Conceal Carry Cards

A little rulebook for card games, kept at the kitchen table.

Pull up a chair. This is a small, growing collection of card game rules — the games we grew up playing, the ones from other places, and the house rules every family swears are the “real” way to play.

I'm writing them up one game at a time, for both the regular 52-card deck and the Spanish deck. Each guide has the rules in plain words, a little sample hand you can click through, the popular variations, and a cheat sheet you can print and keep in the card box.

There are 42 games on the list so far. Only one is finished — the rest are coming along.

The newest guide

Crazy Eights

Crazy Eights is a fast shedding game for 2–7 players. Match the top card by suit or rank, use wild 8s to change the suit, and be the first player to get rid of all your cards.

Read the rules·10 ways to play·Cheat sheet

Find a game

However you like to look for one:

How many of you?

What deck?

What kind?

Every game on the list

The ones marked ♣ are finished. The rest are on my to-do list.

See them with details and filters →

Does your family play it differently?

I'd love to hear about it. Grandma's rules, the version from your hometown, a game you made up on a rainy afternoon — send it my way. If I add it to the rulebook, I'll put your name next to it.

— Thanks for stopping by. Deal me in next time.

New here? Start with card basics or the glossary.