Ask for a rank you hold
On your turn, pick one rank in your hand and one player. If they hold any cards of that rank, they hand over all of them and you ask again.
Wren’s handYour three 7sYou hold three 7s. Ask someone for 7s.
Your table is ready
Take a seat.
Ask for a rank you hold. Collect books of four.
Y
YouReady to play
0ptsHAND COMPLETE
Waiting for the host to deal.
FREE ONLINE CARD GAME
Go Fish Card Game
Got any sevens?
Go fish.
Play Go Fish free in your browser against one to five computer players, with no download, sign-up or ads. Ask for a rank you hold, collect books of four, and go again when you get what you asked for. Pick Easy, Standard or Expert, which sets how much the computer remembers, and turn on the ask log so everyone plays with the same memory. Pairs mode is there for younger children.
Classic Go Fish · 2–6 seats · Books of four
Updated
New to Go Fish? Learn the rulesHOW TO PLAY
How to play
Go Fish
Two to six players. Seven cards each with two or three players, five each with four or more. The rest is the face-down pond.
Collect books: all four cards of one rank. Whoever lays the most books wins.
Try a practice game ↑Wren’s handYour three 7s“Go fish”
If they hold none, they say “Go fish” and you take the top card of the pond. Your turn ends, unless the card is the rank you asked for: show it and ask again. That is a lucky draw.
Pond
Your handAsh has no 7s. Go fish!
Lay down every book
Four cards of one rank make a book. It goes face up in front of you at once, even straight from the deal. The game ends when all thirteen books are down.
The fourth 7 completes the book.
Running out of cards, and other details
- You must hold the rank you ask for. The table only offers ranks in your hand.
- Empty hand: if your hand is empty on your turn, or empties during it, take one card from the pond and carry on.
- Empty pond: “Go fish” simply ends your turn. A player with no cards and no pond to draw from sits out, and nobody can ask them.
- Pairs mode: for younger children, lay down pairs instead of books. A successful ask hands over one card, and the game ends when all 26 pairs are down.
ONE POINT PER BOOK
Go Fish scoring
and who wins
Each book is worth one point. When the thirteenth book is laid, even in the middle of a turn, the game ends and the player with the most books wins. Equal counts share the win.
In pairs mode each pair is a point and there are 26 to collect. The scorecard lists every player’s books by rank and their lucky draws.
- Book of four
- 1 point
- Pair (pairs mode)
- 1 point
- Most books
- Wins ties share
LISTEN TO THE TABLE
Go Fish strategy
for kids and grown-ups
Ask back the player who asked
Nobody can ask for a rank they don’t hold. When Rowan asks for Kings, Rowan has at least one King, so if you hold a King, ask Rowan for Kings on your turn.
Remember who said “Go fish”
A player who just said they had no 5s still has none until they draw. Ask someone else for 5s instead of wasting your turn.
Ask for the rank you hold most
With three 9s, a single 9 from anyone finishes the book. Finished books can’t be taken away, while every ask tells the table what you hold.
Use the ask log
The ask log lists every ask and how it went, newest first, so you don’t have to remember the table yourself. The Expert computer remembers every ask in the game; the log puts you on the same footing.
QUICK ANSWERS
Go Fish FAQ: common questions
Can you ask for a rank you don’t have?
No. You must hold at least one card of the rank you ask for. The ask panel only offers ranks in your hand.
Do you go again after a lucky draw?
Yes. If the card you fish from the pond is the rank you asked for, show it and take another turn. You also go again whenever an ask succeeds.
What happens when you run out of cards or the pond is empty?
With an empty hand you draw one card from the pond and carry on. If the pond is empty too, you sit out and nobody can ask you. The game ends when all thirteen books are laid.
What is the difference between books and pairs?
A book is all four cards of a rank. Pairs mode lays down two instead, which makes shorter games for younger children. Choose it under Options.
Can 2 people play Go Fish?
Yes. Choose 2 players and each gets seven cards. Up to six can play, with five cards each from four players up.
Is Go Fish good for kids?
Yes. The rules fit in three sentences, there are no ads, pairs mode makes games shorter, and the ask log shows who asked for what so children can keep up with the computer.
How long is a game?
Two to four minutes with four players against the computer: about 60 asks in all, around 15 of them yours. Your game is saved in this browser, so a reload brings you back to the same turn.
How do the computer players differ?
Easy forgets everything and asks at random. Standard remembers the last two rounds of asks and asks those players back. Expert remembers every ask, hand-over and draw in the game. No level can see your cards or the pond.
Is it free, with no download?
Yes. It runs in your browser with no app, no account and no ads.
What games are similar to Go Fish?
Old Maid is the other classic children’s card game, also about pairs, and War is the simplest of all. Crazy Eights is a good next step. Links appear here once those tables are live.
Can I play with the keyboard?
Yes. Tab to a rank or a card and press Enter to pick it, press 1 to 5 to pick a player (1 is the player on your left), then Enter on Ask. H gives a hint and U takes back your last ask in practice, until you draw from the pond.
More card games
- Old MaidPair them all. Don’t hold the queen.2 to 6 players
- Crazy EightsMatch the suit or rank. Eights go on anything.2 to 5 players
- WarTwo piles. Higher card wins.2 players
- CribbageFifteen-two, fifteen-four. First to 121.2 players
- Gin RummyTen cards each. Knock, or go gin.2 players
- CanastaTwo decks. Four players. Seven cards make a canasta.2 to 4 players
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