Quick games
Around fifteen minutes or less: games for a lunch break, a train ride or one more round before bed.
- #1 Durak Russia's favourite card game – attack, fight off, throw in more cards, and whatever you do, don't be the last one holding cards. Russia's favourite card game: attack, fight off, throw in – a full game in fifteen minutes.
- #2 Speed No turns, no waiting – slap your cards onto the centre one higher or one lower, faster than your opponent. No turns at all – two players race their cards onto the centre, often done in five minutes.
- #3 Cuttle Race to 21 points while your opponent blows up, steals and scuttles your cards – every card is a weapon. Blow up, steal and scuttle your way to 21 – a whole combat game in fifteen minutes.
- #4 Briscola No need to follow suit – just collect the Aces and 3s and reach 61 of the 120 points in Italy's liveliest trick game. Three cards in hand, no need to follow suit and a race to 61 points.
- #5 German Whist Whist for two – win the card on the stock in the first half, then outplay an opponent whose hand you can work out exactly. Twenty-six tricks for two in a quarter of an hour – and a proper test of memory.
- #6 Palace Play equal or higher, burn the pile with a 10 and flip your blind cards at the end – and make sure you're not the Palace's last guest. Burn the pile with a 10, flip your blind cards and be out before you know it.
- #7 Mau-Mau Match suit or rank, dodge the sevens and be the first to shout "Mau-Mau!" Match suit or rank and dodge the sevens – a round is over in a few minutes.
- #8 Goofspiel (GOPS) Both players hold the same thirteen cards – outguess your opponent and win the diamonds with a bid just one higher. Thirteen blind bids for thirteen diamonds – ten minutes of pure outguessing.
- #9 Écarté The quick French duel of five cards – keep your hand or propose an exchange, and turn up the King for a free point. The quick French duel of five cards – keep your hand or propose an exchange.
- #10 Scoundrel Fight your way through a dungeon of monsters, weapons and potions – four cards at a time, with 20 health and no way back. A solo dungeon crawl in fifteen minutes: monsters, weapons and potions from one deck.