It used to be that the only card games you would normally play on game night would involve a standard deck of cards and consist of games such as snap, solitaire, and poker. Sound familiar?
Being an avid game player myself, card games are our go-to activity. Whether with family after dinner or with friends around playing drinking games.
This is why I have put together this list of the most popular American card games for you to play in 2023.
Best American Card Games to Play
Throughout this guide, I have included a solid selection of games, so whether you’re a novice, a pro, or want something to play with the kids, you’ll find a suitable game.
Ready? Let’s go!
1. Zen Battle Survival of The Chilliest
Starting with a great game that friends and family of all ages can get involved with. Zen Battle Survival of The Chilliest is a fast-paced, colorful and exciting game for two to four players.
If you’re playing with people who aren’t into strategic games and want to bring something light-hearted and simple to the table, this is the game for you.
The thing that first drew me to this game was the beautifully designed cards with chakra-related images printed on the back in colorful animal designs. There are seven number cards and one Mastery Card.
You must race against your pals and align your chakras to play the game.
One of the best things about this game is that the outcome is different each time, meaning you can have hours of unpredictable fun.
2. What Do You Meme
Get everyone to put down their screens, and turn their attention to this modern-day, offline texting game called What Do You Meme.
As the game contains some adult content, it’s recommended for anyone over 17. You’ll be better off having at least three players to get started. However, the more people, the funnier the game is, so it is an ideal choice for a party.
At the start of the game, pick one player to be the leader or judge. Players take turns drawing a text card from the deck, which other players will then have to match their card to make the funniest text message possible. The judge will then decide which one is the most amusing. Whoever wins gets the point, and you continue like this and tally up the points at the end.
One of the things I love about this game is that you get so many cards. There are 240 text cards and 300 response cards to choose from, so no matter how many times you play, you’ll never get the same result.
3. Shot in The Dark
A Shot in The Dark is the perfect game to introduce to your guests or take on your next camping trip.
This is a fun game that’s quick and easy to learn and guaranteed to bring many laughs.
The only aim of the game is to answer some of the most random, ridiculous questions you’ve probably ever heard in your life. For example, “how many liters of vodka does a Russian drink in a year” or “how many liters of paint did it take to paint the White House.“
This is one of my absolute favorite card games. If you’re like me and love anything with questions and answers, it will quickly become one of your favorites too.
One of the most fun aspects of the game is that nobody has to answer correctly, mainly because most of them are impossible to answer. However, the person closest, or whoever has the best answer, wins the question.
So, if you love trivia but can never successfully join in with the classic Trivial Pursuit, this is the game for you.
4. Dobble
Coming to a game suitable for the younger ones as well as teens and adults, Dobble is a fantastic, delightful game involving scrutinization, speed, and quick reflexes.
Race against your opponents to try and match the images on the card. However, what makes it so tricky is that only one other picture will match, so you must stay alert and have your eyes peeled at all times.
The game only takes around fifteen minutes to play, so if you’re short of time or not a fan of long, drawn-out activities, this will suit you perfectly.
Another excellent aspect of this game is that it comes in such wide varieties. I believe there are now nearly thirty in total. Some include football versions, special editions, Disney, and my absolute favorite, the Harry Potter Dobble.
5. Uno Card Game
Old but gold. Uno has to be one of the best card games and remains one of the most popular American card games to date.
The concept may seem slightly complicated at first. Still, once you’ve got your head around the initial Uno rules, it’s extremely simple.
This is known as a card-shedding game, so starting with seven cards, each player must take turns to play down one card at a time, but the card must match by either color number.
There are also unique cards in the extended pack, such as plus four, color change, and plus two, which you can use to force other players to collect more cards from the stockpile, which is where the game gets even more exciting and competitive.
If you want to elevate the game even further, check out the Uno Attack, which comes with lights and sound effects, and a card blaster. It will forcefully fire your cards at you when you’re dealt a special card.
There are also plenty of other fun games you can play with your Uno cards, so endless possibilities exist.
6. Priorities
The rib-tickling card game known as Priorities is a bonkers game that will bring everyone together in laughter while getting to know each other. Find out things they never knew before.
During this crazy game experience, players must pick from two answers what is most important to them.
To start, you must select a target player. They will choose five cards and write down the words from the card in their order of priority. The rest of the players must then try to guess what order they have selected. Once the group has agreed, you must line the cards up in the order you think the target player has chosen.
If you have guessed any of the words in the right spot, you win the card, and any incorrect cards will be returned to the deck, so basically, it’s you and your group against the game. The question is, how well do you know your friends?
7. What Am I?
What Am I is a game of questions and guesswork, in which you are given a card at the start of the game, which will have something written on it, such as “I am a cat” or “I am a sloth.”The card is placed into a headband which is then placed on top of your head, and now you need to try and figure out what you are.
However, the tricky part is you can only find out what or who you are by asking the other players questions, to which they can only answer yes or no. So, you might ask, “have I got fur?” or “Do I live underwater” but you can’t ask, “How many legs have I got?” Make sense?
Things start to get a little tense because while trying to guess what you are, a timer is quickly running out, so think fast and use your questions wisely.
What am I? is super fun and quick to learn, with minimal rules or instructions, so it’s a brilliant game to play with the family.
8. Sequence
Sequence is a challenging, strategic card game that as many as twelve players can enjoy.
The game consists of cards, chips, and a folding board. The idea is to play a card from your hand and place a chip onto the corresponding square on the board. Once you have five chips in a row, you have a sequence. The first person to get the required number of sequences wins.
There are things you can do to try and prevent your opponents from beating you to the finish line by blocking their potential rows.
The added twist to the game is when the jacks are played. When the jacks with two eyes are played, players can place their chips anywhere they like on the board. If a jack with one eye is played, you can remove one of your opponent’s chips.
Summary
So that’s a wrap; we have our list of the most popular American card games to play with friends and family at your next gaming gathering.
What will you choose? A strategic card game to challenge your opponents, or a fun one to have the room in fits of laughter? I like a bit of both.
Once you’ve worked through this list, why not check out The 10 Best Harry Potter Board Games to Play?
