7 Best Family Card Games – Reviews and Buying Guide

Though the starting age for this game is 7 years, this game is fun for those of all ages. It has been likened to Russian Roulette, though as a card game and kid-friendly. This one may even be one of the best family card games of all time.

The game requires a bit of strategic gameplay to help you win. You take turns drawing cards from the pile on the table, hoping not to pick an Exploding Kitten card. If you pick one of these, you lose the game unless you have a Defuse card that is used to distract the kitten. These cards include kitten yoga, catnip sandwiches, and laser pointers.

You can also use some of the cards in your hand to help you stay in the game. Some cards allow you to attack the other players, skip your turn, or peek in the deck to see what’s coming. You can also secretly move the exploding kitten card in the deck to try to force another player to pick it and end the game.

This game is relatively easy to play, though some instructions could be a bit clearer. If you’re confused, some online gameplay videos could help you figure it out. It is also travel-friendly, with short gameplay that allows you to get in a quick game whenever you like or play a few games at a time.

Why is it special?

• Strategic gameplay
• Fun for all ages
• Expansion packs available
• Quick to play

What are the flaws?

• Instructions are a bit confusing

Kids Against Maturity is the child-friendly version of the grown-up game Cards Against Humanity. It’s much less vulgar than the original version, filled with silly cards covering toilet humor and hilarious innuendos that will have the whole family giggling as they play each round.

This game includes 500 cards, with blue ones for the questions and white ones for the answers. Each player gets 10 answer cards to start with. Then, each player takes a turn reading a question. The other players submit their answers and the question-reader chooses their favorite. Every time your answer card is chosen as the best one, you get a point.

There is no set end to the game. You can choose a point amount at the beginning of the game and stop when someone reaches it or just play until there are no cards left to pick. This makes it easy to play a quick game or a lengthier one when you have some extra time.

Some of the answer cards are a bit more mature than others, like the Mexican mudslide, camel toenails, and big brown beaver hat cards, so if you don’t want to explain their meanings to the younger players, you can always pull some out before you start the game.

The cards come in a handy box that protects them while keeping them organized. This also makes this game more portable, so you can enjoy the humor anywhere you go.

Why did it make our list?

• Portable
• 500 cards provide many gaming sessions
• Easy gameplay
• Funny

What is not ideal about it?

• Some answer cards a bit mature for kids

Those who like to create funny memes for their own amusement, as well as the amusement of their friends and family, will love the What Do You Meme? Family Edition. This game takes the rather vulgar version of the original What Do You Meme? game and makes it a bit more family-friendly, without sacrificing the hilarity.

This game is for players aged 8 and up, though younger kids who have developed their reading skills can also join in the fun. It can be played with a few people or you can get a large group together to join in on the fun.

Included in the box are 300 caption cards, 65 photo cards, and an easel, though this last piece is flimsy cardboard and must be handled a bit delicately to keep it intact.

To play, a judge is chosen for the round. They pick a photo card to put on the easel. Then, the rest of the players choose a caption card from their hand to try to match the picture, creating a new meme. The judge then shuffles the caption cards, picking their favorite from the bunch. The person who played that card wins the round.

As well as the family version of this game, there is the original version for adults, which has multiple expansion packs available to increase the fun, though these are not as kid-friendly as the Family Edition.

What makes it stand out?

• Multiple players
• Kid-friendly
• Easy to learn
• Funny

Which disadvantages must you keep in mind?

• Flimsy cardboard easel

Though it is a bit pricey for a simple deck of question cards, this is still one of the best card games for families there is. This deck contains 100 cards, each of which has a different question on it that can be answered by everyone who is playing. These questions include “What do you worry about the most?”, “What was the best year of your life so far?” and many more. These questions require the members of your families to think about each one, giving thoughtful answers and reasons why they chose them.

The best part about this game is that there are no rules. You answer the questions in your own way, so everyone’s answer will be different. You also need to listen to the answers of others, which allows you to learn more about those in your family than you would by asking more generalized questions about their day.

Another benefit that this game has to offer is that it is great for car trips. It makes that long time in the car more entertaining, plus it gets the kids off of those devices for an hour or two. You can also play this game at home, when camping, or even pick a question or two for those walks to and from school. There are also a few other versions available, including Kids, Adults, Couples, and Grandparents decks, each with 100 new questions to answer.

What makes it stand out?

• Promotes family bonding
• Car trip friendly
• No strict rules
• 100 questions

Which disadvantages must you keep in mind?

• A bit pricey

Uno is a great family card game that has been around for years. There are a few upgrades with this set but the rules are still simple to follow, so even the younger members of the family can get the hang of it in no time. You can play this game with up to 10 players, so the whole family can join in every time.

This game doesn’t come in a flimsy cardboard game box. Instead, the cards come in a sturdy metal tin box, which can handle a bit of rough use without falling apart. This tin is a bit too big to pack in a bag or purse for travel, though you can still fit it in a car or camper to take with you for some fun on the road.

Inside the tin are 112 cards in 4 colors, each with a number on it as well. To play the game, each player plays a card on their turn, matching the current color or number on the top card in the discard pile. If you can’t play, you pick a new card.

Several special action cards could also show up during the game. These include the Skip, Reverse, Draw 2, Draw 4, and color-changing Wild cards that allow you to switch the color on top. There is also a new Wild card that lets you choose the action, so you can make up your own.

What are its best features?

• Strategic gameplay
• Sturdy storage tin
• Simple rules
• Many people can play at a time

What could be improved?

• Not very portable

Kids Create Absurdity combines the hilarity of Cards Against Humanity with the kid-friendly content of Apples to Apples. This card game for families is easy to play, even for the younger members of the group, plus takes very little time to set up to get the game going.

Included in the box are 95 question cards, 350 answer cards, 10 Blank cards, and 10 Random Task cards. To get started, you combine the question and Random Task cards, shuffling them together for a nice mix. You do the same with the answer and Blank cards, mixing them up together.

Each player then picks 10 cards from the answer pile. The youngest player is chosen to be the first Big Cheese, picking the first question card and reading it out loud. Then each of the other players chooses an answer card from their hand and gives it to the Big Cheese, who then picks their favorite. The player who played that card gets a point. Play moves to the left, with a new Big Cheese reading questions for every round. The first person with 5 points wins.

If a Random Task card is picked from the question pile, the Big Cheese who picked it gives the card to any player they like. This player then performs the Random Task. The Blank answer cards are also wild ones, allowing you to write in your own answer to any question for a bit of extra fun.

What are its best features?

• Simple setup
• Easy gameplay
• Lots of players
• Humorous

What could be improved?

• No expansion packs

If you enjoy the concept of Monopoly but don’t want to spend hours at a time playing a single round, the Monopoly Deal Card Game may be the best family board card game for you. This game leaves out the board, pieces, and dice, using a deck of cards for the gameplay instead. Though a few of the rules are unclear for some, it doesn’t take very long to learn how to play this game.

This deck of 110 cards includes a variety of card types. The Property cards are similar to the board version of this game, where you need to collect them to make property sets. Action cards allow you to make deals or charge rent. House and Hotel cards let players raise the value of the rent for their cards. Money cards let you pay for your debts to other players.

The purpose of the game is to use strategic moves and plays to collect 3 complete sets of Property cards in different colors. The first to do so wins the game. Rounds are quick, lasting as little as 15 minutes, so you can play a quick round whenever you like.

You can play this game with 2-5 players, though the more people you add, the more difficult it is to get your Property sets. It’s a good game for kids and adults, plus it is compact so you can take it with you on road trips, camping, or to a friend’s house.

What makes it stand out?

• Simple rules
• Low price
• Short games
• Strategic gameplay

Which disadvantages must you keep in mind?

• Some unclear rules