Card Game

The 10 Types of Card Games

How to Play Card Games

Card Decks
A deck of cards consists of 52 cards, and includes cards from 4 suits, from lowest to highest as the Diamonds, Clubs, Hearts, and Spades. Each suit consists of cards numbered 2-10, and four lettered cards, the Ace (A), Jack (J), Queen (Q), and King (K). In total, there are 12 cards from each suit.
The remaining 4 cards in the deck are the Jokers. These cards are sometimes omitted from games, but act as wild cards, acting as any card in games requiring combinations.

Players
Player counts for each game varies.
2 or more players means the game adds a competitive element, and sometimes even introduces teamwork into the mix. Spades and Hearts are very popular examples of these types of games.
Most games do not use all the cards, though those that do split the deck evenly among 2-players are arguably purely skill-based since both players have full information regarding the hands of the other player.
1-player experiences are more puzzles than card games, with the most popular being Solitaire and the variants that follow. These games revolve around clearing the puzzles created by card shuffles.

Shuffling and Dealing
These are the most common actions in card games. Shuffling involves rearranging the cards in a randomized manner, introducing variance to the card order, and preventing cheating. In puzzles, this provides a nearly infinite number of starting configurations, and for competitive games, this ensures that no two games are ever the same.
Dealing is the act of passing cards to each player in order. In most card games, dealing is done card-by-card. Due to the lightweight nature of cards, this is a fast process. The dealer often goes first, and the choosing of said player can be done by splitting.
Splitting is a process where a player splits the deck at a random point, drawing the top card. Each player does the same, and the player drawing the card of the highest value becomes the dealer. Naturally, this process can be substituted with a dice throw.

Hands and Rounds
Since the goal of most card games is for players to clear their hands, each hand or round will end when a player has cleared their hand of cards.
Mostly, games last more than one round. Depending on the desired length, round limits can be imposed to end the game as necessary. If a point system is involved in a game, then point limits may be set instead.

Types of Rules
Rules for card games vary greatly from game to game, and there is no catch-all when discussing rulesets. However, the games can be split into a few types as previously discussed, and the two general mechanics for each are discussed below:

Puzzles
For games like Solitaire, the rules are normally made in a way as to provide a challenge without making the game state unsolvable.
Taking the example of Solitaire, the goal is to sort out cards in order, by suit. Since this would be too easy if players could move cards at their leisure, a rule is set so that one can only extend each column by adding cards of decreasing value, and one can only clear a set if cards from K to A are arranged in order and from a single suit.

Competitive
In competitive card games, the rules are designed to prevent cheating. One can only ever see his own hand, not even those of their teammate, which leaves a layer of strategy in the game. Cues regarding each player' s hand are also prohibited.
Naturally, in games where calls regarding hands are involved, players must show proof that their hand matches the call if needed by the rules. Should the player fail to comply, penalties might be enforced.

What Can Card Games Teach

7 Steps to Print a Custom Card Game Deck

Design your card game
Choose the game you're going to make with the cards. This can be a playing card deck or a tarot deck. You can replace a damaged or missing card set for your Trivial Pursuit game or Monopoly box or you can design your very own card game.
For trading cards, make a list of action cards (ex: monster cards) and effect cards (ex: energy resistance and draw-two). Choose or create a unique image for every card, along with the details you want to print in the card's layout spaces.

Pick your graphic design software
Now that you have a card game in mind, choose your graphic design software. The best software allows you to work in layers and groups so you can design your entire card game deck at once, then separate the designs and print them one card at a time. CorelDRAW is designed to provide you the tools for a flexible and creative multi-medium project, including making your own card game.

Choose your back-face design
Most cards have a front face - the details, and a backface - the pattern. This is your chance to give your card game deck a personality. Choose a back-face design that is engaging and covers the card from edge to edge - or has a frame that hits the cut edges. Choose a bold and impactful pattern or a detailed illustration that is identical for every card.

Design your front-face card layout
Now design the layout for the front face of your cards. If this is an original game, you have a free hand with card design. If you are designing trading cards, use the usual stats, portrait, and details layout popular since Magic: The Gathering and the many offshoots of that design. For trading or tarot cards, create a design with the correct characters and symbols to make your deck complete.

Create an array design of your game cards
In your design software, lay out your deck front-face designs so you can see the complete set. Check your work, fine-tune the details, and make sure every element group is aligned on the card properly.

Print cards back and front
Once your card design is complete, print your cards on heavy cardstock paper, maybe even glossy paper, front-and-back. You'll want a printer that can do both or to reload your cardstock for each side. A Cricut can print and cut at the same time, depending on the model you buy.

Cut your cards free and play
Now that your cards are printed on cardstock, cut them free of their paper frames and get ready to play. Take your new card game deck for a spin. Find out if your rules are fun, if your card collection feels balanced, and if those printed cards hold up to the fidgety hands of card game players.