This comprehensive list of the best card games of 2023 includes strategy, luck, and family fun- with perfect ideas for your Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas gift shopping!
Our family is extremely competitive, so it’s no wonder we have a giant collection of card games and board games. Some are better than others, however. We’ve selected our favorite card games (in no particular order) to spark some inspiration for awesome games to add to your collection!
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1. Antidote
In a research lab, everyone is exposed to a deadly toxin. Everyone is working to be the first to discover the antidote! This game is great for 2-7 players and pretty simple to learn. Together, we’ve played this in multiple groups and have had a great time. Click here to buy it!
2. Skull King
We play this every time I’m with my in-laws! This is a great prediction game, where you try to predict how many tricks you will win in a round. With special cards like Pirates, mermaids, and the Kraken, it requires a ton of strategy to beat your components. Or force them to win to keep your prediction true! Highly recommend. Click here to buy it!
3. Gubs
A very unique game, Gubs is well-liked by many age groups. In this game, your mission is to collect as many Gubs as you can, either by drawing them, luring them away from your opponents, or using a range of fun event cards to destroy the other Gubs on the table. True to the description on the front, it truly is a great mix of both “wit and luck”. Click here to buy it!
4. You’ve Got Crabs
Don’t let the name of this card game deter you- it’s very family appropriate. Each team tries to collect four of the same card and pass a secret signal to their teammate. If the signal is recognized and the teammate yells, “You’ve got crabs” before the opponents, then your team is on their way to victory. Quick rounds, fast-paced, and very fun! Click here to buy it!
5. Sushi Go!
In this fast-paced game, players attempt to collect the best assortment of sushi rolls to gain the most points. Very simple to learn, adorable artwork, and really puts you in the mood for some sushi! Click here to buy it!
6. Bang!
Taking us back to the Wild West, this game has each person on a team- with the Sherriff or with the outlaws. The funny thing is, you don’t know who is on your team. One group works to protect the Sherriff, while the others are plotting to take him down. This is a timeless game we’ve played over and over! Click here to buy it!
7. Coup
After the actions of the Resistance have weakened your government, it’s your time, as a government official to secure your place at the top! Working against the other players, you attempt to bribe, manipulate, and scheme your way to power. Each game is quick, easy to learn, and has a great strategic component. Click here to buy it!
8. Monopoly Deal
All of the best parts of Monopoly, in card game form! However, I really like this game better! You must buy, sell, and collect properties before your opponents. Each game lasts only 15-20 minutes, but is still satisfyingly strategic. If you like the gameplay of Monopoly, but hate how long it takes, this is definitely a winner! Click here to buy it!
9. Goat Lords
This game is hilarious and fun! Each player attempts to collect the largest herd of cleverly-designed goats by stacking matching goats on top of each other. Other players will attempt to steal your best goats and create a better stack of their own! The person with the best goats in the end is the all-time, amazing goat lord. Click here to buy it!
10. Cover Your Assets
Much like the previous game (Goat Lords), players collects “assets” like cars, jewelry, etc. by matching cards and laying them down in a stack. Other players attempt to steal your assets by matching your top stack. Will you end up with the best stack, or will you fail to cover your assets? Click here to buy it!
11. Dungeon Mayhem
A great card version of D&D (Dungeons and Dragons), this nerdy game will have all of your friends mesmerized. Play as one of four brave, quirky characters—barbarian, paladin, Rogue, or wizard—battling it out in a dungeon full of treasure! As always, you must fight to be the last adventurer standing! Click here to buy it!
12. Code Names
We own almost every version of this game, it’s a classic! Using 1-word clues, one team-member (the spy master) attempts to communicate the location of their team’s agents using their code-names. However, be careful not to reveal the location of the other team’s agents and the bomb! In our experience, once you start playing, you won’t be able to stop! It is easy to learn and so fun to play. Click here to buy it!
13. Here to Slay!
We just bought this game for our brother’s birthday, and we already love it! You must build your epic team and slay monsters- all before the other players do! On youtube, there is a great video about how to play, so we picked it up after one round. Click here to buy it!
14. Saboteur
Are you part of the mining crew, or are you a saboteur? Working together, your group must locate the gold and build a series of tunnels to get to it… but some of the players are trying to sabotage the whole operation! This game has really helped pick out the good liars in our family! Click here to buy it!
15. Unstable Unicorns
The artwork is almost as good as the game itself! The goal of the game is to collect 7 unicorns in your stable first. Sounds easy? It would be, if everyone else weren’t trying to steal your unicorns! Although it sounds childish, the game is very strategic and fun for older age groups! Click here to buy it!
16. Exploding Kittens
The cover says it all- kittens, explosions, and laser beams. In this every-man-for-himself game, you never know when a bomb will be revealed! You must be the last person standing in this hilarious (and anxiety-inducing) card game. Click here to buy it!
17. Ramen Fury
The second best part of this game might have to be the packaging, which in real life looks like an actual package of Ramen noodles! In this game, you create the best Ramen recipe using cards you collect throughout the game. However, other opponents will try to ruin your dish with some less-than-savory ingredients. Click here to buy it!
18. Throw Throw Burrito
This game is a mix between your average card game and…dodgeball…with burritos. Best played in a large room, this game takes it to the next level with high stakes and high adrenaline. I played this on the night shift and boy did it help me stay awake! Click here to buy it!
19. We Didn’t Playtest This At All
Very simple. Do what it says on the card. The last person standing wins. This game is equal parts frustrating and hilarious, as you try to stay in the game, but it’s harder than it sounds! It requires no talent, little strategy, and a lot of loud laughter. We played this with a group of 10 and it was fast-paced and fun. It is especially great for parties where it’s difficult to include everyone in a game. Click here to buy this!
20. Pit
This game (one of our childhood favorites) is LOUD! Based on the stock-exchange, each player shouts out a number of cards they are ready to trade and attempt to find another player who is willing to trade the same number (without knowing which commodity they are getting rid of!) Be the first to collect all of one stock. Like I said, it gets loud! We had so many fun times playing this game as a family! Click here to buy it!
21. The Mind
Meld minds with your fellow players! You and your friends must play the cards in ascending order. Simple enough? What if you couldn’t speak or communicate in any way. Sounds impossible? And yet, the trick of the Mind is just how good you and your friends will become as you play together. Click here to buy it!
22. Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
If you thought the title was long, don’t worry. You’ll learn it very quick! A card-slapping game, which requires each player to lay down a card and say “Taco” “Cat” “Goat” “Cheese” “Pizza” in order. If your card matches the word on the card you lay down, everyone slaps the pile. The last one to slap the pile collects all the cards. This game is a perfect segway for younger players into more complex games. Click here to buy it!
23. Once Upon a Time
This card game is designed for the most creative of game players. Using character, event, and other cards, weave an interesting storyline that captivates the other players. First one to get to their “happily ever after” wins! But honestly, the stories you create are the most hilarious part of this creative game. Click here to buy it!
24. Taco vs. Burrito
This game is about as close as it gets to an actual food fight! Although this game was “created by a 7-year-old”, it has some fun components for adults as well! Easy to play and only take 10-15 minutes per round. *Disclaimer*: There are some cards in here that parents might find gross or inappropriate for children. Click here to buy it!
25. The Chameleon
Try to blend-in in this card game where everyone knows the topic, except the Chameleon. Players try to prove their knowledge through small hints, without giving it away to the player who is trying their hardest to act like everyone else. Guess who the Chameleon is, or else! (I don’t know what the alternative is, but it’s probably bad). Click here to buy this!
26. Rollick
This wonderful reverse-charades game is so funny, I laugh out loud every time we play it. It’s great for large groups, as the whole team acts out the charades word for one guesser. Click here to buy it!
Classic Card Games
These timeless card games are perfect for gifts!
27. Uno
The classic game of matching the color or number to try to get rid of all of your cards first. But when you’re down to one card, don’t forget to say “Uno”, or the other players will make you pay! Click here to buy it!
28. Phase 10
This is a Rummy-type card game that creates friendly (or not so friendly) competition as players rush to complete each challenge before the other players run out of cards. Click here to buy it!
29. Nertz
A fast-paced game that has you racing to beat all the other players in placing your own colored cards on different stacks of cards. The faster you place, the higher your score! Click here to buy!
For our comprehensive list of board games, check out this post!
What card games didn’t make it to our list? Tell us below! Happy game nights!
-Makayla and MaLee <3
SUShi Go and Bang! are you favorite card games!!!
This is great! We’ve really gotten into games lately and have been looking for new ideas. Exploding Kittens was a hit at Thanksgiving. ?
Ive only in the past year or so gotten into card games. I will definitely be adding some of these to my list.