Memory card games: the best ones to play with friends

Memory card games are the ones where your cards are face down and the winner is whoever remembers best. They're quick to learn and great with friends, and they get more tense the longer you play.

1. Rafiki

Four face-down cards each, and you peek at two. Draw, swap, spy on other players and swap blind, and slam matching cards onto the pile the moment they appear, even from someone else's hand. When you think you're lowest, call RAFIKI. It's free to play online at playrafiki.com with friends or against the computer. How to play.

2. Cabo and Cambio

The classic memory game with a normal deck (Cambio) or its own numbered deck (Cabo). Peek, spy and swap, then call the round when you think your hidden total is lowest. See the Cambio rules, the Cabo rules, or how they differ. Around the world it's also called Pablo, Gringo and Dutch.

3. Golf

Lay out a grid of face-down cards, turn them over one by one and swap in lower cards, aiming for the lowest score. It's calmer than Cambio and a good one for families. Golf rules.

4. Concentration (Pairs)

Spread the whole deck face down and take turns turning over two cards, keeping them if they match. It's the first memory game most people learn, and still one of the best with children.

5. Rat-a-Tat Cat

A boxed family game with cards from 0 to 9. You hold four face-down cards, peek at the two on the ends, and use Peek, Swap and Draw 2 cards to bring your total down. It's like a gentler Cabo for younger players.

6. Skyjo

A popular boxed game where each player has a grid of twelve face-down cards worth from -2 to 12. You reveal and replace cards to get your total down, and clearing a matching column removes it. It's great with bigger groups.

Why memory games work so well with friends

• Everyone can learn in two minutes, so nobody sits out.
• There's lots of bluffing: did they really see that card, or are they pretending?
• Rounds are short, so it's always "one more game".

Questions

What is the best memory card game?

For a group of friends, Cambio-style games such as Rafiki, Cabo and Pablo are the most fun: hidden cards, peeking, swapping and calling the round. For young children, Concentration (Pairs) is the classic.

Can I play a memory card game online?

Yes. Rafiki is a free memory card game in your browser. Play against computer players straight away, or create a private room and send friends the link.

What memory card games can you play with a normal deck?

Cambio, Pablo, Gringo, Dutch, Golf and Concentration all work with a standard 52-card deck.