It’s no surprise that the video game industry enjoyed huge sales throughout the pandemic in 2020. But consumers are still spending billions of dollars on games, even as vaccines are being rolled out and restrictions are being lifted.
It’s clear that socially-distanced gaming is showing no signs of slowing down, but one kind of game that’s enjoying renewed popularity are card games. After all, almost every card game can now be played online; some for free and some for a small subscription fee. So if you’re interested in trying some out, here are five card games you can enjoy with friends online:
1) Poker
Poker is one of the most popular card games worldwide, so it makes sense that it’s made a home for itself in the digital world, too. Variants of the game are available online, such as Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Follow The Queen, and many more.
You can play poker with friends on free services like Zynga Poker or PlayWSOP, which allow you to gather people in a private poker room for fun — with no real money needed. Simply log into your ‘poker room’, set up a video call, and start the game. It won’t feel like you’re separated at all.
2) Cards Against Humanity
Cards Against Humanity is the party game of choice “for horrible people”, as its tagline goes. Each round presents a Black Card, which contains a question or a fill-in-the-blank phrase. All the players answer the Black Card by choosing from one of their White Cards; each White Card contains offensive or politically incorrect words and phrases. Players take turns as the Card Czar who chooses their favorite White Card and awards the point to the player.
To play, head over to Cards Against Humanity imitation site called Pretend You’re Xyzzy. You can customize your game with different card packs, invite spectators to watch, and use the chat box function if you’re not in the mood to go on a video call.
3) Uno
Uno has remained one of the most famous card games among friends. Everyone begins the round with a hand of seven cards, which need to be matched with the card that was dealt. The first player to get rid of all their cards wins the round, and you must shout “Uno!” if you only have one card left — or risk being penalized with two cards if another player catches you. There are a number of apps and gaming sites you can play Uno on, so you can try to find the one that suits you and your friends best.
4) Exploding Kittens
Exploding Kittens is an online card game where each player is given a set of cards with cute kittens on them. The twist? Each cute kitten comes with laser beams, bombs, or other weapons on them that you can diffuse with other cards. Players take turns drawing cards until someone gets an Exploding Kitten, which takes that player out of the game immediately. This process goes on until there is only one player left, and the last man standing wins the game. You can download Exploding Kittens on the App Store, Google Play, or Nintendo Switch.
5) Spades
Spades is a classic trick-taking card game that became popular during the 1990s, so it’s perfect for bonding with friends. Each player is given 13 cards at the start of the game, when they have to declare how many ‘tricks’ they expect to win. Ace cards are high, twos are low, and spades trump them all. There are plenty of apps that allow you to play Spades on your own, but Spades Royale is the only one that has an online feature for playing with friends.
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