5 Best Card Games for Adults ()

Updated • By The Editors

Some card games are all about relaxing. Others are all about tension, timing, and outsmarting the rules. These five are a great fit for adult players who want a satisfying mix of strategy, pace, and replayability.

1. Hearts

Hearts is a brilliant trick-taking game where you’re trying to avoid points—until you decide to “shoot the moon.” It’s competitive, social, and rewards memory and reading the table.

Track dangerous suits, control tricks, and avoid the Queen of Spades.
Play Hearts Online

2. Spades

Spades is fast, sharp, and tactical. Bidding adds a layer of mind games, and every hand asks: can you hit your contract without giving away control?

Bid smart, count tricks, and time your Spades for maximum leverage.
Play Spades Online

3. Forty Thieves

If you want a solo game with real bite, Forty Thieves delivers. Two decks, strict one-card moves, and a tight ruleset that makes planning feel meaningful.

This is a long-game planner’s solitaire: small mistakes add up.
Play Forty Thieves Solitaire

4. Yukon Solitaire

Yukon is a high-mobility solitaire where you can move any group of face-up cards. That freedom makes it feel more like a tactical board game than a pure luck-fest.

Reposition entire runs to uncover face-down cards and create space.
Play Yukon Solitaire

5. Aces & Kings

If you want a solo ruleset that feels fresh without being fiddly, Aces & Kings is a great pick. You build up from Aces and down from Kings, meeting in the middle.

A satisfying bidirectional puzzle with lots of planning moments.
Play Aces & Kings Solitaire

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