29 September 2026 · 5 min read

Best card games to play with family this Diwali

Short answer

The best card games for a family Diwali night are the ones everyone already half-knows: Bhabhi (also called Thulla or Getaway) for big mixed groups, Satte pe Satta for kids and grandparents, Mendikot for teams, Indian Rummy for the serious players, and Teen Patti played for fun, not money. All five need only a normal 52-card deck.

Diwali night has a shape in most homes. Puja, dinner, too many sweets, and then somebody finds a deck of cards. The trick is picking a game that works for everyone in the room at once: the cousin who plays every week, the aunt who plays once a year, and the ten-year-old who wants in. These five cover every kind of table, and all of them need only one ordinary deck.

1. Bhabhi (Thulla, Getaway) — best for big, mixed groups

Players: 3 to 6 on one deck, more with two. Round: about 10 minutes.

Bhabhi is the loudest game on this list, which is exactly why it works on Diwali. The rules take two minutes to explain: follow the suit that was led, and if you can’t, throw any card — a thulla — and whoever played highest has to pick up the whole pile. Nobody wins; one person loses, and everyone at the table remembers it. It works for any age, and a round is short enough that people can drop in and out. The full rules are in how to play Bhabhi, and there is a guide for 5 or 6 players if your family is big.

2. Satte pe Satta (Badam Satti) — best for kids and grandparents

Players: 3 to 8. Round: about 10 minutes.

The sevens start the table, and players build each suit up and down from its seven, one card at a time. If you cannot play, you pass. The first player to empty their hand wins. There is almost nothing to explain, very little luck feels unfair, and small children can play alongside adults without anyone going easy on them.

3. Mendikot — best for teams

Players: 4 or 6, in two teams. Round: 15 to 20 minutes.

A trick-taking game where the whole point is to capture the tens. Partners sit opposite each other, so it turns into a family rivalry fast — parents against kids, one side of the family against the other. It is a favourite in Maharashtra and Gujarat, and it is the best pick when you want the table to feel like a match.

4. Indian Rummy — best for the serious players

Players: 2 to 6. Round: 15 to 30 minutes.

Thirteen cards each, and you arrange them into sequences and sets, including at least one pure sequence, before you declare. It rewards patience and memory more than any game here, so it suits the people who stay up after everyone else has gone to bed. With more than a few players, shuffle two decks together.

5. Teen Patti — play it for fun, not money

Players: 3 to 7. Round: a few minutes.

Three cards each, and you bet on having the best hand — a bit like a very fast poker. It is the game most tied to Diwali, and also the one most likely to end an evening badly if real money is involved. Play with matchsticks, sweets or chips from the kitchen instead. It is just as much fun, and everyone still talks to each other the next morning.

Which game should you pick?

Big group, all ages, lots of noise: Bhabhi.
Young kids at the table: Satte pe Satta.
Even number of players who like teams: Mendikot.
A few serious players, late night: Indian Rummy.

Family not in the same city this year?

You can still play together. Thulaa is a free Bhabhi app: make a room, send the code to the family group chat, and four of you are at the same table in a minute, wherever each of you is. Read how to play Bhabhi online with friends.