Play Spoons for a lively table, Snap for quick matching, or Crazy Eights for a turn-based game. Each uses a regular deck rather than a boxed party game.
Group size, playing time and ages are suggestions to adapt to your group, not measurements. Anyone may pass a turn.
Spoons
Players
3 or more
Minutes
10 to 20
Ages
Players who can recognize matching ranks
You need
A regular deck and one fewer spoon than players
Suggested setup: tables. Place the spoons in the middle and deal four cards each. Put the rest of the deck face down by the dealer as the draw pile. The dealer draws a card, then passes one face down to the left. Each player keeps or passes the incoming card, keeping four in hand. The last player discards into a separate pile.
Place the spoons in the middle and deal four cards each. Put the rest of the deck face down by the dealer as the draw pile. The dealer draws a card, then passes one face down to the left. Each player keeps or passes the incoming card, keeping four in hand. The last player discards into a separate pile.
Pass cards until someone has four of the same rank and takes a spoon. Everyone else may then take a spoon. The player left without one receives the next letter of SPOON. Reshuffle the discard pile if the draw pile runs out.
A player who spells SPOON leaves the game. Remove a spoon and start again; the last player wins. House variation: stop after agreed rounds and keep everyone playing. Take spoons gently rather than grabbing across other hands.
Without a printer: Uses a regular deck and spoons.
Snap
Players
2 or more
Minutes
10 to 20
Ages
Players who can recognize matching ranks
You need
A regular deck
Suggested setup: tables. Deal the deck face down among the players. Keep your pile face down. Take turns clockwise, turning your top card into a face-up pile beside your own stack.
Deal the deck face down among the players. Keep your pile face down. Take turns clockwise, turning your top card into a face-up pile beside your own stack.
When two face-up piles show the same rank, call Snap. The first caller wins both piles and puts them under their face-down stack. Simultaneous callers combine their piles into a central Snap Pot. A later card matching its top card can win it with a call of Snap Pot.
When your face-down stack empties, turn your face-up pile over and continue. The goal is to win every card. House variation: agree a stopping time before play and count the cards instead.
Without a printer: Uses a regular deck.
Crazy Eights
Players
2 or more
Minutes
15 to 30
Ages
Players who can match ranks and suits
You need
A regular deck
Suggested setup: tables. Deal five cards each. Put the rest face down as the draw pile and turn over a starter. If the starter is an eight, put it back into the deck and turn another.
Deal five cards each. Put the rest face down as the draw pile and turn over a starter. If the starter is an eight, put it back into the deck and turn another.
Starting left of the dealer, play a card matching the top discard by rank or suit. An eight can be played on any card; its player names the suit the next person must follow, unless they also play an eight.
If you cannot play, draw until you can or the stock is empty. With no playable card and nothing to draw, pass. The first empty hand wins. These instructions stop at one hand; agree scoring separately for a longer match.
Without a printer: Uses a regular deck.
Plan the round and team scores
8 turns × 60 seconds = 8 minutes of play, plus instructions and breaks.
