Claim, lie, and catch your friends lying. Play Bluff, the classic card game of lying and calling out lies, free for 2 to 6 players on one phone, vs the computer or online with friends.
How to play
Bluff is the card game of straight faces, also known as Cheat or I Doubt It. One 52-card deck is dealt out completely; any spare cards go to the first seats. Get rid of all your cards to win.
Red leads the first round. The leader picks 1 to 4 cards, places them face down and claims a rank, for example “2 Kings”. The cards can be anything: that’s the bluff. Then play goes round the table. On your turn you can:
- Play 1 to 4 more cards face down, claiming the same rank as the round,
- Pass, or
- Call Bluff! on the player just before you.
Tap cards to select them (or drag across several). When you lead, also tap the rank you claim; the dots under each rank show how many you really hold. Then press Play. On a keyboard, use the arrows and Space to pick cards, Enter to play, P to pass, B to call bluff and A, 2–9, 0, J, Q or K to choose a rank.
On one phone, the screen says “Pass to Green” and stays covered until the next player taps, so nobody sees another hand. Switch seats to CPU on the setup screen to play the computer, or play online, where everyone sees only their own cards.
Rules
- Calling bluff turns the last play face up. If any card isn’t the claimed rank, the liar picks up the whole pile and the caller leads the next round. If every card matches, the caller picks up the pile and the player who told the truth leads.
- Only the next player can call. Once they play or pass, that play is safe. This keeps things fast and fair when one phone is passed around.
- If everyone else passes after a play, the pile is thrown out of the game and the player who made that last play leads a new round with any rank.
- Your last card has to survive. Playing your final cards doesn’t win straight away. If the next player calls and you lied, you pick up the pile and play on. If they pass, play on, or call and you told the truth, you win.
- A game that drags on past 800 moves ends, and whoever holds the fewest cards wins.
Tips
- Lead with your biggest set. Three real Sevens are easy to play and hard to doubt.
- Count the cards. There are only four of each rank. If you hold two Queens and someone claims three, they are lying.
- Bluff small. Slipping one odd card in with real ones is safer than claiming four.
- Watch the end. When a rival plays their last card, call it, or they win.
Keep a straight face
Bluff is quick to learn and a favourite for school breaks and family evenings. Every player has a colour and a shape, so colour-blind players can follow the table too.