The beauty of card games is that they are perfect when hanging out with friends. They create an environment that allows for laughter and fun to come about. However, there comes a time when you feel as if card games are becoming a chore to play. That’s when you know it’s time to change to a different type of card game. Here are some alternatives:
Pit
(3-8 players)
For all you students that take IB Econ, this is the card game for you! This game was created in 1904, and is actually a simulation of the open outcry bidding for commodities, so get ready to do much shouting and gesturing! The origin of the name probably comes from the place where open outcry bidding happens, which is also called the “pit”. Some of the commodities that will be traded in this game include wheat, barley, corn and flax. The bull and the bear are also seen in this game, and used to help you win, but also help you lose points.
Hearts
(4 players)
This game probably became popular because it was found on every Windows computer, and is used with normal playing cards. The point of the game is to have the least amount of points possible, which are gotten from players losing rounds, therefore having to keep heart cards. Be aware of people “shooting the moon” though, as they will take all the heart cards, and causes everyone else to gain 26 points. The game ends when the first person reaches a hundred points, and that person is declared the loser.
Monopoly Deal
(2-5 players)
One of the more recent card games, made in 2008, this game is quite addictive. Although it has “Monopoly” in the name and the main goal is still to monopolize, everything else is different. Instead there are action cards, such as the coveted “Just Say No!” and “Deal Breaker” cards. If you hear people randomly saying“It’s my birthday” while playing a card game, it most likely that they are playing Monopoly Deal, and it’s not someone’s actual birthday. To win this game, you must get three complete sets of property, and it is most fun playing with four people.
Mafia
(4+ players)
This is a great party game that was created in the USSR in 1986, and uses standard playing cards. The point of the game is for the townspeople to figure out who is the mafia is. There are two phases of the game; in the “night phase” the mafia “kills” a person, while in the “day phase” the townspeople vote in order to eliminate the people they suspect to be mafia. Many variations of this game include cut or slit-throat mafia, which involves playing in the dark, and train mafia, which involves playing on a train, where people get “kicked off” the train, and have to wait for another train, where they join another train mafia game.
Bang!
(4-7 players)
This card game, invented in 2002 is similar to mafia, except that it is Wild West themed. Different people have different roles, which are sheriff, renegade, deputy sheriff and outlaw, where each role has a different objective. For example, the role of the sheriff is to “kill” all the outlaws in the game. Each person also has special abilities, according to the character card they receive, such as Willy the Kid, who is able to play as many Bang! cards as he wants! If you want more to this game, you can even get an expansion packs such as High Noon.Whether you choose to play Monopoly Deal or the classic game of Hearts with your friends, you’ll probably enjoy one of the games. Hopefully, this will help you get rethink how great and fun card games can be!
This article originally appeared in the March 2013 issue of UNIT-E. It was written by Gloria Zhang, a student at the International School of Beijing. It was first posted here on March 28, 2013.
About UNIT-E:
UNIT-E was founded in the spring of 2010 with the aim of establishing a non-profit, student-run magazine for international students in Beijing. Staffed by current students from a range of international schools, the magazine provides an amalgam of cultural tidbits, fragments of Beijing student life, and a broad spectrum of unique perspectives from a diverse group of young adults.
