Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, people have been looking for ways to bond with their friends from a distance. Thankfully, the Internet and modern technology have made that easily possible. One of the best ways to spend time with your friends and family during these trying times is by playing Cards Against Humanity online.
What Is Cards Against Humanity?
If you are unfamiliar, Cards Against Humanity is a card game with humor at the center. It is primarily played with physical cards. First released in 2011, this card game has since grown into popularity. It is known for its politically incorrect content, as well as its replayability. Another good thing about this game is that there is no limit to how many players can join, making it an excellent party game.
Where To Play Cards Against Humanity Online
If you are looking for card games online that you can enjoy with just about anyone, Cards Against Humanity is a great choice. There are a few ways you can play it without needing to physically meet up with your friends, such as:
Playingcards.io
With Playingcards.io, you can easily play Cards Against Humanity online with friends. All you need to do is go to the website and choose Cards Against Humanity. When you click the Start Game button, the site will provide you with a link. Copy the link given and send it to the players you want to play with. Those players can then join the game by clicking Enter Game.”
The interface is quite simple and easy to understand. Though, you do need to click around to deal the cards, move the cards, and discard the cards on your own. Playingcards.io also has measures in place to prevent cheating. It shows you the cursors or fingers of other players on the screen. So, if a player tries to take a peek at others’ cards, you can quickly notice it.
Unlike the physical version, though, Playingcards.io’s Cards Against Humanity online only allows up to six players.
Pretend You’re Xyzzy
Compared to the first option, Pretend You’re Xyzzy’s version of the game is much more in-depth and accommodates more players. It also gives you the opportunity to play with expansions.
To start playing this virtual Cards Against Humanity, go to their website and create an account. Then, you need to click the Create Game button, which will provide you with a link to share with your friends.
Although the website admits that this is a Cards Against Humanity clone, this version does have some merits. For instance, you can play with different special rules and expansion packs. You can also join as a spectator if you only want to watch and laugh without actually playing the game.
Pretend You’re Xyzzy lets you play with 3 to 20 participants, which is way more than the version offered by Playingcards.io. So, if you have more than six players, this is perhaps the best option.
Play Pretend You’re Xyzzy on Android
Cards Against Humanity Lab
Sometimes, you are just not in the mood to play with other people, but you still want to have a good laugh. For those times, the Cards Against Humanity Lab is a perfect choice.
This version of the game only allows one player per game, which means you will need to play with an AI. The AI deals one black card and a set of white cards to you. You will then have to choose the white card you think is the funniest. Other times, you will need to select which white cards are not funny. This will help the AI determine which white cards are the cream of the crop.
Keep in mind that there is no element of competition in this version of Cards Against Humanity online. Still, it still offers a good time and provides you with a chance to find out what the AI thinks is funny. Additionally, there are black and white cards in this version of the game that does not appear in the physical game packs. So, expect to get surprised.
Play on Cards Against Humanity Lab
How To Play Cards Against Humanity
Cards Against Humanity might seem confusing to people who have never played it before. However, it is actually a relatively simple game that requires not much effort to understand. Here is a breakdown of how to play Cards Against Humanity, whether it is in-person or online:
Setup
As with any type of game, Cards Against Humanity requires setup, though setting up this wildly popular game is very simple. There are two decks of cards in the game: a set of black cards and a set of white cards. To begin playing, shuffle both decks individually, then deal 10 white cards to each player.
Game Play
Once everyone each has 10 white cards, it is time to start playing. First, choose a random player to act as the Card Czar. The Card Czar will draw a black card from the deck and will read it aloud for everyone to hear. Black cards contain questions or fill-in-the-blank statements which players will then need to “answer” using one of their white cards.
The point of the game is to pick a white card that you think the Card Czar will find the funniest when used in conjunction with the black card. For example, if the black card says, “Make __________ great again,” you should choose a white card with a word or statement that could humorously fill in that blank.
Once everyone picks a white card to play, they will submit it to the Card Czar face down. The Card Czar should then shuffle the submitted white cards to mix up the order. After doing so, the Card Czar will then read the black card along with each white card. It is best to re-read the black card for each white card to make the combination funnier. Of course, the more players there are, the longer this part is going to be.
Picking The Winner
After reading all of the combinations, the Card Czar will then choose a winner based on their own personal preference. This is where your knowledge of the Card Czar will help. If you know what kind of humor the current Card Czar likes, you can tailor your answers for them. Keep in mind that the Card Czar does not participate in submitting white cards for their turn.
The winner of the round — as in, the person who played the favorite white card — then gets to keep the black card as an Awesome Point. The role of the Card Czar then moves to the next player, and everyone draws one or more white cards to get their hand back up to 10 cards. Whoever gets the most Awesome Points by the end of the game wins.
Special Rules
With Cards Against Humanity online or the physical version, there are some special rules that apply. The first is Gambling, and the second is Pick 2s. Let us discuss each one of these rules below.
GamblingSometimes, you have a terrible hand and you think none of them are funny enough to fit the black card in play. However, other times, you will have a great hand and you think more than one fits the black card. This is where gambling comes in.
If you have two cards you think can win the round for you, you can bet an Awesome Point to play two cards instead of one. Of course, it goes without saying that you should have at least one Awesome Point in order to gamble with it.
If you win the round with either one of the white cards you played, you get to keep the point you wagered. However, if someone else wins, they get to keep your Awesome Point.
Pick 2sThere are some black cards that require more than one white card from players. These cards usually say “Pick 2” on them. That means players must submit two white cards to complete the fill-in-the-blank statement or answer the question. For instance, “__________ and __________ make a complete breakfast.”
Players should submit white cards in the order that the Card Czar read the black card. Remember that the order can have a great influence on how funny your answer is. If you mix up your two answers, it might not have the same effect. Since the Card Czar needs to shuffle the answers, it is best to use paper clips to secure the combination of white cards together so they do not get all jumbled up with the others.
Customize With House Rules
A great thing about Cards Against Humanity online or the physical version is that you can customize your gameplay with your own house rules. Here are some suggested house rules you can use to change the way you play the game:
Exchange
Since you have no control over the white cards in your hand, you sometimes get a bad set with little to no funny words or statements. If you find yourself in this boat, consider adopting a rule that allows you to exchange white cards.
To do this, you trade in one Awesome Point so that you can return as many white cards as you like back to the deck. Then, you can draw the same amount of white cards you traded in to get your hand back up to 10 cards.
Extra White Cards
Because there are black cards that ask you to play two white cards (Pick 2s), players might be at a disadvantage due to their hand consisting of only 10 cards. To address this issue, it is a good idea to mix the rules up by allowing players to draw an extra white card from the deck every time there is a Pick 2 black card at play.
Discarding Cards
Sometimes, you might have white cards in your hand that you do not understand or are unfamiliar with. When this happens, you can adopt a rule that allows you to discard the white card/s you do not understand. However, in order to discard these cards, you must admit to your ignorance in front of everyone and bear with the embarrassment.
Rando Cardrissian
Another way to inflict humiliation but on a much grander scale is to include an imaginary player named Rando Cardrissian (after the star wars character Lando Calrissian). For each round, you should select one white card at random from the deck and submit it to the Card Czar. If the white card from Rando is picked as the favorite, the Awesome Point goes to him.
If Rando wins the entire game with the most Awesome Points, all the players must endure the perpetual humiliation of having lost to an imaginary player.
How To End The Game
Since Cards Against Humanity is the kind of game that could go on forever, there is no natural way to end the game. However, if you wish to end it, you should play the “Make a Haiku” black card. Remember that the haiku black card should only be played when you are ready to stop playing.
Keep in mind that the haiku you make does not need to follow the accepted 5-7-5 format. You just need to read the haiku in a dramatic fashion.
Making Your Own Deck
The beauty of Cards Against Humanity is that you are not confined to the deck of cards provided. You can add more black and white cards to your existing deck by writing your own statements, questions, and answers. You can even make your own deck from scratch. Cards Against Humanity makes it easy with a downloadable PDF that allows you to express your comedy in a way that everyone can enjoy.
A Funny Way To Spend Time With Friends
Cards Against Humanity online is definitely a keeper when it comes to online card games. Not only does it give you the opportunity to bond with your friends or family, but it also promotes creativity and encourages laughter. Whether you are staying home to quarantine or simply do not feel like going out, Cards Against Humanity online is a great and humorous way to simultaneously connect with people and kill time.
