16. Comet Game

Game is played with a standard deck. 8 of Diamonds is removed from the deck. Additional cards are removed equal to the number of players. The cards removed are 7 or 8 of diamonds regardless of the suit. The cards have to be evenly divided so an additional card is removed. The ranks of cards matter (Kings-Highest Rank, Ace- Lowest Rank).

Starting with dealer’s left; player plays his lowest hand face up on the centre of the table. The player with the next turn plays a card of the same suit exceeding one in number. Suppose play starts with 5 of spades, then the next player have to play 6 of spades, then 7 and so on until they do not have the card of same suit in sequence. In case a player is not able to play the required card, his turn is over.

If no one is able to play card, then it comes to halt. A new sequence is started by the player who played last card. If the sequence is made and reaches to the king, then the player who played the king is awarded with a point.

Player who succeeds in playing his entire hand wins the game.

17. Linger Longer Game

Equal cards are distributed to each player. The remaining cards form the pile at the centre of table. The last card dealt to the dealer is the trump card of the game.

Ace is the highest rank. The objective is to win the trick. Play is commenced by the player at the dealer’s left. Every player plays the card; whoever has played the highest rank or trump wins the trick.

18. Ship Sails

This game is easy played with the pace. The aim is to collect 7 cards of a suit. Dealer distributes seven cards to each player face down. The remaining cards are placed outside the table. Player decide which suit they have to collect and can change their choice anytime. Game is played with the giving a card to player on the left and receiving card from the player to his right. The first player to have all seven cards of same suit wins the game.

These fun card games are easy to learn and suited for players of all ages. They can be played anywhere whether with friends, family and even on parties.