Controls

You play by flipping cards. Tap the Flip button, or click it with a mouse on a laptop, to reveal your top card, and both players reveal at the same time. The game compares them and awards the cards automatically.

Two outcomes are possible each round:

• A higher card wins the round, capturing both flipped cards and adding them to the winner's stack. Card values run in the usual order, with the highest cards beating the lowest.
• A tie means war where both players place several cards face down and one face up. The higher face-up card takes the entire pile, which can be a huge swing.

There are no choices to make, so the game plays out entirely on the luck of the flip.

You win by capturing all the cards in the deck. In the rare case a game runs long, whoever holds more cards after 400 rounds wins instead.

Tips

• Relax, there's nothing to decide. War is a game of pure luck with no choices at all, so the best way to play is simply to enjoy the flips rather than searching for a strategy that doesn't exist.
• Watch for the wars. The tie-triggered wars are where whole stacks change hands, so those are the moments of real drama and the fastest way for the game to swing.
• Don't panic when you're behind. A single war can hand you a large pile of cards, so being down on cards is never as final as it looks, and games often turn around quickly.
• Enjoy it as a casual break. Because it needs no thought, War is ideal for playing while your mind is elsewhere, which is exactly the kind of game it is meant to be.
• Play it with kids. The rules are so simple that young children can play, and the exciting wars keep them engaged, which makes it a great family card game.
• Let the swings entertain you. Leads change fast in War, so rather than tracking who's ahead, just watch the big flips decide things and enjoy the ride.

Frequently asked questions