Card games that start with S

#02

Schafkopf

rules reference

The Bavarian national game: queens and jacks are always trump, and the declarer calls an ace to find a partner.

4 players 30–60 minStandard deck

trick-takinghidden partners

Uses a 32-card pack.

#03

Schnapsen

rules reference

A fast Austrian two-player game: reach 66 points through tricks and marriages, possibly closing the stock early.

2 players 10–20 minStandard deck

trick-takingtwo-player

Uses a 20-card pack.

#04

Schotten Totten

game database

Knizia’s duel at nine border stones, forming poker-like three-card combinations to claim them.

2 players 20 minDedicated deck

duelset collection

#05

Scopa

rules reference

Italy’s most famous fishing game: capture cards by matching or summing and score a scopa for sweeping the table.

2–4 players 20–30 minStandard deck

fishingcapturing

Uses a 40-card Italian pack.

#06

Scout

publisher

Play ascending or matching sets without rearranging your hand, or scout a card from a rival.

2–5 players 20–30 minSpecialty deck

climbinghand management

#07

Sea Salt & Paper

game database

Collect origami sea creatures for pairs and sets, then decide whether to end the round safely or bet everything.

2–4 players 30–45 minDedicated deck

set collectionpush-your-luck

#08

Set

game database

Find three cards where each feature—color, shape, number, shading—is all the same or all different.

1–20 players 10–30 minSpecialty deck

real-timepattern

#09

Sevens

rules reference

Build each suit up and down from its seven; if you can’t play, you pass or pay into the pot.

3–8 players 15–20 minStandard deck

layoutshedding

Also called Fan Tan or Domino.

#10

Sheepshead

rules reference

The American cousin of Schafkopf, popular in Wisconsin, where the picker takes the blind and plays against the table.

3–5 players 30–60 minStandard deck

trick-takinghidden partners

Uses a 32-card pack.

#11

Sheriff of Nottingham

game database

Pack goods into a bag, declare them to the sheriff, and bribe or bluff your way past an inspection.

3–6 players 45–60 minDedicated deck

bluffingnegotiation

#12

Similo

game database

Give clues using illustrated cards that resemble the secret character, while the guesser eliminates the rest.

2–8 players 10 minDedicated deck

cooperativededuction

#13

Skat

rules reference

Germany’s great three-player game: bid for the right to play alone, take the skat, and win at least 61 points.

3 players 30–60 minStandard deck

trick-takingbidding

Uses a 32-card pack.

#14

Skip-Bo

game database

Play cards 1 to 12 onto shared building piles, using wild cards to clear your stockpile first.

2–6 players 20–30 minSpecialty deck

familyshedding

#15

Sleeping Queens

publisher

Wake up queens with kings, steal them with knights, and do a bit of math to discard number cards.

2–5 players 20 minDedicated deck

childrenfamily

#16

Slobberhannes

rules reference

A short avoidance game: don’t take the first trick, the last trick, or the queen of clubs.

4 players 15–20 minStandard deck

trick-avoidanceclassic

#17

Smash Up

game database

Shuffle two faction decks together—say, pirate ninjas—and break bases with their combined powers.

2–4 players 45 minDedicated deck

take-thatarea control

#18

Spades

rules reference

Partners bid their expected tricks, with spades permanently serving as trump.

4 players 30–60 minStandard deck

trick-takingpartnership

#19

Speed

rules reference

Two players race simultaneously to play cards one higher or lower onto two center piles.

2 players 5–10 minStandard deck

real-timetwo-player

#20

Spicy

game database

Bluff about the spice and number of each card you play face down; a challenger risks big if you told the truth.

2–6 players 15–20 minDedicated deck

bluffingfiller

#21

Spider Solitaire

rules reference

A two-deck patience where you build full king-to-ace runs in suit inside the tableau to clear them.

1 players 15–30 minStandard deck

solitairepatience

Needs two decks.

#22

Spit

rules reference

A real-time two-player race where each side plays from their own stockpiles onto shared spit piles.

2 players 5–15 minStandard deck

real-timetwo-player

#23

Spite and Malice

rules reference

A competitive patience where you build from your payoff pile while blocking what your opponent needs.

2 players 20–30 minStandard deck

competitive patiencetwo-player

Needs two decks.

#24

Splendor

game database

Collect gem tokens to buy development cards that give permanent discounts and attract nobles.

2–4 players 30 minDedicated deck

engine-buildingset collection

#25

Sprawlopolis

game database

Build a city from just 18 cards, overlapping zones and roads to satisfy three random scoring goals.

1–4 players 15–20 minDedicated deck

solocooperativepuzzle

#26

Spyfall

game database

Everyone shares a secret location except the spy, who must bluff through questions and guess where they are.

3–8 players 15 minDedicated deck

partydeduction

#27

Star Realms

publisher

A fast two-player space deck-builder with faction combos and authority you chip away from your opponent.

2 players 20 minDedicated deck

deck-buildingduel

#28

Star Wars: Unlimited

official rules

A collectible game with ground and space arenas, a leader that can flip, and an initiative system.

2 players 20–30 minCollectible / constructed

dueldeck construction

Open official rules

#29

Sueca

rules reference

A Portuguese partnership game played with 40 cards where aces and sevens carry most of the points.

4 players 20–30 minStandard deck

trick-takingpartnership

#30

Sushi Go Party!

game database

The bigger version of Sushi Go!, with a menu you customize and room for up to eight players.

2–8 players 20 minDedicated deck

draftingfamily

#31

Sushi Go!

publisher

Draft one card at a time to assemble valuable sushi combinations before hands pass on.

2–5 players 15–20 minDedicated deck

draftingset collection

Quick picks by situation

20 minutes or less

Schnapsen · Schotten Totten · Sevens · Similo

Use a standard deck

Schafkopf · Schnapsen · Scopa · Sevens

Good with exactly two

Schnapsen · Schotten Totten · Scopa · Scout

Bigger groups (6+)

Saboteur · Set · Sevens · Sheriff of Nottingham

Editorial notes

What the S list includes—and what it doesn’t.

Are board games with cards included?

Only when cards carry the central play. A board game that merely uses event cards is not automatically treated as a card game.

Is the list complete?

It is deliberately curated, not a claim to every historical or regional title. We add games when the basic facts and a useful source can be checked.

Lists by situation

Card games by situation

58 games

Card games for parties

Big-group, hidden-role, and fast slap games that work for six or more people.

35 games

Card games for one player

Classic solitaire with a standard deck, plus modern solo card games and co-op campaigns.

112 games

Easy card games

Simple card games you can learn in about five minutes, sorted by deck and group size.

112 games

Family card games

Card games kids, parents, and grandparents can all play together—from Go Fish to Sushi Go!.

128 games

Classic card games

Traditional games played with ordinary cards—trick-taking, rummy, fishing, shedding, and solitaire.

216 games

Card games for 3 players

Games built for exactly three—Skat, Dou Dizhu, Ninety-Nine—plus easy and strategic picks that shine at three.