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The 10 Best Games Like Rummy

Published

10 months ago

June 26, 2023

Shawna Schofield

What are the best games like Rummy?

Rummy is a classic card game that is relatively quick and easy to play, making it popular for game nights with friends.

However, it can get stale after a while, which is why we’ve created this list of great alternative card games.

While there are a lot of games you can play with cards, these are the best that Rummy fans can play!

The 10 Best Games Like Rummy

We went through various card games while putting this list together, but only a few were able to make the cut.

These games have been chosen based on how similar they are to Rummy, as well as how easy they are to learn and how fun they are to play!

With that said, here’s our list of the 10 best games like Rummy:

10. Spite and Malice

Spite and Malice, sometimes known as Cat and Mouse, is a modern card game for two or more players, and it’s basically a competitive version of Solitaire.

Played with two 52-card decks, the object of this game is to be the first person to move all of the cards from your goal pile into the playing piles.

When the game starts off, players have five cards in hand and, going clockwise, each person plays what they can.

Each play pile starts off with an ace, working upwards until a Queen is placed, after which it is considered a dead deck and shuffled to return to the draw pile.

Once a round is done, scoring can begin, and only the player who’s able to clear their goal pile can be awarded points.

Like the best multiplayer games of all time, Spite and Malice is perfect for playing with your friends when you want something a bit different than Rummy.

9. 500 Rummy

Like Rummy, this card game is all about making combinations with the cards you have in your hand, and it’s played over multiple rounds.

500 Rummy can be played with 2 to 8 people, and it’s a good alternative to the best games like Super Mario when you want something low-tech.

To play this game, you’ll need a standard deck of cards, a pencil, and some paper, which will be used when players score points.

If only two players are involved, each will get 13 cards, while during games with three or more players, everyone starts with only 7.

Cards that aren’t dealt should be placed in the middle, where players can draw them at the start of their turns.

The objective of this game is to put down sets of three or more cards. These can be matching sets or sequences of cards in the same suit.

Each card has an associated value, and they are added up for a cumulative total that will be needed at the end of the game.

Once a person runs out of cards, the round ends, and players who still have cards have to tally their value and subtract it from their total.

Whoever is able to reach 500 points first is the winner, and then the cards can be reshuffled for another round!

8. Fan Tan

If you’re a fan of the best games like Civilization, you’ll know that a lot of things come down to chance, which is what Fan Tan is all about.

The objective of this game is fairly simple, the entire deck is dealt between players, and gameplay revolves around trying to get rid of your pile.

To kickstart the game, a player has to lay down a seven, after which the following player can place another 7 below the first.

Alternatively, an 8 or a 6 of the same suit can be laid to the right or left of the 7 if that is the set you want to make.

Players must continue building up and down on the existing runs, only passing if they have nothing to play.

While the 7s take up the middle position, players can continue adding cards of the same suit to the right or left in stacks of ascending or descending order.

Whether or not you win this game really has nothing to do with strategy but rather if you have been dealt a good hand.

You can’t tactically withhold cards in your hand either, even if that play makes it easier for another player to get rid of their cards!

7. Hearts

Hearts is one of the most popular card games in the world, though it can be tricky to get the hang of if you’re just starting off.

At a glance, this game is all about avoiding certain cards, specifically the titular heart suit and the Queen of Spades.

This game can be played with 3 to 7 players, and it only requires a standard deck, which is dealt to all players until none remain.

At the start of every round, aside from the fourth, players pass three cards from their decks to another player.

Whoever has the two of clubs at this point can start the game by laying it down, after which players will continue playing cards in the same suit.

As the pile builds up, the player who puts down the highest-ranking card “wins” the pile, which they keep in front of them.

However, the goal of this game is to end up with the fewest points possible, so you really don’t want to win these piles if you can help it!

Hearts are worth one point each, while the Queen of Spades is worth 13, and everyone’s scores are tallied up when each player runs out of cards.

If no one has reached 100 points, the game continues until someone does, after which the person with the lowest score is deemed the victor!

6. Cribbage

Similar to the best games like It Takes Two, Cribbage is the perfect classic card game to play with two people.

This game is a bit different from other card games like rummy in that it involves moving pegs around a board while earning points.

The main objective is to be able to cross the finish line before the other person, which will end the game.

Aside from a cribbage board, you will need a standard deck of cards, and each player starts off with 6 in a hand.

At the start, both players have to choose two cards from their hands to set aside for scoring later, and they will be added to the total at the end.

Once that’s done, a player will begin by playing a card, the value of which is added to the running total.

For example, if one player places a three and the other follows up with a 4, the total would then be announced as 7.

Players will alternate turns until there are 31 points or until no one can play any other cards without going over.

Once this cap is reached, players tally up the points for their cards and combos and can move their pegs based on how much they’ve earned.

The game is won if you reach 121 points, allowing your peg to cross the finish line on the cribbage board!

5. 29 Card Game

29 is played with 4 players split into two groups, and only 32 cards from a standard deck are used, as opposed to all 52.

In this game, the Jacks and 9s are the highest, followed by aces, 10s, kings, queens, 8s, and 7s.

Each player receives four cards at the start, and they then bid on who gets to choose the trump suit.

When trumps have been selected, a player to the left of the dealer will start the first trick by placing a suit.

Everyone else must follow this suit, and if they can’t, the trump cardholder must inform everyone what the trump card is.

The game will then continue until a trump card is used, after which the one who used it will collect the cards and all of the points.

The first team to earn 29 points wins while everyone else groans about how they should have stayed home and played some of the best games like Diablo instead.

4. Blackjack

Blackjack is the most popular casino game in America, and if you’ve never played it, you may be surprised by how easy it is to learn.

The goal of the game is to get close to or at 21 without going over and busting, which will result in a loss.

This is achieved by adding up the value of the cards and then making a choice of whether you want to hit or stand.

For example, if you’re dealt a 7, you can choose to hit, meaning you receive another card. If your next card is a 10, you’ll be at 17.

At that point, the highest card you can afford to get is a 4, making your odds of going over 21 extremely high.

Blackjack is a game of strategy and knowing when to take a chance, but there is also a modicum of luck involved.

If you want some baseline practice, you can always check out Fallout: New Vegas, one of the best Fallout games, which allows you to play this game at different casinos!

3. Solitaire

Solitaire is one of the most well-known card games in the world, and many people have played the digital version at least once on the computer.

The object of this game is to build up each set, both in sequence and suit, from the King down to the ace.

If you want to win the game, the goal is to build the entire deck of cards into sets if possible, though this is sometimes extremely difficult.

To start off the game, seven piles are created, called the tableau, while the remaining cards are separated to become the hand pile.

When you start playing, you can shift tableau cards around. For instance, if one is a 10 and another is a 9, the 9 can be placed with the 10 to start a sequence.

Where the 9 once was, you’ll have to flip over the next card in the pile to make it playable while you continue building.

If you can’t play a card in the sequence or tableau, you can move the card to the waste pile and draw another from the hand pile.

The waiting game then begins as you constantly swap around cards and build up sequences to try and use the entire deck!

While Solitaire can take some getting used to, it is a fantastic game that doesn’t require any other players, and it’s easy to catch on once you start playing!

2. Call Break

Call Break is a card game that requires four players and a standard deck. The main goal is to win as many tricks as possible.

In this game, all players are dealt 13 cards, after which everyone has to select a call number or the number of tricks they believe they can win.

To win any points in this game, a player has to at least win the number of tricks they committed to, so don’t just shout out any high number!

Once the first card is played, the following players have to play a high-ranking card of the same suit or use a high-value trump card.

Points in this game are calculated based on how many tricks a player can win, and extra points go to those who win more than their bid.

When all of the rounds are complete, the overall score is tallied, and whoever has the most points wins!

Call break is kind of like the opposite of Hearts, as winning a pile is actually a good thing in this game, as is getting a high score.

Just like the best games like Elden Ring, this card game may take some trial and error to master, but once you’ve got it, it’s fairly straightforward!

1. Poker

Taking our number one spot is, of course, Poker, a game with many variations that almost everyone is familiar with.

Not only does this game make some people rich when they hit the jackpot in casinos, but it is incredibly fun to just play with friends.

Although there are many types of poker, the basics involve a deck of cards, at least two players, and some chips or a substitute.

Each player starts off with five cards and places their bets depending on how good they think their hand is.

How good your hand is depends on the cards you have, with aces being the best, followed by Kings, and so on.

There are also different pairs to keep in mind; for instance, if you have multiples of the same number, a running sequence of cards, or all of the same suit.

Most people are familiar with the term Royal Flush, which is the most famous combination in Poker that requires a same-suit sequence starting at 10 and going up to ace.

The hardest part about this game is learning all of these combinations, but once you do, everything else is super easy!