My favorite dedicated deck card games for casual play with friends and family
I wrote a review of my 7 favorite card games for game nights with casual players. These games are great for passing time with family and friends who aren't super into boardgames. Let me know what you think.
The games reviewed are:
* Skull
* Saboteur
* Sushi Go
* Cockroach Poker
* Liar Liar
* Spicy
* Coup
6 Replies
I like Coup. Haven't played the others.
The fav casual card game of my family is The Great Dalmuti, a 80-deck card game by Richard Garfield. It is also a great drinking game (after every game the Great Peon consumes whatever it is you are drinking). I also played this with friends, great to have something to do while talking. I had to buy a second game, because the first was totally worn out. It is much better than Coup imo
At our family get togethers we play contract whist
Thanks for the list.
Wizard still seems to be the family go-to game with 4 to 6 people. Dealer's bid must ensure that the total bids don't = tricks available. I win a fair amount in this game, usually by conservative bidding and if in doubt, pick one less trick than one more.
Skip-Bo. I know this will sound crazy, because it is a simple game, but my wife and I have been playing skip-bo every night after supper for the past 5 years. It takes about 20-25 minutes. I modified the rules a bit. We start with 25 cards each in our pile and we each have a 1 as our top card so that (1) we start out even, and (2) we ensure we have something to build on right from the start.
There can be some some strategic decisions in this game (blocking versus advancing, stack management, etc).
I would never play this game other than H2H. It is painful with more than 2 people.
Thief. This game is fun. I can't find the rules but it is the version of "Thief" where 2s and Jokers are wild, and you need two (or even 3) decks of cards. Each players starts out with 3 cards. Great for 6 to 8 people. At some point in mid game there will be one or two players with a large pile of cards (points!!) in front of them, and how and when you target that pile requires skill, as does how you protect it.
The rules we play are almost the same as the ones noted here. If anyone knows of a better link that would be great.
Chickenfoott with Mexican Tiles. Not sure there is a way to gain an edge on other players other than some obvious plays.
I can't wait to try some of these.
My husband and I play a card game we made up based on a game (Swoosh) that I think was made up at a retirement living area in Casa Grande, Arizona, where my dad and his wife live. We play it everywhere we go -- breakfast, lunch, dinner, on plane trips, etc. We call our two-player game Swish. We are the best two players in the world! 😉
