Cards Against Humanity is a fun, crass fill-in-the-blank party game, played using a set of question cards and answer cards*. You can print out the game yourself (it’s available for free online), or order professionally made card packs from the creators. Using the real cards is probably the nicest way to play, but these cards cost quite a bit — £72 for the base game and all the major expansions, and more if you get additional, smaller expansions or a box big enough to keep them all in. Playing with tree carcasses is so last century, so let’s look at some cheaper and more convenient high tech alternatives.
*You can get an idea for the game here, but be warned it’s largely NSFW.
4. Play online with ‘Pretend You’re Xyzzy’
Probably the easiest way to play from home is Pretend You’re Xyzzy, a web version of the game with all major (and quite a few minor) expansions. The interface is best paired with a mouse and keyboard, but does work on most phones or tablets as well. You can play with friends or strangers, and it’s a good way to practice if playing competitively is your style—but of course it rather lacks the human element that makes the game so much fun IRL.
3. Another online option: Apples Against Humanity
Another interesting alternative is Apples Against Humanity, a mash-up of Apples to Apples and Cards Against Humanity. The web version has a slicker interface than Xyzzy with the ability to quickly add custom cards, but its slightly different rules—like a much greater hand size—might irk CAH diehards.
2. Go half and half: Black Cards
If you already have the base Cards Against Humanity deck but your games are getting stale, one no-cost option is to just get more black question cards. These are ably provided by Black Cards, an iOS app that includes 650+ question cards that fit right in with the original game. It’s quite easy to have one smartphone or tablet with the app, rotating through the question-asking players, than it would be to get new white cards by making everyone install an app on their phones.
1. Cardcast
The best in-person option for playing Cards Against Humanity without paper cards is definitely Cardcast. Players connect to a Chromecast or Android TV via an iOS or Android app installed on their smartphone, then play the game normally—each player submits a response to a randomly drawn question, and the card czar chooses the best or funniest response to award a point. You can include your choice of decks, include Cards Against Humanity originals or custom creations. It’s an excellent service, and should be your first choice if you have a Chromecast or a compatible Chromecast / Android TV.
RIP: Cards Against Originality
Sadly, one of the best options for playing Cards Against Humanity in-person without buying the cards is now defunct. Cards Against Originality provided a mobile-friendly website, with private rooms that made it quick and easy to get started. The website has since been taken offline by its creator, who was unwilling to put up with an increasingly insane web hosting bill to keep it running for its 3 million users. Hopefully we’ll see a similarly universal service in the future, with some smart monetisation options to keep it going permanently.
Conclusion
So there we have it—four working options for playing Cards Against Humanity without needing to actually buy or print out the cards. I hope you’ve found this useful; let me know in the comments below!
By the way—if you’re bored with CAH, you might want to check out Crabs Adjust Humidity, an officially unofficial series of fan expansion packs, available in dead tree and digital forms.
Thanks again for taking a look, and let me know what you think of our suggestions and if you find another good alternative!