Flip. Compare. Conquer.

How to play War

War is a two-player card battle with no hand management and almost no setup. Flip the top card, win with the higher rank, and let every tie turn into a showdown.

2 playersStandard 52-card deckAces highNo Jokers

Set the table

War card game setup

Shuffle a standard 52-card deck and deal every card face down, one at a time, into two equal stacks. Each player keeps their 26-card stack face down and does not look through it.

52

Cards total

26

Cards per player

0

Choices to memorize

Every flip matters

How each battle works

01

Flip

Both players reveal the top card of their stack.

02

Compare

The higher rank wins. Suits never break a tie.

03

Collect

The winner takes both cards and adds them to their pile.

2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · J · Q · K · A

Equal ranks

A tie means War

When the face-up cards have the same rank, each player places three more cards face down and reveals a fourth. The higher fourth card wins every card in the middle. If those face-up cards tie too, repeat the procedure.

Running short: if either player cannot supply four more cards, the player with more cards remaining wins in the Card Games Cafe classic format.

Classic victory

Control all 52 cards

Classic War ends when one player has all the cards and the other has none. Because cards keep cycling, a traditional game can run much longer than a quick browser match.

Choose your pace

Card Games Cafe match formats

Classic

Keep battling until one player controls the deck.

First to 6

A short match ends as soon as either player wins six battles.

First to 11

A longer score race without waiting for all 52 cards.

1 or 2 minutes

Win the most battles before time expires; a tied score goes to sudden death.

Quick answers

War card game FAQ

How many cards does each player get in War?

With a standard 52-card deck and two players, each player starts with 26 face-down cards.

Is an Ace high or low in War?

An Ace is high. The order from lowest to highest is 2 through 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace.

What happens when the cards tie?

A tie starts a war. Each player places three cards face down and flips a fourth face up. The higher face-up card wins the entire pile. Another tie starts another war.

Can you play War online with a friend?

Yes. Card Games Cafe supports bots, instant matchmaking, and private rooms, with classic, first-to-six, first-to-eleven, and timed match formats.

The deck is ready

Flip the first card.

Play War online free against a bot or invite a friend to your table.

Play War online →