Hearts is a free online version of the classic trick taking card game, played against three computer players. It runs in your browser with no download or sign up, works on phones and computers, and keeps working offline once the page has loaded.
Inspired by: The Hearts card game, popular on PCs since the early 1990s.
How to play Hearts
- Each round you get 13 cards. Pass three of them to a neighbour first, left, right, across, then keep your hand on the fourth round.
- The player with the 2 of clubs leads the first trick. Everyone must follow the suit led if they can.
- The highest card of the led suit wins the trick and takes any cards with points.
- Every heart is worth 1 point and the Queen of Spades is worth 13. You want as few as possible.
- Hearts cannot be led until a heart has been played, which is called breaking hearts.
- If one player takes all 26 points they shoot the moon and everyone else gets 26. The game ends when someone reaches 100, and the lowest score wins.
Controls
- Keyboard: Left and right arrows move along your cards. Space plays or selects a card. X or Up passes your three chosen cards.
- Mouse: Click a card to select or play it. Click Pass cards when three are chosen.
- Touch screen: Tap a card to select or play it, then tap Pass cards.
Tips to score higher
- Pass the Queen of Spades and high hearts unless you hold many low spades to protect them.
- Try to get rid of your high cards early in each suit.
- Count the spades. Once the Queen has gone, the high spades are safe again.
- Do not chase the moon unless your hand is very strong. It is a big risk.
- When you cannot follow suit, that is the moment to dump a heart or the Queen on someone else.
The story behind Hearts
Hearts belongs to a family of trick avoiding card games that grew popular in Europe and America from the 1700s onward. The modern version is played with four players and a standard 52 card deck. Many people first met it on a computer, when a Hearts game came with Windows in the early 1990s and turned lunch breaks and boring classes into card tournaments. If you grew up in the 90s or 2000s you probably remember trying to sneak the Queen of Spades onto a friend while the teacher was not looking.
Questions players ask
Is Hearts free to play here?
Yes. It is free with no sign up and no download.
How many players are in the game?
Four. You play against three computer players with their own names.
What does shooting the moon mean?
It means taking all 13 hearts and the Queen of Spades in one round. You score 0 and each opponent gets 26 points.
Who wins a game of Hearts?
The game ends when any player reaches 100 points. The player with the lowest total wins.
Can I play Hearts offline?
Yes. Load the page once and it keeps working without internet.