Yes. Every game is free to play. Captain's Table is an optional one-time purchase that removes post-game ads and unlocks every cosmetic, including future ones.

Does everyone need the app?

Yes. Each player uses their own phone, so every hand stays private. One phone starts the table, and the others join with its four-letter code or a shared invite link.

How many people can play?

Up to 10, depending on the game. War is for 2 players, Bull for 3 to 10, Ride the Bus and Crazy Eights for 2 to 8, and Go Fish for 2 to 6.

Can I play by myself?

Yes. Tri Peaks and Aces Up are solitaire games, and Ride the Bus can be played solo.

Does Deckhand work offline?

No. Every phone needs an internet connection, because the game runs on Deckhand's server. The phones do not need to be on the same Wi-Fi network.

Card games for your whole crew

Deckhand turns the phones in the room into a deck of cards.

Deckhand is a free iPhone and Android app for playing real card games together. Your phone is your hand. Seven classics for up to 10 players, a few you can play alone, and no deck needed.

The Deckhand home screen: a green felt table with War, Go Fish, and Bull dealt as cards, and a Start War button.

Start a game, share the code, play.

One deck, spread across every phone at the table. Nobody shuffles, nobody deals, and nobody is stuck holding the cards.

One phone starts the table

Pick a game and the table opens with a four-letter code.
Everyone else joins

They type the code on their own phone. Each hand stays on its own screen.
Deckhand deals and keeps score

You handle the accusations.

The games

Popular house rules are built in, so the table plays the version your family already argues about.

Bull

3–10 players

Lie about your cards. Get caught, eat the pile.

Ride the Bus

2–8 players, or solo

Guess wrong, take points. Your table sets the rules.

Crazy Eights

2–8 players

Match suit or rank. Eights are wild.

Go Fish

2–6 players

Ask for a rank, collect books of four.

Tri Peaks

Solo

Clear three peaks of cards, one rank up or down at a time.

Aces Up

Solo

Discard down until only the four aces are left.

New to a game? The rules are a tap away in the app, so nobody has to remember how Ride the Bus goes before the first hand. They are also on the web: how to play every game.

What it looks like

The code goes up on one phone. Everyone else types it in.
Your hand stays on your screen. Nobody reads over a shoulder.
Seat check: tap in the order you are sitting, and play goes around the real table.
Livery: themes and card backs, so the table looks like your table.

Questions

Is Deckhand free?: Yes. Every game is free to play. Captain’s Table is an optional one-time purchase that removes post-game ads and unlocks every cosmetic, including future ones.
Does everyone need the app?: Yes. Each player uses their own phone, so every hand stays private. One phone starts the table, and the others join with its four-letter code or a shared invite link.
How many people can play?: Up to 10, depending on the game. War is for 2 players, Bull for 3 to 10, Ride the Bus and Crazy Eights for 2 to 8, and Go Fish for 2 to 6.
Can I play by myself?: Yes. Tri Peaks and Aces Up are solitaire games, and Ride the Bus can be played solo.
Does Deckhand work offline?: No. Every phone needs an internet connection, because the game runs on Deckhand’s server. The phones do not need to be on the same Wi-Fi network.

Wherever you end up.

A hotel lobby. The back seat on a long drive. A lounge on a cruise ship. The kitchen table after dinner. A bar with a group waiting on a table. The moment somebody says they wish they had a deck of cards, you already do.

Deckhand is free to play. Captain’s Table is a one-time purchase that removes post-game ads and unlocks every cosmetic, including future ones. Full terms are in the house rules.