Simple rules. Questionable punchlines.

01. Bring your people

A game needs 3–10 players. Create a room for friends, join an open room or use Find a group. Matchmaking looks for a seat in an open game already in progress. If none is available, three players from the queue automatically start a new game.

The host sets the target score and the answer and judging timers within the limits allowed by the administrator. A private room can use a password. When creating a room, the host can also choose who sees already submitted answers and whether player names appear under answers after the round. The game remembers these choices for that user’s future rooms.

02. Build your answer

Each player holds up to 10 white cards. A question opens at the start of the round. Check how many answers it needs, select that many cards in order, then press Submit.

You can change your selection before submitting. A highlighted card has not been sent yet. When several cards are required, their order matters.

What will save tonight? Bad jokes in good company.

03. Make the judge laugh

The judge does not submit an answer this round, but can still look at their hand and plan ahead. Once answers are collected, the judge picks a favourite combination with one tap.

While players are choosing cards, the room host decides who can see other players’ already submitted answers: everyone, only the judge, or nobody. A player can still see their own submitted answer. Once answer collection ends and judging begins, the combinations are shown to participants without author names.

After the winner is chosen, the room may show player names under their answers or leave the answer cards unsigned. This is a separate host setting and does not affect scoring or how the winner is selected.

The chosen answer earns its author one point. The winning combination appears with the question, then the next player becomes the judge.

04. Keep things moving

A countdown and a smooth green-to-red bar show the time left. Each additional answer card adds the administrator-configured extra time both for players to submit and for the judge to choose.

• The waiting phase ends early when all expected answers are in.
• If there is only one answer, its author automatically gets the point.
• If nobody answers, a message appears for 3 seconds, then the next round starts with a new judge.
• If the judge leaves or misses the deadline, a guest bot takes over for 15 seconds before picking a random answer. The human judge can return and choose before that time runs out.
• A regular round result stays on screen for 10 seconds.

05. Take the win

By default a game runs to 10 points; the host can choose another target when creating a room. The first player to reach it wins the room. These full room victories are what count in the Cynical Hall of Fame.

Each answer selected by the judge gives one round point. Every 100 round points — 100, 200, 300 and so on — awards 1 ✦ of Shame. A full victory in an open room without a password also awards 1 ✦. Password-protected rooms do not award Shame for the final victory.

The owner can start another game with the same group and chat. Return to lobby leaves the room.

06. Keep it fair

Interface and card languages can be selected separately in the profile. The same card is displayed to participants in their chosen languages. If a translation is unavailable, an available version is used.

Shame is the in-game currency marked with ✦. It is earned through in-game activity and the daily bonus, is not sold for real money, cannot be withdrawn or exchanged for money, and is not a cash or material prize. Shame can only be used inside the service.

Plus and paid swap packs are digital features with a clearly stated duration or quantity. Game points and the judge’s right to select an answer are not sold. Before submitting an answer, cards may be swapped while swaps remain; each replaced card uses one swap.

Achievements and titles

Achievements unlock automatically for game events. Earn 10, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120 and 150 achievements to progress from Novice to God. These milestones count too. Each award can only be earned once.

Colour and an icon indicate rarity. The percentage shows how many registered, unbanned players earned the award. Choose an unlocked title in your profile. Achievements do not grant Shame or affect the winner.

No wagering or cash prizes

Cynical Cards is an entertainment card game for adults. Regular games do not require payment: players do not make cash or property wagers, do not create a prize pool, and do not receive cash or material prizes for the result of a game.

Paid features — Plus and swap packs — have a predefined scope, duration or quantity and a fixed price before payment. A purchase does not depend on the result of a game and does not create a chance to win cash or a material prize. Shame ✦ is an in-game currency: it is not sold for real money and cannot be withdrawn or exchanged for money.