10 Must-Have Family Card Games


We recently wrote about our Top 10 Must-Have Family Board Games – the board games that we believe every family should have in their game library. But families cannot live on board games alone. Families should also have a great group of card games to pull out when they want to spend time playing together.

Many times card games are simpler to pull out and play for a quick game. They’re also typically smaller and easier to take on family vacations. And of course, they are often cheaper than board games so buying a number of card games won’t break the bank.

So here is our Top 10 Must-Have Family Card Games

1. Uno

UNO card gameHopefully everyone reading this article has played Uno before. If not, then we’re sure you know someone who has. It’s a very simple game of matching colors and numbers and being the first to get rid of all the cards in your hand. There are a number of variations of Uno and a number of alternate playing rules with a standard deck. We really like Speed Uno – where you can play a card out of turn if it’s an exact match of color and number. Then play continues from that point. But regardless of how you play, we think you should definitely have Uno on your family game shelf.

2-10 Players, Ages 6+, 30 Minutes, Around $8

2. SkipBo

SkipBo card gameSkipBo is another card game that we love because it can be played easily by old and young alike. Like other family card games, you’re trying to be the first to play all of the cards in your stack. It takes more forethought than Uno because you can have a few piles in front of you to line up your cards before you play them to the center. And playing the cards is simple as you stack them in sequential order from low to high. There’s nothing quite like playing a bunch of cards in a row and turning over the next card in your stack to have it perfectly line up with what’s available.

2-6 Players, Ages 8+, 20 Minutes, Around $8

3. Apples to Apples Junior

Apples to Apples JuniorApples to Apples seems like it’s a game that’s already in everyone’s collection. But if it isn’t, then run out and get a copy. It’s a fantastic game and works best with more players. A green card with a single word on it is played by the judge for that round. The other players take a card from their hand that they think is comparable to the word on the green card and play it face down on the table. The judge for that round then lays out the played cards and selects which card he/she thinks is the best and then the player that played that card gets a point. The junior version plays exactly the same, but is much easy for kids to relate to the words on the cards.

4-10 Players, Ages 9+, 40 Minutes, Around $20

4. Dominion

DominionDominion is the most expensive card game on this list ($40) and it comes in a board game size box, but it’s well worth it! If you haven’t tried it yet, we highly recommend you give it a shot. When it first came out, it was such a new and unique play experience that we’d never played before. But because of the amazing success of Dominion, numerous other games have been made that have similar play mechanics. We also need to warn you that Dominion is very addictive. So welcome to your new addiction – go grab a copy of Dominion for your family. See our full review of Dominion.

2-4 Players, Ages 10+, 30 Minutes, Around $40

5. Phase 10

Phase 10Phase 10 is a rummy type game where you compete to be the first to complete all ten phases. Each phase of the game requires you to play cards in a certain fashion – like sets and runs. You play in rounds and if you complete the requirement of a phase during a round, you’ll move on to the next phase on the next round. But if someone plays all the cards in their hand before you complete the phase requirement, then you’ll have to attempt to complete that same phase during the next round (while others have moved on). The only warning we have is that with 6 players, the game and last a while longer – in which case we take a break and go at it again later.

2-6 Players, Ages 8+, 45 Minutes, Around $10

6. Racko

Racko

Racko is another card game that we’d call one of the best family card games around. It’s simple to understand, can be played by both young and old, is a mix of luck and some strategy, and has plenty of player interaction. In fact, one of the things we like best about it is the player interaction. There’s just something sweet about rearranging the sequence of cards in your opponents rack. Of course, turn about is fair play, so you never know when payback will strike you.

2-4 Players, Ages 8+, 20 Minutes, Around $15

7. Go Fish

Go FishFor the younger players in your family, Go Fish is definitely a “must-have” card game. Go fish a matching card game at a very basic level, but instead of matching by sight, players must guess what their opponents have. There are tons of different Go Fish card decks (different animals, letters, characters, seasons, etc.), so pick one that your kids will be interested in and start them young. Seeing the joy in your young child’s eyes when they have to “go fish” and they draw the card they were looking for – priceless.

2-6 Players, Ages 4+, 20 Minutes, Around $10

8. Incan Gold

Incan Gold board gameWe love this ‘press-your-luck’ card game. The theme is fun (excavating for treasure), the game play is very simple (do you go on or go back?), and up to 8 people can play. So even larger families can enjoy playing it together. And you get to find out how much your family members like to risk. Are they always the ones trying to go one card further into the cave, or do they take their treasure and head back to camp to keep it safe? It’s also a game that we’ve never stopped at just one play.

See our full review of Incan Gold
3-8 Players, Ages 6+, 20 Minutes, Around $18

9. No Thanks!

No Thanks card gameNo Thanks! is a simple card game but it’s also very engaging. Each turn, players have two options: 1. Play one of their chips to avoid picking up the current face-up card, or 2. Pick up the face-up card (along with any chips that have already been played on that card) and turn over the next card. However, the choices aren’t so easy because players are trying to have the lowest score at the end of the game. So the big debate is whether it’s worth picking up that card you really need even if it comes at a cost of more chips. For a game with such a polite name it sure can cause some angst.

3-5 Players, Ages 8+, 20 Minutes, Around $10

10. Deck of Cards

CardsOf course, for general card fun with a wealth of different game options, nothing beats a standard deck of 52 cards. I don’t know how many decks of cards we have but I know we’ve got quite a few and they’re well worn. You can get a deck of cards almost anywhere for very cheap. Most of the decks we have are also memories of where we’ve been on vacation – like our Disneyland deck. And it almost goes without saying that one of the first card games our kids learned was WAR. It doesn’t get much simpler than that – is my card value higher than your card? Sweet! I get it. What’s fun to see is that even as the kids have grown, they have fun passing the time playing WAR with each other.

Number of Players = varies, Ages = varies, Play time = varies, Cost = cheap

We’d love to hear what your “must-have” family card games are. What are the card games you’d throw in your bags to take on vacation with you?




28 thoughts on “10 Must-Have Family Card Games

  • Coloretto is a must have!

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    • I’m hearing that a lot lately, why is that? What is Coloretto about?

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  • I’d definitely second Coloretto, and I might also add Loco!

    Also, though I somehow don’t quite think of them as card games, I’d probably add Lost Cities and Battle Line, too. 🙂

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    • We are getting Zooloretto for Christmas (don’t tell the kids) and have heard before that Coloretto is fun. Now we’ll have to add it our wish list.

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  • Mille Bornes is a must-have for me. I look forward to getting a few of these too!

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  • Second on Dominion. We generally enjoy that as a family. Ditto Incan Gold and No Thanks, though those are definitely not games for the whole night.

    I want to take a look at Railways of the World – the Card Game, but haven’t so far. It sounds intriguing.

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  • Check into Spot It! by BlueOrange.
    My family loves it, it’s quick and any age can play.

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  • What about Bang?!? It’s one of our very favorites. And Bohnanza is a great card game. Don’t forget Fluxx for pure silliness. My youngest kids enjoy Hiss and Sleeping Queens. We like Uno Attack better than Uno.

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  • What about Set? It is a great game.

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    • Set is another great game. It’s a good mental exercise, but isn’t for everyone. We find that it’s one of those left brain vs. right brain type of exercises and some people just get frustrated.

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  • What about Set? It is a great game.

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    • Set is another great game. It’s a good mental exercise, but isn’t for everyone. We find that it’s one of those left brain vs. right brain type of exercises and some people just get frustrated.

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  • For young children – ages 6 and up – rat-a-tat Cat has served our family well. Our girls loved playing it. Now they care for children during the summer months and rat-a-tat Cat is the game requested more than any other on the shelf.

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  • I’d suggest you look at Seven Dragons (made by the same people who do the Fluxx games) as well as Guillotine. My husband and I enjoy them very much and they are great with both new/young and experienced gamers alike. They can both be found on Amazon.

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    • Thanks for the suggestions. We did pick up a copy of Guillotine this fall and have had fun with it. Nice and simple – and enjoyable. Unique theme, but done well.

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  • Sleeping Queens is a great card game that is super easy- our 5 yo plays it, and my DH and I have been known to play after the kids are in bed.

    Sushi Go! is another highly addictive game of choices. Do you risk giving up a Wasabi for that Sashimi that you hope to get 3 of? Each pass of hand means a new choice that can make or (not so) break you. We love it!

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  • Dutch Blitz!! It’s not for everyone… in fact I’m terrible at it, but it is a family fave for sure!

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  • Uno Attack is my family’s go to game. My kids love it, all the way down to my 5 year old. Who doesn’t love having cards launch towards them?

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    • Uno Attack is a fun one for sure.

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  • Quiddler is our family’s favorite card game! You can play with 2 (not as much fun) or 20 (at Thanksgiving!)

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    • Marilee – Thanks for sharing. We’ve seen that around, but haven’t played yet. Thanks for the suggestion.

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  • I LOVE UNO so much!! – UNO was the first card game I played as a kid!! I cried the first time my dad played a Draw4 on me, and then I laughed till I cried when I played one back on him! That emotional rollercoaster had me hooked from game 1!! 😀 😀 UNO is definitely enjoyable, but it does lose its luster after like 2222020202 games!!

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  • Why is Doomlings not on the list? Such a fun and great game for families

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