The card game War, or as my family calls it, “I Declare War.” is a totally old school card game that kids still love to this day. It’s an easy card game for all ages and loads of fun. I taught my kids how to play War about a year or so ago and it has become a favorite for family game night. Here’s a simple guide to how to play this classic card game.
Number of Players: 2-5
Objective: The key is to collect the most cards from other players
How to play War:
Divide a deck of cards evenly among all of the players.
Cards are to remain face down for all of the player.
With each round, players chant, “I – De- Clare – War,” flip over the top card in their deck and simultaneously place the card in the center.
The player who gets the highest value card takes all of the center cards and begins to form a new deck aside. In the case that the 2 highest cards match in value, “war” is declared. And that’s when the fun picks up even more!
- “War” consists of the two players facing off, so to speak.
- They place their next 3 cards face down on the table (chanting I-De-Clare…).
- Then, as they shout, “War,” the 4th card is placed on the table face up.
- The player with the highest value will take all the cards involved in that move for a total of 10 cards total. The real fun comes in the reveal of the cards that were face down during the war.
- There may be a double or triple war if the players continue to tie.
How to Win at the Card Game War:
When players run out of cards from the starter deck, they circulate the cards collected during the game. And so on, until one player get all the cards and wins the game.
See Also: 21 Old School Games For The Whole Family
