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Guides, strategy and studio notes
Rules, strategy and ideas for card, board and kids games, plus how we build 29 Royale.
ADDA No Wifi Games: cards, boards and puzzles that run offline
ADDA No Wifi Games is a collection of card, board and puzzle games that run without a connection. Here is what is in it and where to find it.
BlogBoard Adda: Ludo, carrom and chess on one phone
Board Adda bundles thirteen board games, including Ludo, carrom and chess, into one app. A practical look at what it offers and how to get it.
BlogCard Adda: sixteen card games against the computer
Card Adda is a set of sixteen card games, including Spades, Callbreak, 29, Hazari and Hearts, played against computer opponents.
Blog29 Master: bidding for trumps, guarding the Jack and nine
29 Master is a bidding card game where you choose trumps and guard your Jacks and nines. How the game plays, and where to get it.
BlogUno rules: how to play, what the action cards do, and how to win
How to play Uno from the first deal to the last card, what Skip, Reverse, Draw Two and the wild cards do, the Uno call, and the common house rules families argue about.
BlogHazari: the card game of thirteen cards and 1000 points
Hazari is a partition card game: split thirteen cards into winning hands and be the first to reach 1000 points. How it works and where to play it on your phone.
BlogCard Hero: 29, Hazari and other local card classics in one app
Card Hero bundles 29, Hazari and other local card classics in one app. A look at what it covers and how it compares with the single-game apps.
BlogGo Fish rules for kids: how to play, how to win, and the best first game
How to play Go Fish with young children, how to ask for a card, what to do when the answer is no, how to collect books of four, and why it teaches memory and counting.
BlogChatai Teen Patti: quick three-card rounds with friends or the computer
Chatai Teen Patti is a quick three-card game of Teen Patti played against friends or the computer with no stakes. How the hands rank and where to play.
BlogHow to play 29, the card game, in ten minutes
The 29 card game explained for first-timers: the 32-card deck, the odd card ranking, bidding, trumps, point cards and how a hand is scored.
Blog29 King: a 29 card game from Evonix Ventures
29 King is a 29 card game listed by Evonix Ventures. What the listing tells you, what to check, and where to get it on Android.
BlogSnap: the card game for quick eyes, with rules for young children
How to play Snap, the fast card game for children, how the snap is called, how the pile is won, and a gentler version for the youngest players.
BlogMemory matching for kids: how to play, how to make it harder, and why it works
How to play the memory matching game with children, how to set up the cards, how to make the game harder as they improve, and what it trains.
BlogTongits King Offline: cut the deadwood and call Tongits
Tongits King Offline is a three-player Filipino rummy game you can play against bots without a connection. How the game works and where to play it.
BlogConnect Four strategy: why the centre column matters and how to avoid the trap
How to play Connect Four, what wins and what loses, why the centre column is the strongest place to start, and the threat patterns that decide most games.
BlogPusoy King: thirteen cards, three hands, one winner
Pusoy King is a Chinese Poker game where you split thirteen cards into three hands. How it plays, what the rules look like and where to get it.
Blog29 card game rules: the one-page cheat sheet
Every rule of the 29 card game on one page: card ranking, point values, bidding range, trump reveal, marriage, doubling, seventh card, single hand and how the score reaches six.
BlogBoard Club: fifteen classic board games in one offline app
Board Club from Play Boom Games puts over fifteen classic board games in one offline app. What is in it and how to get it on Android.
BlogChess for beginners: how each piece moves, check, and the first rules to learn
How the chess pieces move, what check and checkmate mean, how castling and promotion work, and the first things to practise before you play a full game.
BlogMasti ADDA 29, Rummy and Callbreak: 26 card and board games offline
Masti ADDA is a collection of 26 card and board games that run offline, including 29, rummy and Callbreak. What is in it and where to get it.
BlogLudo rules: how to get your tokens home, and why a six matters
How to play Ludo for two to four players, how to get a token out of base, how captures and home runs work, and the variations families play, with the game's roots in Pachisi.
BlogTruco King Offline: bluff loud, call truco
Truco King Offline is a South American trick-taking game with Truco and Truco Mineiro modes, playable offline. How the game is played and where to get it.
BlogLucky 9 Offline: get closest to nine and beat the dealer
Lucky 9 Offline is a quick card game where only the last digit of your total counts and nine is best. How it works and where to get it.
Blog29 bidding strategy: how to call the right number with only four cards
A practical bidding guide for the 29 card game. How to count Jacks and 9s, when 16 is enough, when to push to 20, and when passing is the strongest move.
BlogHazari Royal: a partition card game from Evonix Ventures
Hazari Royal is a partition card game listed by Evonix Ventures. What partition games are, how Hazari works, and where to get the app.
BlogDominoes for beginners: the double-six set, matching ends, and how to play a draw game
How the double-six domino set works, how to match tile ends in a chain, how to play a blocking game when nobody can go out, and how to score a simple game.
BlogOffline card game apps to try first: a short list from the studios
A short list of offline card game apps from Live Game Labs, Evonix Ventures and Play Boom Games, with what each one offers and how to choose.
BlogOffline board games for a long trip: Ludo, carrom, chess and more
Board games for a train, a plane or a waiting room: which offline board apps to load before you travel, and what each one needs.
BlogOld Maid: the card game where one card decides everything
How to play Old Maid, the simple card game for young children, how pairs are discarded, why the last player holding the Old Maid loses, and a few ways to make it more fun.
BlogTongits, Teen Patti and Lucky 9 compared: three quick card games
Three quick card games on Android side by side: Tongits King, Chatai Teen Patti and Lucky 9 Offline. How each one plays and which to try first.
BlogChoosing a trump in 29: the suit that wins the hand
How to choose the trump suit after you win the bid in 29, how the face-down card works, when to reveal it, and when to keep it hidden.
BlogTrick-taking games compared: 29, Callbreak, Hazari and Truco
Four trick-taking card games on Android compared: 29, Callbreak, Hazari and Truco. How each one scores, and which skills carry across.
BlogBluffing card games: how Truco and Teen Patti reward a steady face
Two bluffing card games, Truco and Teen Patti, and how to read the table without giving your hand away. Apps to try and what to practise.
Blog29 on your phone: 29 Master, 29 King, Masti 29 and 29 Royale compared
Four ways to play 29 on Android: 29 Master, 29 King, Masti ADDA 29 and our own 29 Royale. What each one offers and how to choose.
BlogSnakes and ladders: the 100-square game, its history, and how to play it with children
How to play Snakes and Ladders on the 100-square board, where the game came from in India as Moksha Patam, and how to use it to teach counting and number sense to young children.
BlogA board night on your phone: Ludo, carrom and chess in one order
How to run a board night on phones with Ludo, carrom and chess. A running order that works for children and adults, with the apps to load.
BlogLucky 9 or Teen Patti: which quick card game to play first
Lucky 9 and Teen Patti are both quick card games with three cards or less per hand. How they differ and which one suits your group.
BlogThe marriage rule in 29: when King and Queen move the bid by four
How the marriage works in the 29 card game, who can declare it, when, and how it raises or lowers the bidding team's target by four points.
BlogPusoy or Tongits: which to learn first
Pusoy King and Tongits King are both from Play Boom Games and both are offline. A comparison to help you choose which one to learn first.
BlogHow offline card games work without Wi-Fi
What an offline card game does on your phone when there is no connection, what to check before you install, and what happens to your progress.
BlogA family game night on phones: card and board games for mixed ages
A family game night on phones with card and board games for mixed ages. Which apps to load, how to run the evening and how to keep younger players in.
BlogThe seventh-card gamble in 29
What the seventh-card rule is in the 29 card game, how it decides the trump by chance, why bidders use it, and how 29 Royale locks the card until the reveal.
BlogWhat to expect from bots in card games
Bots fill the empty seats in many card apps. What they should do, what to watch for and how to tell whether a bot is playing fairly.
BlogHazari and 29 both count points: what carries from one to the other
Hazari and 29 both score in points, but they reward different skills. What carries from one game to the other, and what to practise.
BlogCarrom and chess skills you can build on your phone
Carrom and chess are both learned best with a board. A phone version lets you build the skills before you play at a table. Where to start.
BlogChoosing a card game app: a checklist before you install
A short checklist for choosing a card game app on Android: offline play, accounts, ads, purchases, rules and bots. What to check before you install.
BlogSingle hand in 29: playing a contract alone
The single-hand rule in the 29 card game. When a bidder can go alone, what happens to the partner's cards, how the stakes change, and when the risk is worth it.
BlogDouble and redouble in 29: raising the stakes on a bid
How a defending team doubles a bid in the 29 card game, how the bidding team redoubles, what each does to the game points, and when the challenge is worth making.
BlogPartner play in 29: how to win with someone you cannot talk to
Partnership tactics for the 29 card game. Reading your partner's bid, feeding point cards to winning tricks, when not to trump, and how to play with a bot partner.
Blog29 vs 28 vs Call Break: which South Asian card game should you learn?
A comparison of three trick-taking card games from South Asia. Decks, players, bidding, trumps and scoring in 29, 28 and Call Break, and which one to learn first.
BlogWhere 29 comes from: a Swiss card game's long trip to South Asia
The history of the 29 card game, from the Jass family of games in Switzerland and the Netherlands, through 28 in Kerala, to the 29 played today in Bangladesh, Nepal and India.
BlogThe best offline card games for Android when there is no signal
Planes, trains and basements. What makes an offline card game worth keeping, which classics work without a connection, and a simple test to try before you commit.
BlogHow we built 29 bots that never cheat
How the 29 Royale bots follow the same rules as human players, how the engine is tested before every release, and what hidden information the bots may and may not use.
BlogLearning 29 in the Training Grounds: the practice match explained
How the free practice match in 29 Royale teaches the bid, the trump reveal, the point cards and single hand, with nothing at stake.