The Best Trick-Taking Card Games

Trick-taking is the oldest card mechanic going, but the last decade has been a golden age for it. This list ranks the best modern trick-taking card games, the ones small enough to live in your bag and good enough to earn that space over and over.

You'll find co-op puzzles that get whole tables leaning in, a pirate bidding game that plays great with kids, and a couple of sharp two-player duels for the end of a long day. We leaned on the candidates from our own shelf and added a few outsiders that clearly belong. No hype, just games we'd actually pack.

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1. The Crew: Mission Deep Sea
The best cooperative trick-taker on the market, and the version to buy if you only get one. You win tricks together to hit mission goals, with no talking allowed beyond a single coded signal, which turns a quiet card game into a tense team puzzle. The variable task system means it stays fresh for dozens of sessions, and it's perfect for groups who like to think out loud (or in this case, can't).
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2. Tichu
The gold standard for partnership climbing games, and still unbeaten decades later. You and your partner pass cards, call bombs, and try to read each other without speaking, which makes every hand a little drama. It's a deeper commitment than most games here, so it's for the four-player group that wants a regular thing rather than a one-off.
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3. Skull King
The easiest pick for mixed groups and family game night. You bid the exact number of tricks you'll win each round, and the joy is in the special pirate cards that wreck your careful plans. It plays up to eight, scales well, and is the rare trick-taker a ten-year-old and a card shark can both enjoy at the same table.
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4. Cat in the Box: Deluxe Edition
A brilliant twist where cards have no suit until you declare one as you play, and you can't repeat a color-number combo that's already on the board. Box yourself in and you bust, which adds a press-your-luck edge to a clean trick game. Best for players who already like the genre and want their brain pleasantly knotted.
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5. The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine
The original co-op Crew, lighter than Deep Sea and arguably the better on-ramp. The 50-mission campaign teaches the no-talk teamwork gently, ramping difficulty mission by mission. Grab this one if your group is new to co-op trick-taking; graduate to Deep Sea once you're hooked.
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6. The Fox in the Forest
The two-player trick-taker that proved the genre works for just a couple. Odd-numbered cards trigger special powers, and you're punished for winning too many tricks or too few, so greed gets you nowhere. It's compact, quick, and ideal for a date night or a quiet evening for two.
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7. Scout
Technically a ladder-climbing game rather than pure trick-taking, but it sits right next door and travels beautifully. The catch is you can't reorder your hand, and you can steal a card from the active set to slot into yours, which makes a tiny deck feel surprisingly tactical. Great for filling the gap between heavier games or for groups up to five.
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8. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – Trick-Taking Game
A co-op trick-taker where each player runs a different Fellowship character with their own goal to hit. It leans thematic and a bit fiddlier than The Crew, but fans of the setting will forgive that fast. Best for groups who want their teamwork puzzle wrapped in a story.
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9. The Fox in the Forest Duet
The cooperative spin on Fox in the Forest, where the two of you work together to clear a path across a shared board. It's gentler and warmer than the competitive original, and the puzzle of coordinating without much info is genuinely satisfying. A lovely pick for couples or anyone who prefers playing with a partner over against one.
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10. Mü and More
A connoisseur's pick that rewards the effort. Bidding is wild here: players combine to form a winning team and pick a trump suit (or two) through an auction, so the game is half-over before a single trick is played. It asks more of you than anything else on this list, which is exactly why genre devotees keep it in the bag.
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