Popular card games for families are our go-to for fun, easy ways to connect without the hassle of long setups or complicated rules. If your family’s like ours, you’ll love how quick they are to learn—and how much laughter they bring to the table.
As a busy family of four, we don’t always have time for long games between school, work, and everything in between. That’s where card games come in—they’re our go-to for weeknight fun or spontaneous game time. Every game on this list can be played in under an hour, making them perfect for family life. Whether you’re new to card games or just looking for your next favorite, you’re sure to find something the whole family will enjoy.
So, whether you’re looking for a quick game night activity or something to keep everyone entertained on a rainy day or a pre-bedtime wind-down, I find these popular card games for families are perfect. They are ideal for travel as they are generally a lot smaller than board games. My list below shows the most popular card games for families for 2025 and some of my favorites.
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- 7+
- 2-10 Players
- 5-10 mins
- Luck and Strategy
This is probably my son’s most popular card game to play. It is his go-to card game. We can play 4–5 rounds easily before bed. I think he has an uncanny ability to win, and it also doesn’t require much thinking. It’s pretty simple to learn and play, which I like, as it’s a fantastic way to wind down with kids before bed, making it our number one popular card game for families.
How to play Uno
To start, gamers are dealt 7 cards with the remaining cards placed in the middle, with the top card of the deck face-up (start of the discard pile). On your turn, place one card from your hand that matches the card on the discard pile, but only if it matches in color, number, or symbol. If you are unable to play a card from your hand, you must pick up a card from the draw pile. At this point the next player has their turn. To win, you need to be the first person to get rid of all your cards.
Of course, its not that simple; the cards include surprise cards like Wild, Wild Draw 4, Skip, Draw 2, Wild Shuffle Card, and Reverse.
What are the rules for calling “Uno”?
You must shout “Uno” when placing the second-to-last card in your hand.
What should you do if someone forgets to say “Uno”?
Call them out quick. If they don’t say Uno and you call them out, they must pick up four cards.
What other versions of Uno are there?
UNO has so many versions of this game, which is why it is a fun family card game. You can grab any version, and I am sure it will be loved.Here are a few links to the different version: My sons favourite – Uno: Show ‘em No Mercy, Uno All Wild, Uno Flip, Uno Minecraft, and Uno Super Mario.
You really can’t go wrong with Uno as a card game for families. Most families have some kind of version of this in their house.
If you have children younger than 7 years old, consider Uno Junior, which is rated for 3+ years.
- 8+ (but younger will get this too)
- 3-8 Players
- 10 mins
What are popular card games for family game nights?
This one’s a blast to play and definitely earns its spot as one of the most popular card games for families. It’ll keep you on your toes—you’ve got to stay sharp and really pay attention if you want to win.
How do you play Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza?
Deal all cards equally, face down in front of everyone. Then, in clockwise order, take one card from the top of your pile and flip over to place it in the middle on the discard pile while calling out ‘Taco’, then ‘Cat’ ,’Goat’, ‘Cheese’, ‘Pizza’, and then repeating. When the word matches the card flipped, it’s a race to slap your hand on top of the pile. The last person takes the stack to add to their pile.
What is the point of Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza?
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza is a shedding game, where each player starts with a hand of cards and aims to be the first player to discard all their cards.
What is the flinch rule in Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza?
If a player clearly looks at their card before placing it on the pile, they automatically forfeit the round and must pick up all the cards in the center. Likewise, if any player slaps the pile incorrectly—or even flinches as if they’re going to slap but pulls back—they also forfeit the round and collect all the center cards.
- 8+
- 2-5 Players
- 15 mins
- Social Strategy + Deduction
If you love food and sushi, then this game is for you. This is a fast-paced pick-and-go game with scoring after each round (only 3 rounds played per game). The rules even have variations to keep it interesting. The cards are super cute with savory foods and dishes with cartoon faces.
How do you play Sushi Go?
First up, deal a certain number of cards, depending on the number of players, to each person. Participants ‘s then place one card face down in front of them that they wish to keep. Once everyone has done this, you can reveal your card, and then you pass your hand to the person on the left face down. Then repeat this process again, selecting which card to keep and passing left. Continue until you have no cards left.
Your score is based on the amount of that type of sushi. For example, count all the Maki roll icons on each card you have, and the player with the most points scores 6 points. Each sushi set has a different value and If two players have the same amount, you simply split the points.
Is Sushi Go a Good Game?
Sushi Go is a fantastic card game for families for several reasons—it’s fun, fast, easy to learn, and gets everyone engaged, regardless of age or experience level. Here’s why it shines as a family game:
1. Simple Rules, Quick Setup
Sushi Go’s rules are easy to follow, even for younger kids or board game beginners. Everyone picks a card and passes the rest—fast, intuitive, and minimal downtime. Most families can start playing in under 5 minutes.
2. Encourages Strategic Thinking
Despite its simplicity, Sushi Go introduces basic strategy, pattern recognition, and forward planning in a light, non-intimidating way. Kids can learn to think ahead, spot opportunities, and adapt—all while having fun.
3. Short Play Time
Each game takes about 15–20 minutes, making it ideal for short attention spans or quick family fun before dinner or bedtime.
Sushi Go Party
Personally, if you have older children, then I think this is the best version, which is an extension to Sushi Go. It offers a lot more cards, different food sets, and a menu board.
Love dice games? Check out Sushi Roll, which is different as it is a die game with counters. The dice show foods, not numbers, and it is an open game, so you can see what everyone else is doing, adding a different challenge to the game than the others. All versions are great card games for families while being easy to learn, and all have the same rule of 3 rounds per game.
- 8+
- 2-6 Players
- 20 mins
- Luck and Strategy
Easy-to-Learn Popular Card Game for Families
This is a family favourite card game in our household. It’s easy to learn, a bit of strategy and luck, and that’s why it’s in our list of popular card games for families.
“You don’t just focus on your own hand; you need to take into consideration your opponent’s stockpiles,” said Susan. Hence, this is a good mix of luck-based versus strategy game, as it depends on the cards you pick up each time and what is in your stockpile. However, you do need to think about the timing of placing cards.
Each player is dealt a stockpile of 30 cards (make this less if you want a shorter play time). For 2 players, we normally do 15-20.The object is to be the first to place all the cards from your stockpile (not your hand on the discard piles).
How do you play Skip Bo?
You are allowed to build four piles in the middle of the players. On these piles, cards are placed in numerical order from 1 to 12.
Competitors are dealt five cards, and on your turn, you place as many cards as you can and want. At the end of your turn, you place one card into a discard pile in front of you. You may have up to four discard piles (no sequential order is needed here). You must always have five cards in your hand. So, at the start of your turn, you pick up as many cards as required to get to five.
There are 18 Skip-Bo wild cards in each set, which can be used for any number. This is where the fun, strategic part of this game comes in, as you need to think wisely about how and when to use them.
Tip: Keep an eye on your opponent’s stockpile card number. My rule is, I don’t place a 5, if their stockpile card is 6. I wait till I have a Skip Bo or a 6 before doing so.
Is Skip Bo a good game for 2 players?
One son loves this card game, so we play it as a two-player game all the time and love it. So yes, it’s a good game for 2 people.
Is Skip Bo a game of luck?
I find Skip Bo is a good combination of luck and strategy.
- 7+
- 2-5 Players
- 15 mins
- Luck and Strategy
What is the point of Exploding Kittens?
This purr-fectly chaotic and card game is where strategy meets feline-fueled mayhem. Think Russian Roulette… but with adorable, destructive kittens. On your turn, draw a card, hoping NOT to pull an Exploding Kitten—because if you do, boom. You’re out (unless you’ve got a defuse card). Use wild action cards to dodge disaster, sabotage your friends, and unleash pure kitty chaos. Outsmart, outlast, and whatever you do… don’t explode. The last one standing wins. I hear time and time again that this is a must for the top popular card games list.
How do you play the card game Exploding Kittens?
To get started, take out all the exploding kittens and defuse cards from the pack. Deal each player one defuse card, and any leftovers go back into the pack. Shuffle and deal seven cards to each person. Once everyone has been dealt their hand, place the exploding kittens (less than the number of people) back onto the deck, which will be placed face down in the middle of the players.
At your turn, you can play as many cards as you like while completing the action on the card. At the completion of your turn, you must pick up a card from the deck and hope it isn’t an exploding kitten. This is where the defuse card comes in handy. But if you don’t have a defuse card in your hand, you are out of the game.
Of course, it isn’t that straightforward; there are action cards, which make this game interesting.
What are the Action Cards in Exploding Kittens?
Defuse: stops the kitten from exploding
Attack: The next player has to take 2 turns in a row
Favor: Ask any player to give you one card
See the future: Look at the next 3 cards
Nope: Stops any action except an Exploding Kitten and Defuse
Shuffle: Shuffle the deck until the next person tells you to stop
Skip: miss your turn
Is Exploding Kittens a fun card game?
With all this action, I hope you aren’t still wondering if the Exploding Kittens card game is fun. A fabulous party game, and yes, it’s even suitable for two people with a special edition just for 2 players. It’s so popular, in fact, that it has created different versions, such as Exploding Kittens: Good vs. Evil, Zombie Kitten, Exploding Kittens Party Park, Exploding Kittens Grab & Game Edition, and NSFW Edition, and so much more. Check out all your options for your next game night here.
Still unsure? Check out our fun board games for kids here, or looking for board games for families with younger children, check out these blogs.
Objective
The goal of the game is to be the first player to complete all 10 phases. Each phase is a specific set or combination of cards that must be completed in order. You must finish one phase before you can move on to the next. The first player to complete all 10 phases wins the game.
John said, “This game is a mix of luck and strategy and easy to learn. And one bad hand doesn’t mean you’re out.”
How to Play Phase 10
Phase 10 is played in rounds. In each round, players work to complete the phase they are currently on. Here’s how each round works:
Start the Turn: Each turn starts by drawing a card from either the draw pile or the discard pile.
Make a Phase: After drawing, a player can try to make their phase by laying down cards on the table. A phase consists of specific combinations of cards (more on this in a moment). You can play as many cards as you like, but only if they fit the phase you are working on.
Example of Phases:
- Phase 1: 2 sets of 3 cards of the same number (e.g., three 4’s and three 7’s).
- Phase 2: 1 set of 3 cards of the same number and 1 run of 4 consecutive numbers (e.g., three 5’s and a run of 3-4-5-6).
Discard: At the end of each turn, the player must discard one card onto the discard pile. Discarding helps to reduce the number of cards in hand, bringing them closer to completing their phase.
Ending the Round: A round ends when one player successfully completes their phase and discards their final card. This is called “going out.” Other players must then count the cards left in their hands.
Scoring: After a player goes out, all players reveal their hands, and points are scored based on the cards remaining:
- Number Cards (1-12): Points equal to the number on the card (e.g., a 7 is worth 7 points).
- Skip Cards: Worth 15 points each.
- Wild Cards: Worth 25 points each.
Players who have completed their phase do not score points for the cards they are holding, while others tally up their remaining cards.
Move to the Next Phase: After a round is completed, the player who went out first moves on to the next phase. If a player didn’t complete their phase, they must repeat it in the next round.
How do you win in Phase 10?
The game continues through the phases until one player completes all 10 phases. If multiple players complete phase 10 in the same round, the player with the lowest total score wins the game.
Strategies for Winning Phase 10
While Phase 10 has an element of luck, there are strategies that can improve your chances of winning:
Pay Attention to Other Players: Keep an eye on what other players are doing. If they are about to complete their phase, try to block them with a skip card. Skipping a player’s turn can give you a strategic advantage.
Use Wild Cards Wisely: Wild cards are powerful because they can substitute for any card.
Manage Your Hand: As the game progresses, try to reduce the number of cards in your hand by discarding cards that don’t fit your current phase. This reduces the points you will score at the end of the round if you don’t go out. The higher the number, the more points they are.
Watch the Discard Pile and Watch what your Opponents are Throwing Out. Keep track of what cards are being discarded, as this can give you an idea of what cards others might be collecting for their phases.
What are the phases in Phase 10?
Here’s a quick rundown of the 10 phases players need to complete in order:
Phase 1: 2 sets of 3 cards of the same number.
Phase 2: 1 set of 3 cards of the same number and 1 run of 4 consecutive numbers.
Phase 3: 1 set of 4 cards of the same number and 1 run of 4 consecutive numbers.
Phase 4: 1 run of 7 consecutive numbers.
Phase 5: 1 set of 5 cards of the same number.
Phase 6: 1 run of 8 consecutive numbers.
Phase 7: 1 set of 5 cards of the same number and 1 set of 2 cards of the same number.
Phase 8: 1 set of 6 cards of the same number.
Phase 9: 1 run of 9 consecutive numbers.
Phase 10: 1 set of 5 cards of the same number and 1 run of 5 consecutive numbers.
Is Phase 10 Like Uno?
Phase 10 was designed by Ken Johnson, and Uno was designed by Merle Robbins. Uno is a play-by-play card game, whereas Phase 10 is about getting sets or phases of cards as listed above. I feel they both have completely different gameplay.
Phase 10 card game is all about strategy, surprises, and sweet comebacks. Either way, shuffle up—because no two games are ever the same.
Ready to Shuffle and Deal?
Card games never go out of style—and with so many fun and fast-paced options out there, there’s always a new favorite waiting to be discovered. Whether you’re into strategy, bluffing, or quick-fire rounds, these popular card games for families are perfect for game nights, travel, or casual play with friends and family.
If you’re looking for more inspiration, don’t miss our other articles:
There’s a card game out there for every mood and moment—so shuffle up, pick your next challenge, and let the fun begin!
