Bitesize Recommends: Five family card games

BBC Bitesize brings you five fun pocket-sized games to engage family and friends anywhere you go this summer.

Cards are magical things. Contained within are so many potential ways to play, stories to uncover, marvellous victories and equally stupendous defeats. I am always fascinated by how many ways people have found to bring delight from such unassuming bits of cardboard.

My name is Sam Turner and alongside my day job at the BBC I love to talk board games and card games on my podcast Staying In. I have compiled a list of five amazing card games I think will get your family and friends around the table. All the games are small, relatively inexpensive and perfect for card game enthusiasts as well as those whose last card game was an intense session of snap. So don’t worry if you’ve never so much as shuffled a card before, these games are a great place to start.

Sushi Go! from Gamewright Games

Whether you like sushi or not, Sushi Go is a must have game to take away with you.

From the adorable kawaii art to the delightful way you’re made to feel like a human conveyer belt, Sushi Go asks the question, how many dumplings are too many?! Each player starts with a hand of cards, you have to pick one to play and then pass the rest of the cards along. The idea being to try and collect different sets of sushi to score points. However, do you go for the quick points now or bank on hitting it big with a high-tariff set, hoping that the card you need will still be there when your hand comes back round again?

Sushi Go is a game of small decisions with big consequences. When a collection comes together it’s immensely satisfying but when it all comes crashing down it’s a very different story.

L.A.M.A. from Amigo

This is a struggle to describe, but trust me. If you’ve played UNO before this will feel familiar but L.A.M.A is still very different.

Cards in your hand are bad, so get rid of them quickly. However, cards can only be placed in sequential order and the Llamas are their own thing entirely, so watch out. You can take a risk and add more cards to your hand, in the hope you get lucky or you can leave the round, take the hit and move on.

This game was nominated for the highest gaming honour in the land, the Spiel des Jahres, and designed by legendary designer – Reiner Knizia. With credentials like that and a great colourful design, L.A.M.A is definitely worth a go.

The Mind from Pandasaurus Games

There are not many games that can give you super powers but The Mind certainly comes close.

The idea is simple - everyone gets dealt a number of random cards, numbered between one to a hundred. Your goal is to put them down in sequential order. Easy, right? Well that’s where you’d be wrong because you’ve got to put the cards down, in order, without saying a single word!

Cue frantic glances, pursed lips and sharp intakes of breath as you try and communicate what feels impossible. What’s truly remarkable about this game is that by the end you’ll be convinced that you can read minds.

That's Not A Hat from Ravensburger

If you like having your memory tested, or testing the memory of those around you, this is your game.

That’s Not a Hat is made up of a small box of cards depicting a collection of ‘things’ and is about giving and receiving hidden gifts. What is tricky is trying to remember a gift you were only given several seconds ago whilst also trying to remember all the other gifts that are spaced around the table.

If you can’t remember you can bluff and a good bluffer could get away with gifting a frog that’s really a clock but beware - there are penalties if you get caught out. This is a game guaranteed to generate a giggle.

Cards Vs Gravity from Big Potato Games

Jenga is a true classic but not hugely portable. This is where Cards Vs Gravity comes in.

All you need is an empty bottle and you’re set. From there, each player adds plastic cards to a central hub, hooking, bending and twisting to get their cards to rest without bringing the whole thing down. What begins as the remnants from a long forgotten wallet, blooms to become a magnificent architectural achievement of impossibly balancing bits of plastic. The cards are waterproof and will fit in the smallest bag.

If you can, get the Pro version, it comes with a handy carrying case and some extra cards that make things even more interesting.

This article was published in August 2025