Cards Against Humanity Rules Explained

If you're hosting a get-together and want to learn the Cards Against Humanity rules so you can try the game for yourself, you're in the right spot. This popular party game is designed to make socializing easier and a lot more fun and it works by having players fill in the blanks of innocent-sounding sentences using words or phrases that are often edgy, inappropriate or politically incorrect. Due to its 18+ nature, it’s the ultimate ice breaker game for adult parties and, as you’ll see, it’s pretty easy to learn. Here’s a simple breakdown of the Cards Against Humanity rules to help you understand how it works before diving in.

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• Cards Against Humanity Rules
• Cards Against Humanity Rules For 2 Players
• Cards Against Humanity Rules FAQs

Cards Against Humanity Rules

Cards Against Humanity is best played with at least four people, but it’s even more fun with up to eight players. If you don’t already have a physical deck, you can easily buy one online or even play the game digitally. Whether you want to include this game in your birthday party activities or just liven up a casual hang with friends, it's helpful to understand the basic Cards Against Humanity rules so everyone knows what to expect. Having a good grasp of the Cards Against Humanity instructions will also make things run more smoothly and help everyone enjoy the game from the very first round.

Playing the Game

So, what are the rules for Cards Against Humanity? Here they are in a nutshell:

1. After you open the box, you’ll find a deck of white cards and black cards. The two decks should be kept separate, as each black card has either a question or a sentence with a blank at the end, while the white cards have nouns or gerunds (a verb which functions as a noun, ending in -ing) that are meant to fill in those blanks.
2. If you're wondering how many cards to deal for Cards Against Humanity, the standard rule is that each player picks 10 random cards from the white deck to form their starting hand.
3. One player then draws a black card and reads it out loud. This person is called the Card Czar.
4. According to the official rules, the first Card Czar of the game is the last person who pooped before starting; and that right there gives you an idea of the sometimes wacky humor you can expect to find in this game.
5. From here, the rest of the players look at their hand of 10 white cards and choose one that they think is the funniest or best fit for what’s written on the black card. And this is where Cards Against Humanity gets really fun. For example, if the black card says “Why can’t I sleep at night?”, players might throw in answers like “Grandma’s secret stash,” “A swarm of bees wearing tiny hats” or “A live studio audience.”
6. Once everyone has made their pick, they place their chosen card face down and hand it to the Card Czar.
7. The Card Czar mixes up the cards and reads them all out one by one, ideally repeating the black card’s phrase for each one to add extra laughs.
8. After reading all the options, the Card Czar will then pick the funniest response and whoever played that white card wins the round and earns a point.
9. Everyone then draws a new white card so that each player has 10 again and the next player sitting clockwise becomes the new Card Czar.
10. Alternatively, you can let the previous round’s winner take the role.
11. The game can pretty much keep going like this until you decide to stop playing and of course, the player with the most points wins.

Speaking of winning, if you're wondering how to win Cards Against Humanity, it mostly comes down to knowing your audience and picking the most unexpected combinations. Although really, everyone’s a winner with this game.

Optional Cards Against Humanity Rules

Cards Against Humanity is already a fun and unpredictable game, but if you’re looking to switch things up, there are plenty of optional rules to try and some of them even come from the game manual itself. For instance, you can modify the rules of the game by creating an imaginary player or combine Cards Against Humanity with other party games for adults like Never Have I Ever.

Dumping Cards

One common tweak is to allow players to “dump” their hand if they’re stuck with cards they don’t like. Now, there are a few ways to handle this. A player can spend one point to discard any number of white cards and draw back up to ten. When the Haiku card is played, everyone can discard any number of white cards and draw a new hand before playing their answer.

Selecting Winners

Another popular variation is changing how winners are chosen. Instead of rotating a single judge, have everyone submit their answers and then vote on the funniest or best one. This method works especially well if you’re playing with new people since it takes the pressure off trying to match someone’s specific sense of humor. To avoid tie votes, have players eliminate one card at a time, taking turns until only the funniest or most outrageous answer is left standing.

The Betting Rule

If you want to add a little risk and reward, consider a betting rule. Say you have two cards you think could win a round — play both by wagering one of your points. If one of your cards wins, you get your wagered point back plus the point for that round. But if neither wins, the player who did win gets the point you gambled.

Pick Two Black Cards

You’ll also come across some black cards that say “Pick Two” on the bottom. To play these, each person needs to choose two white cards and stack them in the order they want the Card Czar to read them aloud. Place the first card face down, then the second card face down on top of it.

While these optional rules aren’t required, they’re a fantastic way to switch things up if you play often or are in a group that enjoys variety. Plus, using clever strategies like this can give you an extra edge if you're trying to figure out how to win Cards Against Humanity.

Cards Against Humanity Rules For 2 Players

Although Cards Against Humanity isn’t officially made for two players, you can still enjoy it by tweaking the rules a little.

The "Rando" Card

Cards Against Humanity rules for 2 players can include introducing a “Rando” card. Basically, the non-judging player picks two answer cards: one they actually want to play and one at random. The judging player then picks the funniest of the two without knowing which is which.

Play Mulitple Answer Cards & Taking Turns

Another variation on Cards Against Humanity rules for 2 players lets the responder play multiple answer cards and the judge gives each one secret points before choosing a winner. You can also take turns being the “Card Czar,” with one person reading the prompt card while the other tries to give the funniest response. With a few creative adjustments, the game can still be a lot of fun for just two people.

Cards Against Humanity Rules FAQs

How Many Cards Do You Start With In Cards Against Humanity?

At the start of each Cards Against Humanity game, each player starts with 10 white cards.

How Does The Game Cards Against Humanity End?

Well, once everyone agrees it's time to end the game, just count up each player's points to find out who won. Alternatively, you can set aside the black "Make a Haiku" card to use as your final round. This card asks you to draw two white cards and choose three in total to create a Haiku. Once it's ready, read it aloud with your best serious voice for a fun and memorable ending.

Can I Play With All The Expansions Together?

Bored with standard Cards Against Humanity gameplay? There are plenty of expansion packs you can add to your deck, along with special editions tailored to U.K., Australian or Canadian pop culture. According to the official Cards Against Humanity rules, you can play with as many expansions as you want. Just shuffle them in and enjoy a fresh twist on the game. If you’re still looking for something new, there are also lots of games like Cards Against Humanity that offer the same edgy humor and party vibe, but with different themes and mechanics to keep things interesting.

Do You Have To Write The Answers Down?

You don’t need to write anything down when playing Cards Against Humanity. Each player simply chooses a white card from their hand that they think is the funniest or most fitting answer to the black card's prompt.

Now that you’re familiar with the basic Cards Against Humanity instructions and know things like how many cards to deal for Cards Against Humanity, you’re officially ready to bring the chaos to game night. If you have friends who have a dark sense of humor or just like to make people laugh, this game is for you. It’s guaranteed to spark laughs, awkward eye contact and at least one person doubting your sanity.

For even more fun ideas to build relationships, check out other experiences happening on Classpop!