With these unusual and popular German card games, you may take your passion for cards to new heights.
They’ll not only have you scheming and swiping cards in novel ways, but they’ll also give you a delightful look into the German language and culture. If you want to be fluent in the German language, you should join the best German language classes for the best results.
Check out these Kartenspiele (card games) for every player and circumstance, whether you’re already a German learner or just like the concept of yelling “Mau-mau!” while putting down cards (more on that below…).
You’re there! Vocabulary for German Card Games
Before we begin, let’s go over the German terminology you’ll need when playing cards.
Do you know the German names for the suits? If not, they’re right here!
- Karo’s (Diamonds)
- Herz (Hearts)
- Pik (Spades)
- Kreuz (Clubs)
An ace is a jerk (true story!). I think a Jack is a Bube since he’s a babe… No, Bube is a traditional German term meaning “boy.” A Queen is referred to as a Dame (which translates to “lady”), while the King is referred to as the König (literal translation this time).
Spieler is the German term for “player” (it is also the word for “gambler”).
Du bist dran translates as “it’s your turn.” Unfair (pronounced “unfair”) implies, well, “unfair.”
Is there a nasty player in the game? Then exclaim, “Hey, you schummelst!” (“Wait a minute, you’re cheating!”)
Playing by yourself? German Card Games for One Player
See you later.
If you’re alone but still want to play a card game, try a few games of the German solitaire game Auf Wiedersehen (Farewell).
A regular 52-card deck is required to play this game. Begin with 12 cards face up in three rows of four. Four more cards are dealt face down onto the table.
You must reshuffle the top cards such that they run from Ace to King. Sort the additional cards into the appropriate suits. Draw a card from the deck and, if possible, place it where it belongs. If you get a King, you can begin a new row.
Turn over the four cards that are still face down on the table once you’ve completed laying down all the cards you can. You’ve lost if any of these cards are an Ace or a King that matches the top card in the rows.
The complete instructions (and a practice exercise for your German reading abilities) may be found on the German card games website AlleKartenspiele.
Die Farbenelf
Die Farbenelf (literally, “the colorful eleven”) is the next German card game you may play by yourself.
Shuffle a conventional 52-card deck, then arrange four rows of four cards face up. You are looking for two cards of the same suit with a total value of 11 in these 16 cards. These pairings can now be set aside, with the holes filled in with new cards from the deck.
The Jack, King, and Queen may only be removed from the deck if they are removed simultaneously and have the same suit. The game’s object is to go through the deck and get rid of all of the cards.
This is an excellent game for practicing your German numbers and counting abilities.
German Card Games for Groups that are Short and Sweet
Each of the games on this page may be played by two to five people.
Quartett
Quartet (Quartet) has long been one of Germany’s most popular children’s card games. This game is played in the same manner as Go Fish.
The aim is to collect four cards of the same type (four sixes in all the suits, for example). Each player requests a card from another player to complete a four-card set. If a player possesses the card, they must turn it over. It’s their chance to inquire if they don’t have the card.
Although a conventional 52-card deck can be used to play Quartett, children usually use a customized deck that includes animal information, railroads, aircraft and vehicles, renowned sports personalities, etc. Quartett is thus the ideal game for learning or practising basic German vocabulary subjects.
There are plenty of odd and dirty Quartett cards for a more mature audience, such as a Quartett deck of deceased rock stars, one showcasing addictive drugs, and, last but not least, the seductive dirndl deck.
Mau-Mau
Uno is related to the German card game Mau-Mau. Each participant receives five to six cards. The deck’s top card is then flipped over. The player can place a card of the same suit or number on top of another card, for as a 10 of Diamonds on top of a 10 of Spades.
The game’s purpose is to get rid of all of your cards. If a player puts down their final card, they must say Mau, but if it is a jack, they must say Mau-Mau (pronounced like the word “ow” when you injure yourself, but with an “m” in front).
Böse Dame
Böse Dame (Evil Queen) is a game similar to Hearts. However, you want to end the game with a high score, not the other way around.
This game requires only Aces, Kings, Queens, Jacks, Tens, Nines, Eights, and Sevens. The following are the points awarded for the cards:
- The letter A (11 points)
- ten (10 points)
- The King (four points)
- The Queen (three points)
- John (two points)
- 9th, 8th, and 7th (0 points)
Like Hearts, the Pik Dame (Queen of Spades) is the vicious Queen here. If you end up with this card, you will receive -50 points!
You place cards of the same suit on the table, and the player with the highest card takes the pile. If you lack the suit but have the Queen of Spades, you can play her and pass her to another player. If you have the King or Ace of Spades, you can “stab” the Queen of Spades. If you play this card, she will return to the person who set her down.
Play Until Dawn! Longer Group German Card Games
If you’re serious about delving into the realm of German card games, I have two words for you: Doppelkopf and Skat.
Both of these well-known games may be played for hours on end. Several gaming clubs are dedicated to both, with their tournaments held throughout Germany and other German-speaking nations.
Doppelkopf
Doppelkopf (literally “double-head”) is a two-team game for four players. However, until later in the game, you have no idea who your buddy is.
The game is played with 48 to 40 cards. It is often played with German-suited cards with Balls, Hearts, Leaves, and Acorns instead of the typical French-suited cards most of us are familiar with.
The Doppelkopf rules are too complex to go through here. However, the video below gives a detailed explanation in German with English subtitles:
Skat
Skat is the other great grandfather of German card games. Skat is a three-player game played with a 32-card deck of either French or German suits. The suits have varying values, with Clubs or Acorns having the most points (12).
Skat’s rules are much more complicated than Doppelkopf’s. Still, you may learn more by reading this comprehensive essay and watching the video below (both in English).
Streaming, surfing, and scrolling–Nah! Today, go old school with one or more of the German card games we’ve taught you (although you may add some contemporary technology by listening to German melodies on Spotify to get in the mood for good old Kartenspiele!).
You don’t have to play card games all the time to improve your German; you can also observe them. The internet is brimming with excellent tools for learning genuine German.
For example, you could go to Twitch. Tv and watch streamers play card games together, as well as how they communicate about the game and to their opponent and how they connect with their viewers.
After all, if you enjoy authentic German card games, you’re a German student who wants to learn the language as native speakers speak it.
Rebeccah Dean has been a writer and educator in Berlin since 1999. More about her trips may be found on her site Rebeccah Travels.
