Last Card Rules and House Rules Explained

Last Card is the classic match-the-colour-or-number card game. Everyone knows the basic idea, but groups disagree about the details, so the online version lets the host switch the common house rules on or off. This guide explains the base rules, each option, and how to choose.

The basic rules

Play a card that matches the colour or the number of the card on top of the discard pile, or play a Wild. If you cannot play, draw one card. If the card you drew fits, you may play it straight away. The first player to empty their hand wins the round.

Groups of twelve or more play with extra decks so the draw pile does not run out, and turns have a timer of 20, 30 or 45 seconds. Players who have dropped out are skipped quickly.

What the action cards do

Skip makes the next player miss a turn. Reverse changes the direction of play, and with only two players it works like a Skip. A +2 makes the next player draw two cards and lose their turn. A Wild lets you choose the colour, and a Wild +4 does the same while also making the next player draw four.

The best use of a Wild is as a safety net: keep it for a turn when nothing else in your hand matches. Playing it early to change the colour gives away your best card.

Calling Last card

When you are down to one card, tap Last card! (you can tap it just before you play your second-to-last card). If you forget, anyone can hit Catch! and you have to draw two more cards. It is a small rule that creates most of the game's shouting.

The optional rules

Stacking lets you answer a +2 with another +2, or a +2 or +4 with a +4, so the penalty passes along and the next player who cannot answer takes the whole pile. It makes games more explosive and a little longer.

The 7-0 rule makes a 7 swap hands with a player you choose, and a 0 passes every hand one seat along in the direction of play. It turns hand size into something you cannot count on. Draw until you can play replaces the single draw with drawing until a card fits, which speeds up the game and makes Skip cards less painful.

Scoring and length

When someone goes out, they score points for every card left in the other players' hands: number cards at face value, action cards 20 and Wilds 50. The host can set 1, 2, 3 or 5 rounds. For a quick game, play one round with the default rules. For a longer evening, five rounds with stacking turns it into a proper tournament.