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Last updated: August 28, 2023
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We all need to kick back, relax, and have some fun from time to time. Playing games can be a great way to spend an evening with family or friends, and with lots of fun new games being released in recent years aimed specifically at adults, you have a lot of choice when it comes to choosing the best adult card games! Guaranteed to keep you and your friends entertained for hours on end, these hilarious and highly enjoyable games are perfect for any occasion.
For the purposes of this review and buying guide, we looked at a wide range of card games, including our Editor’s Choice, the highly popular Cards Against Humanity: Green Box. When buying adult card (and board) games, there are quite a few different factors to consider such as the average playing time, the recommended number of players, the number of cards in each pack, and more. Some games are perfectly well-suited for couples, for example, while others are best-enjoyed in large groups, and you’ll find a good mixture of games in the list below.
In order to identify and highlight the best adult card games, we looked at a lot of user and critical reviews for many different games. You’ll find our full list of the best games in the comparison table below, followed by more in-depth reviews of each of these games, and then a buying guide and FAQ section where you can learn more about buying adult card games and finding the best options for you and your pals to enjoy.
Cards Against Humanity is one of the top names in the adult card games world. This game really launched the recent revolution of funny and often quite naughty adult card games, and the Green Box is actually an expansion to the original. This means you’ll need the original CAH pack to enjoy the Green Box, but it’s definitely worth the investment.
For the uninitiated, Cards Against Humanity lets players make their own hilarious sentences with some of the most random words and phrases you could ever imagine. You’ll get 245 white cards in total, plus 55 black ones.
Perfect for both big-scale parties with plenty of players and smaller nights-in with a few close friends, Cards Against Humanity is easily one of the most enjoyable adult card games of all and the CAH: Green Box expansion will have you rolling on the floor with laughter.
A great option for families, Trick Question is very different to something like Cards Against Humanity, so if you’re looking for a more of a PG-rated adult card game, this could be the one for you. As the name suggests, Trick Question involves hundreds of questions that seem simple at first, but actually have tricky hidden meanings and answers that aren’t so easy to figure out right away.
A professional team of board game makers came together to create Trick Question and did a fantastic job. You’ll get 400 questions on 100 cards in the box, plus totems, tokens to keep track of the score, and a timer.
This game is nicely-suited for families, but the difficulty of the questions can be quite problematic, so Trick Question is best-enjoyed with a large number of players and lots of minds working together.
We’re living in the age of the internet and memes have simply become a big part of modern life, so why not show off your love and obsession with wacky images by playing WHAT DO YOU MEME? This game lets you create your very own memes and laugh at them with your pals.
Essentially, a typical game of WHAT DO YOU MEME? tasks players with matching their caption cards with photo cards. There are 345 caption cards in the base game box and 75 caption cards, but this adult card game actually has some of the best expansion packs of all, so you can extend your playtime by buying more packs.
Like a lot of modern adult card games, WHAT DO YOU MEME? is designed with hilarity in mind. It’s simple, so won’t exactly push your intelligence to breaking point, but it’s a lot of fun and ideal for grown-ups who still feel like kids on the inside and love to laugh at memes on the internet.
Next up, we have the Utter Nonsense Naughty Edition. A very amusing game, Utter Nonsense challenges you and your friends or family members to say ridiculous phrases in a variety of silly accents. Accents can include everything from ‘Redneck’ to ‘Vampire’.
The Naughty Edition of Utter Nonsense features some phrases that definitely aren’t suitable for kids, making this most definitely an adults-only card game. However, there is a family-friendly version if you’d like to enjoy Utter Nonsense with younger players too.
Great aspects of Utter Nonsense are how funny the game can be when people really get into it and how speedy the rounds are. It’s perfect for those little moments during a party or after having dinner to enjoy some fun and laughter with your friends before heading home.
If you’ve ever read any ‘Cyanide and Happiness’ comics online, the characters and art style of Joking Hazard might be familiar to you. This game was created by the team behind Cyanide and Happiness and actually puts you in the role of comic creator.
Three or more players can enjoy Joking Hazard, competing against each other and using 360 different panel cards to construct their own comic stories. With so many cards to choose from, there’s almost an infinite array of possible combinations, so Joking Hazard definitely has a very strong ‘replay factor’.
The jokes are quite crude, so this one certainly isn’t for kids, but as an adults-only game for parties and nights-in with your buddies, it’s a big winner every time, guaranteed to offer lots of laughs while also letting you flex your creative muscles.
A very intriguing game that will help you get to know your friends a lot better, but can also cause a couple of hilarious arguments along the way, The Voting Game is one of the most popular adult card games to have been released in recent years.
In the box, you’ll get 160 cards. Each card has a question, ranging from something like “Who would survive a zombie apocalypse?” to “Who isn’t wearing any underwear right now?” As each card is revealed, players vote on who they think best matches up with the question.
Lots of fun with large numbers of players, The Voting Game is very simple on the outside but can trigger some hilarious and hugely entertaining debates and discussions among the players. No two rounds of The Voting Game are ever quite the same, especially if you add new players each time.
Do you know someone who loves to shout out the answers when watching game shows on TV or gets impatient when playing regular board or card games? If so, Smart Ass might be the perfect game to play. This game actually lets players shout out the answers when they know them.
The idea is simple. You’ll get over 400 question cards in the box. Each card has a list of clues that are read out in turn. As soon as any player knows the answer, they can yell it out. The fast-paced nature of this game makes it very exciting, and the questions are all challenging but never too tricky.
Smart Ass is a good option for people who want to test their intellect against their pals. The cute and colorful design of the game pieces, board, and question cards is a nice touch too.
A simple game, but a fun one, Circle Of Jerks is our ‘Budget Pick’ for this list of the best adult board and card games due to its low price and excellent value rating. Taking the concept of a simple match game and making it R-rated, Circle Of Jerks can leave you and your friends in fits of laughter.
The premise of this game is simple. You and a small group of friends are given a set of cards and the objective is to try and get rid of them as quickly as possible by matching symbols on your cards with cards that have already been played.
The only catch is that the symbols are all rude and you have to yell out what they are as you play each card. The rounds go by super quickly and some groups of friends even take their game to the next level by playing Circle Of Jerks in a public place.
Pick Your Poison is a fun game from the makers of The Voting Game. In this adult card game, you’ll get to decide from an almost limitless number of ‘Would You Rather’ scenarios, with each scenario created by combining two of the 300+ cards in the box.
The player who gets elected as the ‘judge’ is able to make the scenarios, and then the players have to decide which option they’d choose. If they all agree, they win the round. If they disagree, they lose the round. This means that playing in a big group can actually make it quite tricky to win.
In general, however, playing Pick Your Poison is a lot of fun. There are so many different card combos you can come up with, and the situations always trigger lots of debates and discussions among the players.
Definitely one of the funniest adult card games you can buy today, Relative Insanity was actually designed by comedian Jeff Foxworthy and has been featured on several major TV shows like The Tonight Show and Rachael Ray Show.
The premise of this card game is very similar to something like Cards Against Humanity. Players will be presented with a card with a blank space to fill in and then have to use their own cards to fill the blank. If you’ve already played CAH and similar games, Relative Insanity might seem a bit samey.
However, the excellent writing provided by Jeff Foxworthy and the huge number of cards contained in the base game, plus the option to invest in an expansion pack, really help to make Relative Insanity a fun time for all. Whether you play with family or friends, you’ll have lots of laughs with this one.
You only have to look at the box and read the name of That’s What She Said to get an idea of the sort of game you’re getting into with this one. A very naughty game with a lot of outrageous phrases and ideas, That’s What She Said plays just like Cards Against Humanity but with a big focus on sexual content and innuendo.
The outrageous nature of the phrases and set-ups used in this game might actually be too much for some players, and it’s certainly not the sort of game you’ll want to play with your parents.
However, the cards are well-written and the huge number of cards gives this game a lot of replay value. Players will definitely be laughing a lot during a typical round, so it’s a fun option to enjoy at parties.
Many years ago, we had perfectly innocent games like Charades to entertain us in the evenings. Freedom Of Speech takes that classic idea and brings it into the 21st century, with lots of hilarious and ridiculous ideas and phrases for players to try and convey.
The idea of Freedom Of Speech is that you have to get your team to guess the word or phrase on your card without actually saying that word. Plus, you have a timer ticking down, so you and your teammates need to act fast. Naturally, this makes for a lot of fun situations where players are trying to convey an idea in increasingly creative and frantic ways.
There are 400 cards in the base box, so you get a lot of replay value out of Freedom Of Speech. The only downside is that some cards are a little vague and obscure, so players won’t always know what the cards are actually referring to.
Why did it make our list?
Lots of cards
Plenty of replay value
What is not ideal about it?
Some of the cards are quite obscure
Things to Consider
More and more people are investing in adult card and board games to play with their friends and families, but you need to think about a few things before diving right in and making a purchase. There are several important factors to think about that could determine which game you buy. Read on to learn more.
Reasons to get a great adult card game for your parties
There are plenty of reasons you might like to buy an adult card game for your next party:
Fun – These games are designed to be fun to play for everyone, offering lots of laughs and enjoyment for every participant, so they’re a great way to make your parties and social gatherings more exciting.
Variety – A lot of parties can often consist of the same old things, but these games help to add some variety to your evening and give everyone an extra activity to look forward to every time they come to visit.
Ice-breaker – Breaking the ice at parties, especially with new people around, isn’t always easy. Games bring people together and help to form new friendships.
Features to consider when choosing an adult card game
There are several different features for you to think about when investing in an adult card game. The type of game, the number of players it was designed for, the subject matter of the cards, the amount of time it takes to finish a typical game, and the actual quality of the cards and game pieces are all important aspects to consider.
Type of game
Are you looking for just a regular card game or a board game? Some games will come with full boards, player tokens, and lots of additional pieces, like Smart Ass. These games are often more fully-featured and in-depth, but they can take time to set-up and you’ll need to think about making space on a table or similar surface to play them, which isn’t always easy. Games like Cards Against Humanity, meanwhile, only feature cards, so are simpler to set-up.
Number of players
The number of players is another factor to think about. Do you often invite lots of people over for big parties? If so, games like Pick Your Poison or Utter Nonsense would be good options. If you have a smaller circle of friends, something like Freedom Of Speech might be better.
Who will be playing?
This is one of the most important factors to think about. It’s important to remember that games like That’s What She Said are quite NSFW and naughty in nature, so you won’t want to play them with your boss or your parents. Some games, however, are much more family-friendly, with Trick Question being a good example.
Think about who you’re going to be playing with and be careful if there are any younger players as many games are adult-only.
Playing time
Do you have a lot of time to spend on a game? If so, something like Relative Insanity could be a good option as you can spend over an hour on a single round. If you want something speedier and snappier, Circle Of Jerks is a much faster-paced option.
Card materials and finish
One thing to remember about these games is that they’re going to get a lot of use and the cards and pieces can sometimes take some damage or have drinks spilled on them. When it comes to party games, durability is important, so be sure to look for laminated cards and well-made pieces.
Many adult card games are designed with adults in mind and can feature quite naughty content and swearing. That’s What She Said is a clear example of this, and Cards Against Humanity is another game that is most definitely intended for an adult audience. Some games, however, like Smart Ass and Trick Question, are good options for teens and younger players too. There are also family-friendly versions of some of the games on our list that you can opt for if you plan on playing with kids.
Extension or expansion packs are basically just ways to get more playing time and enjoyment out of your game. They give you new cards to play with. For instance, a Cards Against Humanity extension pack like the Green Box gives you hundreds of new cards to choose from, so you’ll have more options when playing and fresher content, which can be very important if you play these games often and have gotten used to seeing the same old games again and again.
There’s no bad time to enjoy an adult card game with your friends or family, but enjoying them at parties and social gatherings is a great idea in general. These games are often funnier in social situations when people have had a drink or two.
Wrapping It Up
Overall, our number one adult card game was Cards Against Humanity: Green Box. Yes, it’s only an expansion, but the hilarity of the cards and the quality of the base game help to elevate CAH as the true king of adult card games right now, and the original game without this expansion just isn’t the same.
Next up in our list of the best adult card games came Trick Question. Perfect for teens and adults alike, this one provides a real test of your thinking power, so it’s a nice option for players who actually want a challenge, while also being entertained.
Finally, our third favorite adult card game was WHAT DO YOU MEME? Playing on modern culture’s love and obsession with silly images and hilarious captions, this game really lets you be creative and guarantees laughs every time.