Karma Card Game: Rules, How to Play & Play Online

The Karma card game is a fast shedding game in which players race through cards in their hand, three face-up cards and three face-down cards. If you cannot beat the play pile, you usually have to pick it up. The last player still holding cards loses.

That simple outline is consistent; the details are not. Karma has no single universal standard-deck ruleset. The name is used by some groups in Australia and New Zealand for the game also known as Shithead, Palace, Shed or Castle. There is also a published 60-card game called Karma with its own printed cards and official rules. This guide separates those versions so you can choose a ruleset before dealing.

What is the Karma card game?

In its common standard-deck form, Karma is a beating-and-shedding card game for roughly 2–5 players. You play a card equal to or higher than the top card, use special cards to escape difficult piles, and try to get rid of every card you control.

The three-stage finish gives the game its character:

1. Play from your hand while the draw pile remains.
2. After the draw pile and your hand are empty, play your visible face-up cards.
3. Finally, turn over your face-down cards without looking at them first.

A failed blind card can send the entire pile back into your hand, so a player who looks safe is never guaranteed to go out.

Is Karma the same as Shithead, Palace, Shed and Castle?

They belong to the same game family, but the names do not guarantee identical rules.

Name	Common usage	What may differ
Karma	A standard-deck Palace/Shithead name used by some Australian and New Zealand groups; also the name of a boxed commercial game	The lower-card rank, Jokers and other special cards; the boxed game uses its own deck
Shithead	A widespread name in the UK, Europe and backpacker circles	Special-card effects and how the starting player is chosen
Palace	A common family-friendly name, especially in North America	Whether 7 or 8 is special and which cards clear the pile
Shed	A descriptive regional name for the same shedding structure	Local terminology and house rules
Castle	Another name or close variant in the wider family	Setup and special-card table

All usually share the hand → face-up → face-down structure. Before playing, agree on the special cards, whether equal-ranked cards can be played together, and whether the round stops at the first winner or continues until one loser remains.

Karma card game setup

For a practical traditional version, use one standard 52-card deck for 2–5 players. Some groups add one or two Jokers.

1. Deal 3 face-down cards to each player. Nobody may look at them.
2. Deal 3 face-up cards on top of those cards.
3. Deal 3 cards into each player’s hand.
4. Put the remaining cards face down as the draw pile and leave space for a play pile.
5. Before the first turn, allow players to swap cards between their hand and their own face-up row.

Players normally put high cards, resets or pile-clearing cards face up because those cards will be available late in the game. Some AU/NZ groups use a no-swapping house rule; if so, skip step 5.

Objective

Get rid of your hand, face-up cards and face-down cards in that order. A common social version continues until only one player has cards; that player loses. Some tables instead end as soon as the first player goes out and call that player the winner.

How to play Karma: full turn rules

The following is a coherent baseline for a standard deck. It is a common way to play Karma, not a claim that every group uses the same rules.

1. Choose the starting player. A common rule is that the player holding the lowest ordinary card starts. Dealer’s left is a simpler alternative.
2. Start the play pile. The first player lays one card, or multiple cards of the same rank if your group allows that rule.
3. Match or beat the rank. In clockwise order, play a card equal to or higher than the current effective top card. Suits do not matter.
4. Resolve special cards. Apply the agreed effect immediately. A reset changes what may follow; a burn removes the whole play pile and usually lets the same player start again.
5. Draw back up to three. While the draw pile has cards, finish your turn by drawing until you hold three cards. If you already have three or more, do not draw.
6. Take the pile if you cannot play. Add the entire play pile to your hand and end your turn. The next player starts a new pile. Some groups allow a voluntary pickup even when a legal play is available.
7. Move through the card zones in order. You may use face-up cards only when the draw pile is empty and your hand is empty. You may use face-down cards only after every face-up card is gone.
8. Return to your hand after a pickup. If you pick up while using table cards, the pile becomes your new hand. Clear that hand before returning to your remaining table cards.
9. Keep playing until the agreed finish. Usually players who go out stay out and the last remaining player loses.

Face-up and face-down card rules

Face-up cards

Face-up cards are public information. Once the draw pile and your hand are empty, choose a legal card from your face-up row on your turn. If you cannot play any of them, take the pile into your hand; your face-up cards stay on the table until your hand is empty again.

Face-down cards

After all three face-up cards are gone, choose one face-down card blind and turn it onto the pile. You cannot inspect it or swap it first.

• If it is legal, resolve it normally and end your turn unless your agreed special-card rule grants another play.
• If it is illegal, pick up the play pile, including the revealed card, and return to the hand phase.

This blind final stage is why many players associate the name “Karma” with luck: careful play can help you reach the end, but the last cards can still reverse your position.

Karma card game special cards

Special cards are the largest source of disagreement. A useful traditional baseline is 2 resets, 10 clears the pile, and four equal ranks on top also clear it. Decide everything else before the first turn.

Card	Common traditional effect	Important variations
2	Reset: may be played on most cards, and the next player may start at any rank	Some tables restrict what a 2 can cover
5 or 7	“Play lower”: the next ordinary card must be that rank or lower	Many AU/NZ groups use 5; many other groups use 7; some use neither or both
8	Often transparent, so play is judged against the card below it	Other groups use 8 to skip or reverse direction, or treat it as ordinary
10	Burn: remove the play pile and let the same player lead a new pile	Some groups let 10 cover anything; others require it to be a legal equal-or-higher play
Four of a kind	Four consecutive cards of one rank burn the pile	Some require all four to be played in one turn; others count across turns
Joker	Not part of the standard 52-card baseline	It may be wild, force a pickup, clear the pile or be omitted entirely

The 5-versus-7 rule is a choice, not a contradiction to resolve mid-game. If 5 is your lower card, write that down and treat 7 normally unless your group explicitly wants both.

Australian and New Zealand Karma rules

There is no single national Australian or New Zealand rules authority. These are recurring regional house-rule patterns, not official rules for every Aussie or Kiwi table:

• 5 means play lower. The next player must usually play 5 or below. Elsewhere, 7 more often fills this role.
• Multiple cards of one rank. A player may drop a pair, triple or sometimes all four matching cards in one turn.
• Pick up and skip. Taking the pile ends your turn; play moves on rather than letting you immediately lead.
• Jokers are added. Depending on the group, a Joker may be wild, burn the pile or make another player pick it up.
• No setup swap. Some groups deal the face-up row as-is, increasing the luck in the endgame.
• Last player gets the name. Rather than emphasizing a first-place winner, the round identifies the final player holding cards.

If you are searching for Karma card game rules in Australia, the best short rules discussion is: “Does 5 or 7 mean lower? What do 8, 10 and Jokers do? Can we play matching cards together? Does four of a kind burn?” Once those points are settled, the rest of the game is usually familiar.

The boxed Karma card game is a separate ruleset

The published Karma® card game, originally from SET Enterprises and now sold by PlayMonster, is a commercial game with the same broad climbing-and-shedding shape. It is not simply a standard deck with 2, 5, 8, 10 and Joker powers.

According to the published Karma instructions, its 60-card deck supports 2–6 players, uses three copies of number cards 1–16, and includes four kinds of printed Karma cards:

• Give the Pile to a Friend hands the discard pile to a chosen player.
• Five or Below requires the next player to play a number 5 or lower, or another Karma card.
• Play a Table Card lets you use a table card early.
• Bottoms Up moves the bottom discard to the top.

Its official rules also allow identical cards together and clear the pile after three identical numbers in a row. Those printed effects are useful information from the retiring article, but they should not be mixed into a standard-deck AU/NZ rule table. If you own the boxed deck, follow its included rules; if you are playing with ordinary cards, agree on house rules instead.

Common house-rule differences to settle first

Question	Common options
Who starts?	Lowest card; lowest 3; or dealer’s left
Can matching ranks be grouped?	One card only; any number from one zone; or pairs/triples only
Which card forces lower?	5, 7, both or neither
Is 8 special?	Transparent, skip, reverse or ordinary
Can a 10 be played on anything?	Always wild; or only when it is otherwise legal
What counts as four of a kind?	Four consecutive cards across turns; or four played together
Can you choose to pick up?	Only with no legal card; or at any time
What do Jokers do?	Wild, burn, pickup effect or not used
When does the game end?	First player out wins; or continue until one loser remains

How to play a Karma-style card game online

Joker Palace is a Karma-style online shedding game for 2–5 players, available on iPhone and iPad and Android. It automates legal moves, card phases, pile pickups and special effects, so online players use one consistent ruleset.

Joker Palace is inspired by the same family; it does not claim to reproduce every traditional Karma table or the boxed Karma product. Its current rules are:

Rule	Joker Palace implementation
Deck and players	54 cards including 2 Jokers; 2–5 players
Card order	Hand → face-up table cards → face-down palace cards
02 Reset	Resets the pile and may be played on anything except 03
03 Override	Only another 03 or a Joker can answer it
05 Extra Turn	Grants another turn and cannot be played on face cards
09 Reverse Rank	The next card must be 09 or lower
10 Destroy	Removes the pile; it cannot be played on 03 or 09
Four of a kind	Destroys the pile
Joker	Offers three eligible Chaos effects; its player chooses one within 5 seconds
Failed face-down card	The player takes the pile and returns to the hand phase

See the complete Joker Palace rules for mode-specific details, timers and Chaos effects, or play now to choose web, iOS or Android.

Karma card game FAQ

What are the rules of the Karma card game?

Deal each player three face-down cards, three face-up cards and three hand cards. Play equal to or higher than the pile, draw back to three while the draw pile lasts, and pick up the pile when you cannot play. After your hand is empty, play face-up and then face-down cards. Agree on special cards before starting because Karma rules vary by group.

Is Karma the same as Palace or Shithead?

Karma is commonly used for a regional version of the Palace/Shithead family, including by some Australian and New Zealand players. The three card zones and shedding objective are shared, but special cards and local terminology vary. The boxed Karma product has its own dedicated deck and rules.

Is 5 or 7 the “play lower” card in Karma?

Either can be correct under different house rules. A 5-lower rule is common at many AU/NZ tables, while other Palace/Shithead groups use 7. Decide which rank applies before the game rather than treating both as universal.

Where can I play Karma online?

Joker Palace offers a related Karma-style game with a fixed digital ruleset for 2–5 players. You can download it for iOS and Android.

What to read next

• Shithead Card Game: Complete Rules and Variations
• How to Play Palace Card Game
• Shed Card Game: Rules, How to Play & Play Online
• Palace Card Game House Rules
• Every Special Card in Palace Explained