Durak Unblocked

Durak turns the usual card game goal upside down. You are not trying to win tricks or score points; you are trying to avoid being the durak, which is Russian for “fool,” the last player stuck with cards. It is a game of attacking and defending in quick rounds, and good players know when to fight and when to simply pick up the pile. This unblocked version from Christopher Müller’s PaperGames collection handles a table of two, three or four, with any mix of computer opponents or friends on one device, and an optional pass-the-attack rule.

Attack, Defend, Refill

Only 36 cards are used, Sixes through Aces. Everyone is dealt six, the next card goes face up under the stock, and its suit becomes trump. The holder of the lowest trump leads the first attack.

The attack. The attacker plays a card in front of the defender.

The defense. The defender must cover it with a bigger card in that suit or with any trump at all. If the lead is itself a trump, only a higher trump will do.

Throwing in. Now the attacker, and anyone else at the table, may toss in extra cards, provided each shares a rank with something already played. A single round is capped at six attacking cards, and it can never outnumber the cards the defender held when it began.

If the defender beats every card, the table is cleared and the defender leads next. Otherwise the defender scoops up everything and skips the next chance to attack. Afterwards, everyone tops their hand back up to six.

When nothing is left to draw, players who empty their hands drop out safely. The last one holding cards is the fool.

Durak controls

To do this	Mouse	Touch
Play a card to attack, beat or add on	Click the card in your hand	Tap the card in your hand
Give up the defense and collect the table	Click "Take the cards"	Tap "Take the cards"
Finish adding cards	Click "Pass"	Tap "Pass"
Redirect the attack to the next player (if the rule is on)	Click "Pass the attack on", then the matching card	Tap "Pass the attack on", then the matching card
Choose players and rules	Choose vs Computer or Same device, players, level and rules, then click "New game"	Choose vs Computer or Same device, players, level and rules, then tap "New game"

How Experienced Players Think

Early in the game, while the stock is still full, use your weak cards. Leading Sixes and Sevens costs you little, and you will draw replacements anyway. Keep trumps for later, when drawing is over and every card in hand matters.

Pairs are your best weapon on attack. Lead one card of a rank you hold twice; after the defender beats it, throw the second one in.

As a defender, it is often smarter to take a small pile than to spend a big trump on a harmless attack. Picking up three low cards is a minor setback. Losing your last big trump can decide the game.

Remember the face-up trump. Everyone saw it, so count it when you estimate which trumps are still unplayed.

If the pass-the-attack rule is switched on, a defender holding a matching rank can lay it down and shove the entire attack along to the following player, which keeps rounds unpredictable.

A Different Kind of Card Game

Durak is fast, social and slightly mean, which is exactly why it is popular across Eastern Europe. Rounds are short, and the hidden-hand screen in same-device mode makes it work for a small group with one phone. Solo players can step up to Hard computers once Easy stops putting up a fight.

For a calmer card game you play alone, try FreeCell Solitaire. More table games are gathered in the card and board games section.