Card Games for Adults: Pick by the Night You Want

For a mixed group of adults who want something easy, start with Flip 7 at $7.97 (4.9 stars from 5,782 Amazon ratings): a 20-minute press-your-luck game for 3 or more players that anyone learns in one round. If the group wants adult humor, Cards Against Humanity at $29.00 is the classic, with 500 answer cards and 100 question cards, and it is not for kids or for a table that offends easily. For a real strategy card game, Skull King at $19.99 plays 2 to 8 and rewards guessing exactly how many tricks you will take.

The quickest way to choose is to pick the kind of night first, then the player count. A loud party game, a calm game that keeps a conversation going, and a game for people who like to plan are three different purchases, and most of the picks below cost under $20.

The Card Games Compared

Player counts and ages are from the makers' Amazon listings; prices and ratings are Amazon on October 25 and change often, so check the listing before you buy. We do not play or test these games; we compare published specs and buyer ratings.

How to Choose

• Content. Cards Against Humanity and Incohearent's Spicy cards are adult humor. Everything else on this list is clean enough for a table with teens or in-laws.
• Group size. Four of these take up to 8 players, and Flip 7 lists no upper limit. For exactly two, The Fox in the Forest is built for two; Coup and Skull King start at 2 but are better with more.
• Learning time. Flip 7, Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza and SKYJO are taught in a few minutes. Coup and Skull King take one practice round before people play well.
• Competitive or together. The Game is cooperative: the whole table wins or loses together, which suits groups that do not enjoy beating each other.
• Price. Ten of the twelve cost under $20. A two-pack of standard cards at $5.34 also covers hundreds of classic games, from rummy to spades.

The Card Games in Detail

1. Flip 7, Best for Most Groups

Each turn you take another card or stop and bank your points; a second card with the same number busts you for the round. The deck holds twelve 12s, eleven 11s and so on down, plus Freeze, Flip Three and Second Chance cards, and the first player to 200 points wins. USAOPOLY lists it for 3 or more players, ages 8 and up, about 20 minutes. Check Flip 7 on Amazon, $7.97.

2. Cards Against Humanity, Best Adult Party Game

One player reads a black question card and everyone else answers with their funniest white card. The current box has 500 white and 100 black cards and a rule booklet with alternate rules. The maker calls it "a party game for horrible people", and buyers say the same: it works for a group that likes shock humor and falls flat with one that does not. It has 140,805 Amazon ratings at 4.8 stars. Check Cards Against Humanity on Amazon, $29.00.

3. Incohearent, Best Word Party Game

Hold up a card showing gibberish and the others race the timer to sound it out into a real phrase. The 300 cards come in Party, Spicy and Pop Culture categories, so you can leave the Spicy ones in the box. Relatable lists it for 3 to 8 players aged 17 and up. Check Incohearent on Amazon, $15.99.

4. We're Not Really Strangers, Best for Conversation

This is less a game than a structured conversation: three levels of question cards move from first impressions to deeper questions to reflection. The box has 150 question and wildcards, a notepad and two pencils, for 2 to 6 players aged 15 and up. It suits a date night or a small group of friends better than a party. Check We're Not Really Strangers on Amazon, $25.00 from a third-party seller.

5. Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, Best Quick Laugh

Players flip cards while chanting the five words of the title; when the card matches the word, everyone slaps the pile and the last hand takes the cards. It is for 2 to 8 players aged 7 and up, so it also works when kids join. Check Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza on Amazon, $9.95.

6. Five Crowns, Best Rummy Game

A rummy game with a fifth suit (stars) and a wild card that changes every round as the hands grow. If your group already plays rummy or Phase 10, this is the easy step up. It takes up to 7 players and has 34,506 ratings at 4.9 stars. Check Five Crowns on Amazon, $9.99.

7. SKYJO, Best Casual Game for Big Tables

You try to end with the fewest points by flipping, swapping and matching cards in a face-down grid. Magilano lists 2 to 8 players, ages 8 and up, about 30 minutes, with 150 cards and a score pad. Check SKYJO on Amazon, $19.95.

8. Coup, Best Bluffing Game

Each turn you take one action and claim a role to do it, whether you hold that card or not; anyone can call your bluff. The box is small and the rules are short, but the game is all about reading the people at the table. It is listed for 2 to 6 players. For more games like it, see our social deduction party games. Check Coup on Amazon, $16.99.

9. Skull King, Best Strategy Card Game

A trick-taking game where you bid how many tricks you will win each round, then try to hit that number exactly, with pirates, mermaids and the Skull King changing who wins a trick. Grandpa Beck's lists 2 to 8 players, ages 8 and up, 30 to 45 minutes. It has 7,154 ratings at 4.9 stars. Check Skull King on Amazon, $19.99.

10. The Game, Best Cooperative Card Game

Everyone works together to play every card onto four piles, two counting up and two counting down, without saying which numbers they hold. It was nominated for the Spiel des Jahres and is a good pick for a table that would rather beat the game than each other. Check The Game on Amazon, $17.95.

11. The Fox in the Forest, Best for Two Adults

A trick-taking game made for exactly two, where winning too many tricks can cost you the round and character cards bend the rules. Renegade lists ages 10 and up and about 30 minutes. For more two-player choices, see our 2 player card games with a standard deck. Check The Fox in the Forest on Amazon, $15.99.

12. Bicycle Playing Cards, Best for Classic Games

Two standard poker-size decks, one red and one blue, for hearts, spades, euchre, rummy, poker and every other classic. Two decks also cover games such as Canasta. If you shuffle a lot, our guide to automatic card shufflers covers the machines. Check Bicycle playing cards on Amazon, $5.34 for the two-pack.

Related Guides

• Best card games for 3 players
• Card games under $30
• Strategy card games
• All party games
• All classic games

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good card game for adults who do not play games?

Flip 7 or Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza. Both are taught in a few minutes, a round is short, and nobody needs to plan ahead to have fun.

What is a good card game for adults with adult humor?

Cards Against Humanity is the best known. Incohearent's Spicy cards are a milder option, and you can leave them out for a mixed group.

What card games can two adults play?

The Fox in the Forest is made for two. Coup and Skull King also start at 2 players, and a standard deck covers two-player classics such as gin rummy and cribbage.

Are there card games where adults play together instead of against each other?

Yes. The Game is cooperative: the whole table plays against the deck and wins or loses together.

How much does a good card game for adults cost?

Ten of the twelve games here cost under $20 on Amazon on October 25; Cards Against Humanity at $29.00 and We're Not Really Strangers at $25.00 are the two over.