Speed

Speed is the card game where nobody waits for a turn. You and your opponent play at the same time, racing to get rid of your cards onto two shared piles in the middle. Play the Speed card game free in your browser against a computer rival, with no download or sign-up, on desktop or on your phone. Pick an Easy, Medium or Hard rival, or switch to the classic Spit variant.

How to play

The game uses one standard 52-card deck. Each player gets a hand of five cards and a face-down draw pile of 15. Two side stacks of five cards sit at the edges of the table, and two starter cards sit face down in the middle. After a short countdown, both starter cards flip at once and the race begins.

• Play one rank up or down. You can play any card from your hand onto either center pile if it is one rank above or below the top card. Suits and colors don’t matter. On a 7 you can play a 6 or an 8.
• Ace wraps around. An Ace connects to both the King and the 2, so the ranks form a loop.
• No turns. Both of you play whenever you can. If the rival covers the card you were about to play on, look again and find a new move.
• Refill to five. Every card you play is replaced right away from your draw pile, so you keep five cards until the draw pile runs out.
• When everyone is stuck, both side stacks flip a new card onto the center piles at the same moment. If the side stacks run out, the cards under the two top cards are shuffled into new side stacks.
• Winning: the first player to empty both hand and draw pile wins.

Controls

Tap a card (the piles it fits light up), then tap a pile. You can also drag a card onto a pile, or tap a selected card again to play it wherever it fits. On a keyboard, press 1 to 5 to pick a card, then Q for the left pile or W for the right. P or Esc pauses, and the game also pauses when you switch tabs.

Rival speed

The computer rival reacts like a person: it needs a moment to spot each play, and if you cover the card it was going for, it has to think again. Easy takes well over a second per card, Medium about a second, and Hard well under a second. Your wins, losses and fastest win are saved in your browser.

Spit mode

In Spit, each player gets 26 cards and deals five stock piles of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 cards, top cards face up. The other 11 are spit cards. Each player flips a spit card onto their own center pile, then you play face-up stock cards one rank up or down. When a top card leaves, the card under it turns up, and you can move a top card into an empty space to uncover more.

When nobody can play, each player turns a new spit card. When someone clears their stock, both players race to slap the smaller center pile: the first to slap takes it, the other takes the bigger one, and everyone deals again. A player with fewer than 15 cards has no spit cards, so only one center pile is used. If that player clears their stock first, they win the game.

Tips

• Look for chains. A 5, 6 and 7 in your hand can go down one after another on a 4 or an 8.
• In Spit, open up empty spaces. Moving a top card into an empty space turns up a hidden card and gives you more choices.
• In Spit, slap fast. The smaller pile is the prize, because fewer cards means you’re closer to winning.

FAQ

Is this Speed card game free?

Yes. It’s free with no account and no install.

Can I play Speed on my phone?

Yes. Tap a card and then a pile, or drag it with your finger. Taps register instantly, so fast plays work on phones and tablets.

Is Speed the same as Spit?

They are close relatives. In Speed you play from a hidden five-card hand that refills from a draw pile. In Spit you play from five face-up stock piles over several rounds.

What other card games can I play?

For another fast two-player game, try War. If you like playing cards one rank up or down, Golf Solitaire uses the same idea in a calm solo game.