Do you have an upcoming trip planned and looking for fun card games to play on a long flight? If you only know Bananagrams or Travel Monopoly, it is time to switch up the game plan.
Card games are lot more portable and space saving compared to board games. However, the airplane is a cramped space that requires a compact gameplay.
What are the best card games to play for a long flights? Playing card games while waiting on an airport delay or long flight is the best way to pass the time. These airplane friendly card games allow you to use minimal strategy and stick to a small playing area.
The best card games for long flights are:
- The fox in the forest
- Backpacker
- Scattergories
- Family Feud Strikeout
- Mille Bournes
- Phase 10
- Family Charades
- Five Crowns
- Skip Bo
- Struggle for Catan
These card games are compact in size, weight, require minimal table space to play and be able to easily pass the boredom. Also, they can be played as solo or two player, and are flexible to add one or more players to increase the fun.
If you are looking for a great card game for long flights, then you are at the right place.
We will discuss the top 10 card games that you can play while on a long flight. In addition, learn how to enjoy these individual games for maximum entertainment value.
What are best card games for long flights?
Long flights can be really boring and monotonous at times. Most of us spend time by watching movies, playing video games, reading a book or napping.
While watching movies throughout the long flight is not always possible, you can definitely try some card games to pass the time. To look for best card games for airplane travel, consider size, weight, noise, and length of play time.
Let’s look at these best card games for long flights below:
- Includes 33 game cards, 17 scoring tokens, 2 reference cards, and easy to follow rule book.
- Lasts 30 minutes of playtime.
- Recommended ages 10 and up.
- Designed for 2 players.
- Small and portable card game for travel.
This card game is quite popular and comes with 3 suits.
Since there are 2 players and 3 suits, one suit is designated as trump.Therefore, this game is quite similar to Hearts and Spades.
The theme of this card game is a fantasy setting and you have to be very careful while planning on how many tricks you are taking. It is a casual fun game with innovative mechanisms and game rules.
- Can be played with 2 to 6 players at a time.
- 60 minutes playing time.
- Suitable for age 10 and above.
- Included booster cards for advanced game play.
All the players start with 5 cards, and each one of them takes turns drawing the cards and playing them. Once the draw pile is finished, the game ends right there.
This is an ultimate travel game that you will surely love.
- Needs 2 to 6 players to play this game.
- Playtime could easily last 25 minutes.
- Recommended ages 13 and up.
- Offers over 3,500 possible category combination.
- Comes with 20-sided letter die, 4 folders, 1 answer pad, 32 category cards, and timer.
This is a fast-paced team play card game that comes with two card decks. One deck is the category deck and another one is the letter deck.
If one of the two decks runs out, the game automatically ends and the player with the most cards wins.
Family Feud Strikeout is a fun quiz card game that can help you to pass some time on your long flight.
Key features- For ages 10 years old and up to adult.
- Plays best with 3 to 6 players.
- Included with 102 survey cards, 3 red strike cards, 3 blue strike cards, and instructions.
- Easy to read and follow.
- Family friendly card game.
This card game contains survey questions from some of the very popular TV shows. Perfect to play this with your friends and family while you are traveling.
One team controls each question and teams alternate to give answers to match the correct answer before striking out. On each round, if the team wins they can keep the card and the first team who earns 4 cards wins the game.
Mile Bornes is a French word that means thousand milestones. This is a partnership game where you need to play with team members in order to win.
Key features- Consists of 106 cards in total.
- 2 to 6 people can play Mile Bornes card game.
- Generally played as 2 teams with 2 or 3 players on each side.
- Play time lasts 20 to 45 minutes.
- Perfect for ages 8 and above.
In this game, players compete to drive 1000 km while dealing with hazards along the way. Each player draws a card to hand, play or discard.
To start, you must lay a green traffic light. Play cards show mileage and use safety cards to try to be the first one to reach the distance to win the game.
- Best played with 4 players, but can be played with 2 to 6 players.
- Lasts 45 minutes of gameplay.
- Recommended ages 8 and up.
- Includes 108 cards and instructions.
Try to get all of the cards you have in your hand as early as possible. But that is not the only goal.
The main goal of this card game is to construct and then complete the phases. These phases are from Phase 1 to 10, and the first to complete all the melds wins to game.
- Consists of 200 cards, 30 second sand timer, score pad, pencil, instructions, rubber band to hold cards.
- Can be played with at least 2 players.
- Lasts 10 minutes to play.
- There are 6 themes of Charades including Hollywood Charades, Animal Party, Time Capsule, Family Charades, Kids Charades, and Picture Charades.
All you have to do is shuffle all the cards and then place that deck between the two players. As the game proceeds, you have to draw the cards from that deck till it is completely exhausted.
The team with the most points after 10 rounds wins the game.
- Can be played between 1 to 7 players at a time.
- Lasts 45 minutes to play the game.
- Includes a straight forward solitaire version.
- Features a double deck that contains 5 suits: spades, clubs, hearts, diamond, and stars.
- Great replay value.
This card game is quite similar to that of rummy. It is quite thrilling and fun as it has 14 wilds in total, so the possibility of getting one in every round is quite high.
The game is not over until the kings go wild, however sometimes people don’t play by that rule.
- Requires skill and strategy to create sequencing stacks of cards.
- Includes 162 cards and instructions.
- Best played with 4 people, but can be played for 2 to 6 players.
- Playing time lasts 20 minutes.
- Perfect for age 8 years and up.
- Designed by the makers of UNO.
Each player is dealt with a stockpile of 30 cards. On each turn, player draws until they have 5 cards in hand, then the player plays cards from hand to top card of discard piles or stockpile.
At the end of the turn, player must throw away one of four personal discard piles. The first player to use all the cards in their stockpile wins.
- Playing time lasts 30 minutes long.
- Perfect for 2 to 4 players.
- Recommended age 10 and above.
- Be the first to acquire and play 10 victory points.
This game is highly interesting and requires somewhat great strategies for the game as you proceed.
Though there are a lot of rules that you have to know about Struggle for Catan, these rules are easy to learn. You can also play this on the game app on your own if you are traveling solo.
Card Games for Airplane: Conclusion
These are the top 10 best card games that you can play while traveling. Choose a card game for the long flightjourney, and enjoy playing it by yourself or with siblings, family or friends.
Playing card games are great entertainment in the cramped space on an airplane, and fit perfect in a travel suitcase or carry-on bag. These card games are compact and portable size, therefore they do not require huge space to roll dice or even place a board.
If you have been binge watching movies or playing video games, switch up your game play with these airplane friendly card games. They require minimal strategy and easy to pick and stop if needed.
Some include solitaire game versions and rules, but you definitely need at least one partner to join you for playing these card games to play on long flights.