How to Play the War Card Game | Complete Guide & Rules
What is the War Card Game
The War card game, sometimes called the “I declare war” game, is a game of chance where players flip over cards and hope to capture their opponent’s cards by playing a higher rank (number). While there is no strategy in War, there’s a reason it continues to be a classic card game and popular with kids and families.: It has simple rules, and it’s fun to capture your opponent’s cards.
Objective
The goal of the War card game is to get all of the cards in the deck. Players capture opponents cards by playing higher ranked cards throughout a number of rounds.
Number of Players
- 2 players for standard game
- 3-4 players are also possible with modified rules
Playing Time
The average playing time in the War card game varies widely from 10-45 minutes. And it can go on much longer!!! Officially, the game isn’t over until one player has all the cards. But we recommend setting a timer to 15 minutes, at which point players complete the hand they’re on, then count the number of cards and the player with the most cards wins.
Note: Shuffling winning cards shortens the average time of a game to avoid non-randomized patterns.
What You Need / Equipment
A standard deck of playing cards. Jokers are usually removed.
Skills
- Math: General number sense (higher, lower, matching).
- Social skills: Turn taking, winning and losing, etc
- Note: There is no strategy in war. Cards are flipped and outcomes are determined without choice or strategy.
Age
Players of any age can play, but we recommend War for 5 and older. Players can be younger if they have general number sense skills and know which numbers are higher and lower.
Why we like the war game for kids
Games like War with simple rules and no strategy are great for basic game-playing skills, such as turn taking, social skills, and winning and losing. We particularly like the game of War for younger kids 4-6 to practice general number skills, such as which numbers are higher, lower, or equal.
How to Play the War Card Game
1: Gather 2 people and grab a deck of playing cards
All you need to play the game of war is 2 people and a standard deck of playing cards. See the variations section to learn about playing with 3 or 4 players.
2: Set up the game by dealing half the deck face-down to each player
Shuffle a standard 52-card deck of playing cards, with the jokers removed, and deal half of the cards face down to each of the players so that each has 26 cards. Either player can deal, since there is no positional advantage and play is simultaneous.
3: Play the first round simultaneously, with each player flipping the top card from their deck
The two players will each flip over the top car of their deck face up onto the table.
4: Determine the winner of the round, by highest card
There are two potential outcomes on each round: the players have different card ranks (normal play) or the players have matching cards (War).
Normal Play: Whoever has the highest card wins the round and takes the other player’s played cards. Aces are high in War, followed by King, Queen, Jack, and the numbered cards. For example, if Player 1 has a 7 and Player 2 has a 3, Player one has the highest cards and gets to take 2 cards (their card, plus their opponents card).
War: In the case of a tie, a “war” breaks out to determine the winner. Each player will play 3 additional cards face down from the top of their decks, then a 4th card face-up that determines the winner of the war. When the war cards are played, players often do a 4-count of “I-DEE-CLARE-WAR” and put down the cards on the beat with cards down-down-down-up. For example, if both players initially flip an 8, they then will play 3 cards face down to the beat of “I-DEE-CLARE-WAR” and a 4th card face-up to the “War” beat. If Player A plays a 5 and Player 2 plays a 3, Player A is the winner and will be taking 10 cards (their: 1 initial card, 3 face down war cards, and 1 up war card; as well as the opponents: 1 initial card, 3 face-down war cards, and 1 war up-card).
Double-War (and beyond): If the up-card of a war is, again, a tie, a “Double War” breaks out, with an additional 3 cards face down and 1 card face up to determine the winner. And, in the unlikely event of additional ties, a “triple war” or “quadruple war” can continue until someone has a higher up-card and wins the war. For example, in the scenario above, if the players both had an 8, then played 3 down cards and both flipped an up-card of a Jack during the War, there would be a double war. 3 additional cards would be played face down, and Player A flips over a 4 and Player B flips over a 9. Player B is the winner and collects 18 cards! (2 initial cards, 8 cards from the initial war, and 8 cards from the double war).
5: Capture the losers cards and put them in a face-up discard pile
When you win a round, take all of the cards played in the round, both yours and your opponents. You should place them face up in a discard pile that is separate from your draw deck so that you can shuffle them when your draw deck runs out.
6: Play the next round
Subsequent rounds are played in the same manner as the first. Rounds should be played at a fairly fast pace and only last a few seconds, especially when there aren’t any wars.
7: Continue playing until one player has all the cards and a winner is declared
Officially, play only ends when one of two things occur:
- One person has all the cards and wins
- One player is unable to complete a War and loses
If you’re playing with a timer, the game also ends when the timer runs out. When the timer goes off, players finish the round they’re playing, then count their cards. The player with more cards wins.
If your draw deck runs out, shuffle your discard pile and then it becomes your new draw deck.
War Game Video Tutorial
Rules of War Card Game
- On any given round, the player who flips the highest card wins the round and takes the other player’s card from that round.
- Aces are high in War and twos are low.
- If players flip over cards of the same rank (number), a war is played, where players each flip 3 cards face-down, then one card face-up to determine the winner. The player with the highest card wins and takes all the cards played in that round.
- In the case of a tied rank (number) during a war, a double war, triple war, etc is played to determine the winner of the round and the player with the highest card played during the last war wins the round. All cards played during that round go to the winner of the war.
- If a player doesn’t have enough cards to play to complete a war, they lose and the game is over
- When your deck runs out, you should shuffle, then play again from the top.
Variations of War Card Game
Jokers
Some house rules allow for jokers to be added to the deck. When jokers are used, they are the highest card, then Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and the numbered cards.
Can you play war with 3 people?
Yes! It’s easy to adapt the game of War to play with 3 players. Here’s how:
Follow the normal rules of war except for the rules below:
Dealing with 3 players: Deal the cards evenly. If you’re playing without Jokers, that means that each player will get 17 cards (for a total of 51 of the 52 cards). The one extra card is placed in the center and the winner of the first round gets that as a bonus. If you’re playing with 2 jokers, each player will get 18 cards.
Wars with 3 players: During a war, a war only happens when it’s the highest numbers with matching rank. If it’s lower numbers that match, the other player with the higher card takes the cards and no war is played.
Only the players with the matching ranks go to war. The other player with the lower card number sits out during the war and loses their single card to the winner of the war.
Alternatively, you can have all players play when any war breaks out.
Can you play war with 4 people?
Yes! It’s easy to adapt the game of War to play with 4 players. Here’s how:
Follow the normal rules of war except for the rules below:
Dealing with 4 players: Deal the cards evenly. If you’re playing without Jokers, that means that each player gets 13 cards. If you’re playing with 2 jokers, then each player will get 13 cards and the 2 extra cards are placed in the center and the winner of the first round gets them as a bonus.
Wars with 4 players: During a war, a war only happens when it’s the highest numbers with matching rank. If it’s lower numbers that match, the other player with the higher card takes the cards and no war is played.
Only the players with the matching ranks go to war. The other player(s) with the lower card numbers sit out during the war and loses their single card to the winner of the war.
Alternatively, you can have all players play when any war breaks out.
Addition War
Addition war is a great variation to play to practice addition skills. Players will flip 2 cards over at a time, then add up the total. The player with the highest combined total wins. If a war breaks out, just play one down card, then two up cards and the highest total wins the war.
Not shuffling when deck runs out
At first glance, it may seem like it takes longer to play when you shuffle your run out deck before playing again. However, it actually avoids repeating patterns that can greatly lengthen the game.
Number of wars one wins game
Instead of playing until one player achieves a set number of wars (e.g. 5 wars).
War Card Game FAQs
How many players can play war?
The game of war is typically played with 2 people, but you can play variations with 3-4 with the rules listed above.
How many cards do you start with in war?
If you’re playing War with 2 players and a standard 52 card deck of playing cards, each player is dealt 26 cards. In the game of war, the starting number of cards should always be even. If you’re playing a variation where the number of players and cards doesn’t match evenly, for example with 3-4 players and/or jokers that throw the number off, deal the cards out evenly, then place the extra cards in the center. The player that wins the first round will take those extra cards.
How do you play war for beginners?
War is a great card game for beginners since it doesn’t involve any strategy. Players flip cards simultaneously and the player with the highest card takes all cards played in the round. If the cards match rank, players go to “war” and each player plays 3 cards down, then 1 card up to determine the winner.
Which card wins in war?
The highest card wins in war. In a standard game with 52 cards and no Jokers, the Ace is considered the highest card, then, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, etc. The player with the highest card wins that round. In the case of a tie between two cards, the players each put 3 of their cards face down, then flip an additional card face up for the tie break. The highest card in the tie break takes all of the cards played during that turn. If there are additional ties, the process is repeated with three more down cards and one up card to break the tie.
Does an ace beat a 2 in war?
An ace beats a 2, as well as every other card in the war card game (unless you’re playing with jokers, in which case the joker is higher than the ace). In the standard game of war, Aces are the highest card and twos are the lowest card.
How much is an ace worth in war?
An ace is considered the highest card in a standard game of War. The only exception is if you’re playing a variation with jokers, in which case the jokers trump the ace. In the standard game of war, Aces are the highest card and twos are the lowest card.
Does an ace beat a king in war?
An Ace beats a king in the game of war. Aces are considered the highest card in a standard game of war. The only exception is if you’re playing a variation with jokers, in which case the jokers trump the ace. In the standard game of war, Aces are the highest card and twos are the lowest card.
Does a queen beat a jack in war?
A Queen beats a jack in the game of war. The order of the face cards is King, Queen, Jack. Aces are considered higher that face cards. And face cards are all higher than the numbered cards.
Can you use Jokers in war?
Jokers are a common variation in the War card game. Typically, when Jokers are used, they are the highest cards in the game and trump all other cards in the game (A, K, Q, J, etc).
Is a joker higher than a jack in war?
A joker is higher than a Jack in War. When you’re playing with the joker variation, it is higher than all other cards, so it also beats an Ace, King Queen, etc and all other cards.
Camille Childs