You're sitting there, staring at a Zoom screen, and everyone is bored. You want to play that one game. You know the one. The game where you get to be a total garbage human for an hour without anyone actually calling the cops. But here's the thing: Cards Against Humanity doesn't technically have an "official" online version. Not really. If you go to the main website, they just want to sell you a box of paper.
Don't let that stop you. People have been figuring out how to do a cards against humanity play online session since the 2020 lockdowns, and the options in 2026 are actually better than they used to be. You just have to know where to look. Honestly, the unofficial versions are often smoother than anything a corporate board would have "sanitized" anyway.
The Big Secret: CAH Lab
Most people don't know that the creators actually do have a digital playground. It’s called CAH Lab.
It’s weird. It’s scientific. It’s basically where the writers throw new, unreleased cards into a meat grinder to see what sticks. You aren't playing with your friends here, though. You're playing against a void of "random internet strangers" to help the company figure out what's funny. It's an asynchronous experience—you pick a card, and someone else, somewhere else, eventually judges it. It’s fun for ten minutes if you're alone, but if you want to laugh with your actual friends, this isn't the spot.
Where You Actually Go to Play with Friends
If you want to host a game night tonight, you’re basically looking at three "clones" that have survived the test of time.
1. All Bad Cards
This is the gold standard right now. It’s clean. It works on your phone. You don't have to be a tech wizard to start a lobby. You just create a room, send a link to your group chat, and you’re in.
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What makes it great is the "Slow Reveal." In the physical game, the Card Czar reads the cards one by one to build tension. Most online versions just dump the answers on the screen all at once, which kills the comedy. All Bad Cards lets the Czar flip them one at a time. It keeps that "dramatic pause" alive before someone reveals they played a card about... well, you know the cards.
2. PlayingCards.io
This one is for the purists. It doesn’t feel like a video game; it feels like a literal tabletop. You see a virtual table. You see the stacks of cards. You actually have to click and drag the cards with your mouse.
There’s no automation here. You have to keep score yourself. You have to deal the cards yourself. It sounds like a chore, but it actually feels more like a real game night because you’re interacting with the "objects." If you've got that one friend who always forgets to draw a card, they’re still going to forget here. It’s authentic.
3. Pretend You're Xyzzy
This is the ancient ancestor of online CAH. It looks like it was designed in 1998 by someone who hated the color blue. It’s basically just text on a white background.
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Why do people still use it? Customization. You can load in "Cardcast" packs, which means you can play with specialized decks about Star Wars, The Office, or extremely niche memes that only three people understand. It’s a bit of a nightmare to set up if you aren't used to it, but it has the deepest library of cards on the planet.
Is it actually free?
Yeah. Mostly.
The sites mentioned above don't charge you to play the basic game. They usually make money through "premium" packs or donations. Since the physical game is licensed under Creative Commons, these clones can exist in a bit of a legal gray area as long as they aren't straight-up stealing the trademarked branding.
- Pro Tip: If you're playing on a phone, use All Bad Cards.
- Pro Tip: If you're on a PC and want a "real" feel, use PlayingCards.io.
- Warning: Expect bugs. These aren't multi-billion dollar apps. Sometimes the server dies. Just refresh and move on.
The Family Edition Workaround
Maybe you're not trying to be a "horrible person." Maybe you're trying to entertain a 10-year-old without explaining what a "pixelated bukkake" is.
The official Cards Against Humanity: Family Edition is available as a free "Print & Play" PDF. If you want to play this version online, your best bet is to use the "custom deck" feature on All Bad Cards or Pretend You're Xyzzy. You’ll have to find a user-created deck ID for the Family Edition, which is usually floating around Reddit or the site's own search bar. It’s worth the extra two minutes of searching to avoid a very awkward conversation with your nephew.
Making it Not Awkward
Playing in silence is a death sentence for this game. Do not just open a browser tab and start clicking.
You need a voice or video call going in the background. Discord, Zoom, FaceTime—whatever. The game isn't actually about the cards; it's about the reactions. If you can't hear your friend gasping for air because of a perfectly timed "bees?" card, why are you even playing?
Also, watch the group size. The sweet spot is 6 to 8 players. Anything less than 4 feels empty. Anything more than 10 takes forever to finish a round, and people start checking their TikTok feeds.
Actionable Steps to Start Now
Stop overthinking the "official" way and just do this:
- Open All Bad Cards in your browser.
- Hit "New Game" and select the standard "Base Deck."
- Copy the URL and paste it into your group chat.
- Start a Discord or Zoom call so you can actually hear each other.
- Assign one person to be the "technical lead" to handle the settings so everyone else can just focus on being funny.
The cards haven't changed much in the last few years, but the way we play them has. You don't need a $30 box to have a good time—you just need a stable internet connection and friends with a questionable sense of humor.