Games / Sixth Card
Play Sixth Card online with friends
Everyone plays a card at once. Place the sixth card in a row and the whole row is yours.
- 2 to 10 players
- 15 to 30 minutes
- Everyone plays at once
- Bots fill empty seats
Sixth Card is a card game for 2 to 10 players where nobody waits for a turn. Everyone holds ten numbered cards and picks one in secret. The cards are turned over together and placed, lowest first, onto four rows that always rise from left to right. A row holds five cards. If yours is the sixth, you take the other five, and every card you take costs you thorns. The player with the fewest thorns wins.
A hand is ten quick turns, and a full game runs 15 to 30 minutes. It suits a big group because ten people play as fast as three, and the rules fit in one sentence, so new players can join without a lesson. The host can play to 30, 50 or 75 thorns or a single hand, trim the deck so every card is in play, and switch on a helper that shows where your card would land.
Why play Sixth Card here
- Up to 10 players at one table, with bots in any empty seat
- Every player picks at the same time, so a full table never drags
- Play one hand, or to 30, 50 or 75 thorns
- A helper outlines the row your selected card would join
- An option to use only the cards needed, for players who like to count
- Reads clearly on a phone, even with ten players
How to play Sixth Card
Deal ten cards each
Everyone gets ten cards numbered from 1 to 104. Four more cards are turned face up to start the four rows.
Pick a card in secret
Tap one card and press Play. Nobody sees it, and you can change your mind until the last player has picked.
Turn them over
All the cards are shown together and placed one at a time, starting with the lowest number.
Join the closest row
A card goes to the end of the row whose last card is the closest below it. A 47 goes after a 44, not after a 30.
Avoid the sixth place
If your card would be the sixth in its row, you take the five cards already there and your card starts the row again.
Too low for every row
A card lower than the end of all four rows takes a whole row of your choice. Pick the one with the fewest thorns.
Count the thorns
After ten turns a new hand is dealt. The game ends after the hand in which someone reaches 50 thorns, and the lowest total wins.
Tips
- A card just above the last card of a row is the safest play, because few cards can slip in between.
- Watch rows with four or five cards and count how many players could land there before you.
- A very low card will take a row sooner or later. Play it while one of the rows is cheap.
Screenshots
Sixth Card questions
How do you play Sixth Card?
Everyone picks one card from their hand in secret. The cards are turned over together and placed lowest first, each onto the row whose last card is the closest below it. If your card is the sixth in a row, you take the five cards before it and their thorns. After ten turns a new hand is dealt, and the lowest total wins.
What happens if my card is lower than every row?
You take one whole row and your card starts it again. You choose the row, so you can pick the one with the fewest thorns. The host can switch the choice off, and then the row with the fewest thorns is taken for you. Low cards are placed first, so this happens before anyone else moves.
How are the cards scored?
Each card shows its thorns. Most cards carry 1. Cards ending in 3 carry 2, cards ending in 8 carry 3, and 25, 50, 75 and 100 carry 5 each. The 52 carries 7, the most in the deck. You only score the cards you take from rows, never the cards you play.
When does a game of Sixth Card end?
The game ends after the hand in which a player reaches 50 thorns, and whoever has the fewest thorns wins. Players tied for the fewest share the win. The host can change the limit to 30 or 75, or set the table to play one hand only for a short game.
How many players can play Sixth Card?
From 2 to 10 players. It is at its best with 5 or more, because the rows fill faster and it gets harder to guess what the others will play. Bots can fill any empty seat, and you can practice alone against them.
What does the "only the cards needed" option do?
It trims the deck so every card is in play. The numbers stop at ten per player plus four, which is 1 to 54 with five players. With the full deck of 104 you never know which numbers were left out of the deal. With the trimmed deck you can work out exactly which cards the other players still hold.
Is Sixth Card free, and do I need an account?
It is free and needs no download or account. Start a table and share the code or invite link, and friends join in their browser. You can sign in with an email if you want your results and favourite games saved.
Can I play Sixth Card on my phone?
Yes. The table works on phones, tablets and desktop browsers, and friends on different devices can play together. The four rows, the cards played this turn and your hand are laid out to fit a phone, even with ten players.