War Card Game: The Simplest Card Game Rules

Game Overview

War, a simple card game of comparison and luck, originated as a children's game played worldwide. It requires two to four players and a standard deck of 52 cards, such as the plastic-coated deck on Amazon.

Objective

The goal of War is to be the last player with cards in hand, thereby winning all the cards.

Setup

Shuffle the deck thoroughly and deal out all the cards equally among the players so that each player has 26 cards (for two players) or as many cards as possible for an equal distribution when playing with three or four players (17 cards for 3 players, 13 cards for 4 players). The players keep their cards in a stack face down and do not look at them.

How to Play

For Two Players:

1. Both players simultaneously turn over the top card of their stacks.
2. The player with the higher card takes both cards and places them face down on the bottom of their stack. In case of a tie, follow the procedure for a War (explained below).
3. Continue turning over one card at a time until one player has all the cards and wins the game.

For Three or Four Players:

1. All players simultaneously turn over a card. The player with the highest card takes all the turned-up cards. In case of a tie, there is a War (explained below).
2. A War continues until one face-up card is higher than all others, and that player wins all the cards in the war. All players take part in a war, not only the ones who had the highest cards.
3. A player who runs out of cards drops out. The game goes on until only one player has cards, and that player wins.

War:

If two or more players tie for the highest card, there is a War. Each player plays three cards face down (sometimes varying to two cards for a 2, three for a 3, etc., up to 10 cards for Jack, Queen, King, and 11 cards for Aces) and then turns up one face-up card. The player with the higher face-up card wins all the cards from the war.

If both players run out of cards during a War, it's a draw. However, if a player runs out of cards during a War but their last card is still on the table, that last card is used for all battles in that War. If this happens to both players and their last cards are equal, the game is a draw.

Scoring and End of Game

There is no scoring system in War; instead, the game ends when one player has all the cards and wins.

Common Variants

Many players play three face-down cards in a War rather than just one. Some add two jokers to the pack, making them the highest cards, above the aces. There are also variations where captured cards are stacked face up in front of each player or played as fast as possible until an Ace appears. For more specific variations, visit the War Variations page on our site.

Beginner Mistakes to Avoid

1. Not following the War procedure correctly: Make sure to play the required number of face-down cards and then turn up one face-up card during a War.
2. Misunderstanding card ranking: Remember that suits are ignored in War, and cards rank from Ace (high) to 2 (low).
3. Failing to use captured cards strategically: In certain variations, captured cards can be used to steal piles or play as fast as possible until an Ace appears.