War (card game)

War is a simple card game often played by children. In the United Kingdom, the game is known as Battle. The main objective is for a player to win every card in the deck. It is classified as a catch and collect game. Because it is widely known, many different variations exist. These versions change how the cards are played or how players win.

To begin a game, players divide a standard deck of cards evenly. Each person receives a down stack of cards. In a two-player game, the deck is split in half. For a three-player game, each person receives 17 cards. In a four-player game, each player receives 13 cards. Players reveal their top card at the same time. This action is called a battle. The player with the higher card wins the battle. They take both cards and move them to the bottom of their stack. In this game, Aces are considered high, and the suits of the cards are ignored.

A war occurs when the two cards played are of equal value. To resolve a war, both players place one card face down. They then reveal a second card face up. The player with the higher face-up card wins the entire war. They take all the cards on the table and add them to their stack. If the face-up cards are equal again, the war repeats. This cycle continues until one player shows a higher face-up card. Some rules are unclear about what happens if a player runs out of cards during a war. In some versions, that player loses immediately. In other versions, they may use their last card or restart the game.

Many different versions of War have been recorded. Casino War is a simple variation played for money in casinos. Another version is called Prisoners of War, which is usually played with more than two people. In this version, a winner can choose to take a card as a "prisoner." This card is placed face up away from the deck. A player may choose to play this prisoner card instead of a card from their deck. If they lose a battle while playing a prisoner, they must give the winner the prisoner card and the card they would have drawn. There is also a version called "War" in Peace, where the lowest card always wins. Another version, called Underdog, allows a losing player to steal victory if they have a Jack.

German variants of the game have been documented for a long time. One version is called Bettelmann, or "Beggar Man." Another is Tod und Leben, which means "Death and Life." These were mentioned as early as 1833 in the Oekonomische Encyclopaedia. Tod und Leben uses a 32-card Skat pack for two players. Each player receives 16 cards face down. In this version, one player uses red suits and the other uses black suits. If the cards are equal, the winner takes all four cards. The player with the most cards at the end is the winner.

Some people debate whether War is actually a game. Game designer Greg Costikyan observed that there are no choices made by the players. Since all outcomes are determined by chance, he noted it might not fit some definitions of a game. However, the way cards are returned to the deck can matter. If cards are not returned in a random order, it can change the outcome. This is especially true with smaller decks where card counting is easier. Even in standard decks, the order of cards can affect the gameplay.

War connects to many other types of card games. It is related to games like Egyptian Ratscrew, Slapjack, and Snip Snap. It also shares similarities with games like Beggar-your-neighbor. These connections show how simple mechanics of catching and collecting can be used in many ways. Whether played for fun or in a casino, the basic mechanics of the battle and the war remain central to the experience.