How to play War
War is the card game everyone learns first: no choices, no strategy, all suspense. The deck splits in half, both sides flip, and the higher card takes the battle — until two equal cards collide and it's WAR: three cards buried face down, one flipped to decide the whole pile.
- Flip — click your deck (aces are high).
- War — ties escalate: 3 down, 1 up, winner takes everything on the table.
- Victory — capture all 52 cards. Captured cards are shuffled back under your deck so games always finish.
- Auto-play — flip through the quiet stretches automatically and take back control any time.
Frequently asked questions
What are the rules of War?
The deck is split in half. Each round both players flip their top card, and the higher card (aces high) captures both. Equal cards mean WAR: each player buries three cards face down and flips a fourth — the winner takes the whole pile. Capture all 52 cards to win.
What happens in a double war?
If the war cards tie again, the war continues: three more cards down, another flip, with the entire growing pile going to the eventual winner. Multi-wars are rare and glorious.
What if a player runs out of cards during a war?
A player who cannot field a card mid-war loses immediately. If they have fewer than four cards, they bury what they can and fight with their last one.
Is there any strategy in War?
Honestly, no — War is pure chance, which is exactly why it is the first card game most people ever learn. This version shuffles captured cards back in so games always end, and includes an auto-play mode when you just want to watch the battle unfold.
How long does a game of War take?
Anywhere from two minutes to a few hundred rounds. The round and war counters keep score of the carnage, and auto-play fast-forwards the quiet stretches.
More free card games
Ready for games with decisions in them? Try Go Fish, Crazy Eights, or the classic Klondike Solitaire.