The best card games are capable of entertaining you for hours without having to cart around a huge board and tiny pieces to set up. Whether you're looking for something for a pair or a group, and regardless of which difficulty or genre you're looking for, we've pulled together all the top options available on the market.
When it comes to defining the best of the best, there are several factors to take into consideration. The best card games are quick to set up and play, yet cut no corners in getting you engaged with their content. No matter where you play, these games will draw you into their pocket-sized worlds.
If you're looking for alternate ways to get involved with more tabletop gaming, we've also got lists of the best board games and the best board games for two players across a wide range of themes should the best card games not quite scratch the itch.
The Quick List
The best card game overall
Sushi Go! is an excellent card game that has a rewarding core experience and offers a wealth of replayability.
The best roleplaying card game
Munchkin packs in classic card gaming action with deeper roleplaying elements and a satirical tone for a lighthearted experience.
The best card game for gamers
Boss Monster is an ideal stepping stone for gamers wanting to get into card games with its familiar system and retro-chic aesthetic.
The best comedy card game
Joking Hazard is a hilarious match-three-card game made by the creators of the popular Cyanide and Happiness comic strip and animated show.
The best card game for comic book fans
Marvel Champions is a massive-scale living card game that comes packed with content for the comic book faithful.
The best smartphone-enabled card game
True to its namesake, Game of Phones is a smartphone-enabled card game that brings an interactive element to the traditional card game experience.
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The best card game for groups
Exploding Kittens is best enjoyed in small groups due to its unpredictable nature and fast-paced core loop.
Best card games in 2024
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The best overall card game
Sushi Go is an affordable classic for all ages, a game that's as quick to learn as it is to play, a number-cruncher's dream for raw fish foodies. It's a draft-based scoring game where you take turns picking one card from your hand, and then pass your hand to the left. Whether you go for the high-risk high-reward cards like Sashimi or prefer to chase after lower-value cards shall depend upon the hand you are dealt and the players around you, meaning no two games are the same.
If you're just starting off your card game collection, this is one of the best card games for beginners. It's also great for all the reasons we often associate with card games, whether that's a standard deck of cards or something more involved – you can play it wherever just to pass the time, and it neither takes a lot of effort nor space.
The best roleplaying card game
Munchkin is undoubtedly some of the most fun you can have with a bit of cardboard, assuming you’re neither a toddler nor a cat. It’s a bit like Dungeons and Dragons lite in that your aim is to get stronger, fight your way through enemies, and come out the other side victorious. This is a game that shows how well concepts you may know from other forms of games translate to card games, beautifully capturing the feeling of a good dungeon crawl.
The main aim of Munchkin is to get to level 10 and, to do so, you have to beat monsters. Easy enough, right? Before you reach for your Witcher blade and go full Geralt on your family and friends, you might want to think twice about decimating them completely. Alliances will be formed, friendships will develop complicated new layers, and you’ll all start to wonder why you keep letting the same person win each time. Not only is Munchkin one of the best card games for PC and console players, but it will also appeal to all lovers of classic fantasy RPGs.
The best card game for gamers
This card game takes everything you know about classic video games in the vein of Castlevania and turns it on its head. In Boss Monster, the monster is you – a hero is coming to attack your dungeon, so you better put in the right monsters to stop their advance.
Boss Monster is an imaginative game with a great love for detail. From the box looking like a NES game box to beautiful cards sporting pixelated monsters, this is a game designed for nostalgia. However, even if you're not the biggest fan of old-school video game references, Boss Monster is a romp, thanks to the many different cards and options to stop heroes.
It's a game for a specific audience, but one that has the power to convince even the most hardcore video game fan to pick up a card game. If you're looking for actual video games like the ones Boss Monster was inspired by, we can recommend some hard, unforgiving games.
The best comedy card game
Adult card games largely play on the odd sense of relief that comes with saying something inappropriate with only your friends as your audience and willing participants. Games like Cards Against Humanity popularised this genre, and Joking Hazard is a perfect example of how much much fun being bad can be.
The premise of Joking Hazard couldn't be easier – you and your friends make an inappropriate three-panel comic strip from the cards in your hand. The individual panels on each card are random enough that they fit together in a myriad of situations, and the goal couldn't be simpler: just have a good time.
The best comic book card game
Most of the games on our list of best card games are quick and simple – games for a lunch break, a boring car ride, or something similar. But if you want a game to really sink your teeth into, something more involved than a quick round of Marvel Snap, Marvel Champions is the game for you.
Marvel Champions is full of playful nods to its loyal base of long-time fans, as well as brimming with the kind of charm that is sure to garner plenty of new ones. It's not only a big game, it also takes quite a bit of time to play through villain encounters, either all by yourself (!) or in co-op with friends.
Marvel Champions is what publisher Fantasy Flight calls a 'living card game' (LCG). A living card game is a trading card game without trading, meaning you can buy new cards and know what you get. Your goal in Marvel Champions is to build a deck that lets you take down the evil villains of the Marvel universe, and you get to do it all while playing as its greatest heroes: The Avengers. As a living card game, Marvel Champions can grow, so you can keep buying new heroes and villains and let your game evolve.
The best smartphone-enabled card game
As the name suggests, this one involves your smartphone – you'll even need it to play, making Game of Phones more than a card game. Game of Phones describes itself as a sort of digital scavenger hunt, as you respond to a number of different prompts by pulling up images on your phone, taking selfies or generally finding the most creative solution.
Game of Phones is quite similar to Bucket of Doom in the way that no two sessions will be the same and that you need to flex your improv muscles to satisfy the game's often ridiculous demands. The fact that you need to be pop culture-savvy and have a smartphone on you does make it a game for a certain age group, but in its niche, it's definitely one of the best card games.
The best card games for groups
Cats can be a little bit dangerous. Everyone who owns one knows that they’re prone to absurdly random fits of excitement and energy, often occurring at 4am as you’re trying to sleep. Well, did you also know that they can explode? That’s basically the premise of one of the best card games around, Exploding Kittens.
Exploding Kittens has been described as a more violent version of Uno. Your aim is to trick another player into drawing an exploding kitten from a pile of cards so that they lose. Certain cards can save a player from exploding, while others make it more difficult to avoid the exploding kitten in the long run. It’s a very simple premise, and it’s also one of the easiest card games to get through on this list thanks to its short playtime.
Best card games: FAQs
What is a popular card game that's good for beginners?
We think that Sushi Go! and Munchkin are great card games for beginners especially if you want to play in pairs and groups. They offer an accessible, enjoyable, and easy to learn experience without being too off-putting. Nor are they too simplistic or shallow.
What card games are the best for groups?
Our pick for the best card game for groups is Exploding Kittens and that's due to its rapid-paced nature and accessibility. It can be played in pairs as well with no real hit to the overall user experience, too. We've found in our time with the game that it's also competitively priced, being an easy entry point into playing these types of games on the table.
If you're looking for a more digital experience with your gaming partner, we've got a list of the best co-op games, alongside the best multiplayer PC games worth checking out. However, if you're looking to game on the go, it's also worth checking out our list of the best handheld consoles.
