29 Game
Bid up to 29 — win the most points to fulfill your contract.
The 29 Game is a celebrated trick-taking game from Kerala, South India, played widely across Bangladesh and Nepal. The name refers to the maximum 28 card points in the 32-card deck (plus 1 for last trick). Players bid to win that many points using only 8 cards each and a hidden trump.
🎮 Ways to Play 29 Game
Create a 29 Game Table
When 29 Game launches, you'll create your own table in seconds, get an invite code, and deal in exactly who you want.
Join a 29 Game Table by Invite
Joining will be as simple as entering a table code — one tap and you're seated at a friend's 29 Game game.
Play 29 Game Against the Computer
Smart AI opponents with multiple difficulty levels will make it easy to learn 29 Game and practice your strategy solo.
Play 29 Game Offline
29 Game will support offline play against computer opponents, so you can play anywhere — no internet connection needed.
🎯 Objective
The bidding team must score at least as many card points as their bid; otherwise the defending team wins.
🃏 29 Game Setup & Rules
- Uses a 32-card deck: 7–Ace in each suit (remove 2s–6s). Deal 4 cards to each player, then 4 more.
- Card point values: J=3, 9=2, A=1, 10=1 (total = 28; last trick = 1 extra = 29 possible).
- Card rank for trick winning (high→low): J 9 A 10 K Q 8 7.
▶ How to Play 29 Game
- BIDDING: Starting from the player left of dealer, each player bids a number (min 15, max 28) or passes. The highest bidder wins the contract.
- The winner privately shows one card from their hand to their partner only — this card's suit is the TRUMP. It is revealed to all only when first played.
- The player left of the dealer leads the first trick.
- Players must follow suit if possible; if void, they may play any card.
- Jacks and 9s are the two highest cards in every suit (including trump), followed by A, 10, K, Q, 8, 7.
- When trump is played for the first time, the trump card (held by the bidder) must be revealed.
🎬 Watch: How to Play 29 Game
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📖 Detailed Guide
Setting up the game
- The 29 Game is played by four people in two partnerships, using a 32-card deck of sevens through Aces.
- Each player ends up with eight cards, but only the first four are dealt before the auction opens.
- Card points are unusual: Jacks are worth 3, nines 2, and Aces and tens 1 each. Everything else is worth nothing.
- That comes to 28 points across the deck, which is what the bidding is measured against.
The auction
- With four cards each, players bid the number of card points their side expects to take.
- Bidding opens at 16 and can rise to 28, the entire pack. You may pass instead of bidding.
- The highest bidder wins the auction and names the trump suit for the hand.
- The remaining four cards are then dealt to everyone, so you bid on half a hand and play with a full one.
Playing tricks
- Trick-taking power runs Jack highest, then nine, Ace, ten, King, Queen, eight and seven.
- That order is the single most important thing to learn — the Jack and nine outrank the Ace and ten.
- You must follow the led suit if you can; otherwise any card may be played.
- The highest trump wins the trick, and with no trump the strongest card of the led suit takes it.
Winning the hand
- Once all eight tricks are played, the bidding side counts the card points it captured.
- Reach the bid and the side scores. Fall short and the defenders score instead.
- Holding the Jack and nine of one suit is a very strong reason to bid high and name that suit.
- As a defender, force out the bidding side's trumps early to strip their protection from the high-value cards.
📊 29 Game Scoring
Bidding team achieves bid: they score the round. Bidding team fails: defending team scores. Optional progressive scoring: failure = bid × penalty. Match played to an agreed number of rounds.
❓ 29 Game — Frequently Asked Questions
How many players do you need for 29 Game?
29 Game is played with 4 players. On Vanikar, empty seats can be filled with AI opponents so you can always start a game.
When is 29 Game coming to Vanikar?
29 Game is in development now. Premium subscribers get access first when it launches — download the app to be ready on day one.
Will I be able to play 29 Game against the computer?
Yes. Like every Vanikar game, 29 Game will support play against smart AI opponents with multiple difficulty levels, plus online multiplayer and private tables with friends.
Is 29 Game free to play?
The Vanikar Card Games app is free to download on iOS and Android, and every game is free to play for 2 weeks — no credit card required.
