Anya Zhukova · April 30th, 2023 · 8 min read Board games are a great way to spend time with friends, and Cards Against Humanity is an all-time classic. But if you’re home alone, why check out these five sites and play online for free?
“A party game for horrible people,” as it’s described on the site, the game is a lot of fun for everyone. While it’s definitely NSFW, it’s a great way to let steam off and have a few laughs with friends and family.
Also, check out our YouTube channel for a short video going through the different sites.
Before Playing Cards Against Humanity Online
Before jumping into an online game, you should do a couple of things to maximize fun and minimize frustration.
Set Up a Video Call
Half the fun of games like Cards Against Humanity is seeing how friends react to your picks. When playing online, we recommend setting up a video call in one of the popular video conferencing apps. If you’ve never done this before, you can quickly learn how to set up Zoom.
Familiarize Players with the Rules of the Game
It’s easier to make sure people understand how the game is played (at least the basic flow) before starting the game.
Cards Against Humanity has two types of cards:
- Black Cards: These are question cards. In each round, one player asks a question from a black card.
- White Cards: These are answer cards. When a question is posed by one player, everyone else picks one white card from their hand to answer the question in the funniest (and most inappropriate) way.
The winner is the player who submits the most cards with the funniest answers by the end of the game.
When everyone’s clear on the rules and ready to play, go to one of the following sites to play Cards Against Humanity online.
1. Playingcards.io: Simple and User-Friendly
- Price: Free
- Players: up to 6.
- Difficulty: Honestly, a bit too simple.
- Account Required: Yes (email, Google, or Facebook)
Playingcards.io‘s simplicity can be a little off-putting at first. The interface is rather minimalistic and often doesn’t resemble the real Cards Against Humanity game. That’s because the game on the site is actually called Remote Insensitivity and has a different visual representation.
However, the minimalism is also an advantage. The simple interface is easy to play, even for complete beginners. Also, the game isn’t automated at all. You have to deal, move cards, and discard yourself. That helps create a natural card-playing feeling and adds to the game night atmosphere.
Their Remote Insensitivity game has all the same cards as Cards Against Humanity, so don’t be put off by the name.
To start the game:
- Go to Playingcards.io and sign in or create a free account.
- Scroll down to the Create a new room section.
- Choose Remote Insensitivity and click Start Game.
You’ll get a shareable link that you can use to invite other players.
2. Bad Cards: Bringing Something New Every Day
- Price: Free. A monthly subscription adds advanced features. Card packs are available for purchase.
- Players: Up to 50.
- Difficulty: Enough to surprise an experienced player and impress a beginner.
- Account Required: No, but an optional account adds some useful features.
Bad Cards (formerly named All Bad Cards) has all the chances to become your favorite online game to play with friends. You’ll first notice a great interface that perfectly mimics the cheeky feel that only Cards Against Humanity has.
While other websites on our list existed long before it, Bad Cards was created recently for people bored at home and looking for new ways to entertain themselves.
To start the game:
- Head to the Bad Cards website and click New Game. (If you have an account, sign in first.)
- Type your nickname and select Next.
- Choose a sharing option (public or invite-only game) and select Next. (You’ll get a shareable link to invite other people.)
- Choose a rating and select Finish.
- Once everyone’s ready, select Start to begin the game.
A few more impressive features of this site include the capacity to host a game for up to 50 players, as well as a family-friendly version of Cards Against Humanity (seriously).
3. Pretend You’re Xyzzy: The Classic That Started It All
- Price: Free
- Players: 3 to 20
- Difficulty: Advanced. Good pick for those who own every CAH Expansion pack.
- Account Required: No
Pretend You’re Xyzzy is another Cards Against Humanity clone that will be your favorite if you’re a fan of the game’s depth. The original game has numerous expansion packs adding hundreds of cards and hilarious combinations. Pretend You’re Xyzzy claims to have them all, making the game much more enjoyable.
The downside is that you can’t start the game unless three or more players join in. However, once you have the right amount of people, it’s up to you to customize your game and add as many cards as you wish. You also create your own rules and who can play and who can simply watch the game if they don’t feel like joining.
To play the game:
- Head over to the Pretend You’re Xyzzy website
- Fill in your nickname and select Set.
- On the next page, you can join an existing game that has room, or you can select Create Game.
- When you create a game, the customization screen lets you choose limits for the score, number of players, and number of spectators. You can all choose which card sets to use and set a game password.
- Share your game URL and wait for other people to join. Once they do, you can start the game.
4. Cards Against Formality: A Polished Experience
- Price: Free
- Players: 2 to 50
- Difficulty: Intermediate.
- Account Required: No
Cards Against Formality has a more minimalist experience than some of the other sites on our list, but it does have more resemblance to an actual game of Cards Against Humanity than a site like playingcards.io. Experienced players will get familiar quickly, and new players won’t have too much trouble keeping up.
Like Bad Cards and Pretend You’re Xyzzy, Cards Against Formality lets you play against strangers or create a private game for just you and your friends. Plus, with 25 different decks to choose from and games with up to 50 players, there’s endless fun to be had!
To play Cards Against Formality:
- Head to the Cards Against Formality site and select Play.
- You can choose to play anonymously or sign in with your Google or Facebook account.
- On the next page, you can join an existing game or select Create Game to start your own.
- If you create a game, you can customize the game name and select a target score, max players, and round time. You can also select the decks you want to include and make the game private (in which case you’ll enter a password) if you just want it to be you and your friends.
- When you’ve set your options, click Create to get started and wait for friends to join.
5. Cards Against Humanity Lab: Single-Player Fun Right From the Source
- Price: Free
- Players: 1
- Difficulty: Not recommended if you’re feeling lonely already.
- Account Required: No
If all else fails, Cards Against Humanity Lab is your last resort. A perfect pick for when all your friends are busy but you still just want to have a few laughs with yourself.
Cards Against Humanity Lab is the official site for a CAH online experience, but it’s strictly a solo game. The computer deals you a black card, and you have a selection of white cards to choose the funniest answer from. There’s also an option to say none of the cards on the screen are funny at all.
You can probably guess the purpose of this tool. The CAH AI learns which cards are the best or worst combinations in the game. It might not seem fun at first, but you’ll find that many cards in the CAH Lab are not the ones you’ve played before. That’s because the site is used to research future game editions.
So if you’re a true fan of the game, head over to the website and enjoy a few rounds of CAH on your own.
Conclusion: Get Ready for Some Hilarious Nights with Your Friends Online!
Being stuck at home is the best time to change the rules and start making your own games. You can make your own deck of CAH by downloading and printing it from the official website. There’s even a special family-friendly version that you can play with your folks.
Have you played Cards Against Humanity online before? What other games would you play online with your friends? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
