The 30 Best Card Games of All Time
I grew up playing games like Cribbage with my dad. Despite a dive into D&D in his 20s, he never really went deep with the variety of board games that would eventually become such a passion for me, but his love of the classics was strong. My Mom, too, loved card games, and I have plenty of fond memories of playing cards with both my parents.
What I love most about card games is the complexity made possible in such an elegant form, so as a gamer I mostly tend toward themed card-management games, where players take on the management of various resources on the path to victory. But every once and a while I love tapping into the classic nostalgia of my youth for a card game that never grows old.
As a geeky guy, card games have long infused my psyche through the media I’ve explored. Heck, even the crew of the starship U.S.S Enterprise played Poker! If it’s still around in Star Trek’s 24th century, it’s gotta be good, right?
Well, I’ve assembled a list that includes a few classics like Poker, as well as some childhood favorites (Uno, anyone?). But I’ve also gone to some lengths to “build a deck” of hot options for those of you who want to go even farther with what card games have to offer. A couple of these do use boards, but even then the true game is taking place in the decks, not with the pieces on the board. I think that even old hats at the card game scene might find something new here to tickle their fancy.