Top 6 compared
The best card games
An easy game after dinner that kids and grandparents can learn together in a few minutes.
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The top 6 at a glance
A deck of cards is the easiest game night there is: it fits in a coat pocket, sets up in a minute and needs no board or batteries. Card games come in a few kinds: shedding games where the first to empty a hand wins, planning games that reward thinking a few turns ahead, speed games of quick hands and loud voices, and trading games of deals and stolen sets.
Every pick here is a family game for ages 7 or 8 and up, with nothing crude in it, and younger children can play on a team with a grown-up. All of them work with two players, and most pack small enough for a trip.
What matters
- The player count, the minimum as well as the maximum.
- Playing time on the box, for a hand before bed.
- The age on the box, checked against the youngest who’ll be playing.
#1UNO Card Game
Under $10
Fast rounds for two to ten players: match the colour or number on the pile, switch the direction with a Reverse or hit the next player with a Draw Four, and shout UNO when you’re down to one card. Merle Robbins, a barber in Reading, Ohio, made the first decks in 1971 to settle a family argument over the rules of Crazy Eights.
What owners say: Owners call it hours of family fun and say the rules are simple enough for every age to pick up, so everyone from the youngest player up can join in. They’re happy with what it costs, too.
A closer look: Write a house rule on each of the three blank wild cards, such as everyone passing a card to the left or the whole table drawing two, then wipe them clean and make up new ones next time. Play to 500 points for a longer evening, or just a hand or two when time is short.
- 3 erasable house-rule wild cards
- Wild Swap Hands card
- Colourblind-friendly symbols
- 112 cards
- First decks made in 1971
Best for: All ages and big groups
- Kind of game
- Shedding (match and discard)
- Players
- 2–10
- Ages
- 7+
- Playing time
- About 15 min
#2Five Crowns Card Game
$20–$30
Rummy with a twist: five suits instead of four, and a wild card that moves up every hand. The first hand deals three cards with 3s wild, the next four cards with 4s wild, and so on to the kings, so early hands are quick and the last few take real planning.
What owners say: Owners call it fun for every age and very easy to learn, with just the right level of challenge, and say a game moves along quickly. It packs small for trips, and they rate it most highly with four or more players around the table.
A closer look: Newcomers can learn on the short opening hands before the long ones near the end, and six jokers sit alongside the rotating wild card to help out. There are no aces or twos in the deck. Keep a pencil and paper nearby, as the score carries across all 11 hands.
- Wild card changes every hand
- Five suits
- No aces or twos
- Six jokers in the deck
- 11 hands, lowest score wins
Best for: Planners and rummy fans
- Kind of game
- Rummy (sets and runs)
- Players
- 2–7
- Ages
- 8+
- Playing time
- 45–60 min
#3Dutch Blitz Card Game
$10–$20
Everyone plays at once in this race: lay cards from 1 to 10 in matching colours on piles in the middle of the table, and the first to clear their 10-card Blitz pile ends the round. Nobody waits for a turn, so it’s loud, quick and harder than it sounds.
What owners say: Owners describe it as extremely fun, with rules that take minutes to learn, so all ages can play. They like the fast, competitive pace and the way it keeps everyone thinking, and they feel the price is fair.
Heads up: The box plays two to four; for bigger groups you’ll need the separate expansion pack.
A closer look: Play one slow round first so newcomers see how the colours and numbers build up, then go at full speed. Sit everyone within easy reach of the middle of the table, as the shared piles grow fast and nobody waits a turn. At under 15 minutes a round, a few rounds fit into any evening.
- Race to clear your pile
- Build piles 1 to 10
- 160 cards
Best for: Quick hands and fast thinkers
- Kind of game
- Speed race (everyone plays at once)
- Players
- 2–4
- Ages
- 8+
- Playing time
- Under 15 min a round
#4Play Nine Card Game of Golf
$20–$30
Golf on the card table: each player lays out eight cards face down in two rows, then draws, swaps and flips to post the lowest score over nine holes. A matching pair in a column cancels to zero and the hole-in-one card counts minus five, so there’s real planning behind the luck of the draw.
What owners say: Owners find it easy to learn and fun with children at the table, with a fair mix of strategy and luck and a good pace from hole to hole. The price suits most, though opinions on the card quality are split.
A closer look: Everything for a round is in the box, scorecards and pencil included, so there’s nothing to hunt for. Play all nine holes for a full game, or just a hole or two before bed. Golfers pick up the scoring at once, and children soon learn that the cards to hold on to are the low ones.
- Hole-in-one card counts −5
- Matching pairs cancel to zero
- Scorecards and pencil included
- 108 cards in two decks
- Nine holes a game
Best for: Golfers and families who plan
- Kind of game
- Golf (lowest score wins)
- Players
- 2–6
- Ages
- 8+
- Playing time
- 15–20 min
#5Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza Card Game
$10–$20
Players lay cards in turn while chanting taco, cat, goat, cheese, pizza, and when a card matches the word, everyone slaps the pile and the slowest hand takes it. Gorilla, Groundhog and Narwhal cards add moves of their own, and the first to run out of cards wins.
What owners say: Owners say it’s fast, funny and simple to learn, a hit with children, teens and adults alike, and small enough to pack for a trip. They enjoy the competitive edge, though opinions differ on how comfortable it is to play.
A closer look: Take off rings before a round, as hands come down hard and fast on the pile. Younger players soon keep up, because it rewards quick eyes and a loud voice more than strategy, and at 10 to 15 minutes a round fits in before dinner or between longer games.
- Chant five words in turn
- Gorilla, Groundhog and Narwhal cards
- First out of cards wins
- Pocket-size box
- Take rings off first
Best for: Noisy tables of up to eight
- Kind of game
- Slap and react
- Players
- 2–8
- Ages
- 8+
- Playing time
- 10–15 min
#6Monopoly Deal Card Game
Under $10
Monopoly’s rent and property trading, squeezed into a card game that plays in about 15 minutes: be the first to collect three full property sets in different colours, while charging rent and stealing or swapping properties from everyone else. Reference cards in the box remind new players what they can do on a turn.
What owners say: Owners find it quick, easy to pick up and a favourite for family game nights, and they’re pleased with what they paid. The small box travels well, and the cards hold up to plenty of games.
A closer look: Bank a few money cards early: debts are paid with them, and a big rent card hurts most when you have nothing set aside. The birthday card takes money from everyone at the table, so hold it for the right moment. At two to five players it suits couples and small families as much as a full game night.
- First to three full sets
- Rent, steal and swap cards
- Birthday card charges everyone
- Reference cards for new players
- 110 cards
Best for: Deal-makers and schemers
- Kind of game
- Collect sets and trade
- Players
- 2–5
- Ages
- 8+
- Playing time
- About 15 min
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 6.
| Feature | #1UNO | #2Five Crowns | #3Dutch Blitz | #4Play Nine | #5Taco Cat | #6Monopoly Deal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Runner-up | Best party game | ||||
| Picked Rating | 9.6 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 9.4 |
| Price | Under $10 | $20–$30 | $10–$20 | $20–$30 | $10–$20 | Under $10 |
| Kind of game | Shedding (match and discard) | Rummy (sets and runs) | Speed race (everyone plays at once) | Golf (lowest score wins) | Slap and react | Collect sets and trade |
| Players | 2–10 | 2–7 | 2–4 | 2–6 | 2–8 | 2–5 |
| Ages | 7+ | 8+ | 8+ | 8+ | 8+ | 8+ |
| Playing time | About 15 min | 45–60 min | Under 15 min a round | 15–20 min | 10–15 min | About 15 min |
| Best for | All ages and big groups | Planners and rummy fans | Quick hands and fast thinkers | Golfers and families who plan | Noisy tables of up to eight | Deal-makers and schemers |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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