Push-your-luck games: 6 games for when you can't stop
Last checked 12 November 2026
Quick answer: Flip 7 is the simplest, a card game for 3 or more from age 8. Exploding Kittens is draw-and-hope for 2 to 5 from 7. Push is a small card game for 2 to 6, Camel Up adds dice and betting, and The Quacks of Quedlinburg is the bag-drawing favourite for 2 to 4. Heat: Pedal to the Metal is a motor racing game where pushing too hard clogs your hand.
Push-your-luck games are all about one question: stop now, or go for one more? Get it right and you score big, get it wrong and you lose the lot. They're some of the most exciting games to watch, because everyone at the table knows exactly what's at stake. These six run from a 15-minute card game to a full motor race. Player counts, ages and times come from the publishers, and each card says how easy it is to teach.
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1. Flip 7
Flip cards one at a time and bank your points before you turn up a number you already have. Get seven different numbers and you score a bonus.
- Players
- 3+ players
- Age
- 8+
- Play time
- about 20 minutes
- Our teaching rating
- Very easy to teach
Why it suits this: The simplest. Flip cards one at a time and bank your points before you turn up a number you already have, and get seven different numbers for a bonus. Eric Olsen's game was nominated for the 2025 Spiel des Jahres (Germany's big game of the year award). The Op says 3 or more players, 8 and up, about 20 minutes, and it's very easy to teach.
Check price on Amazon for Flip 7 (opens in a new tab)
Details last checked 19 October 2026.
2. Exploding Kittens
Draw cards and hope it isn't an Exploding Kitten. Skip, attack, shuffle or defuse your way to being the last one standing.
- Players
- 2 to 5 players
- Age
- 7+
- Play time
- about 15 minutes
- Our teaching rating
- Very easy to teach
Why it suits this: Draw cards and hope it isn't an Exploding Kitten, then skip, attack, shuffle or defuse your way to being the last one standing. Every draw is a little gamble. The original edition is 2 to 5 players, 7 and up, about 15 minutes, with art by The Oatmeal. See [games like Exploding Kittens](/answers/games-like-exploding-kittens/) for more.
Check price on Amazon for Exploding Kittens (opens in a new tab)
Details last checked 19 October 2026.
3. Push
Push-your-luck in a small box. Flip cards into rows, then grab a row before a colour or number repeats. Go too far and you get nothing, and the die can knock a whole colour off your pile.
- Players
- 2 to 6 players
- Age
- 8+
- Play time
- about 20 minutes
- Our teaching rating
- Very easy to teach
Why it suits this: Ravensburger's rulebook calls it the PUSH-your-luck card game, and it is. Turn cards over into rows, then take a row before a colour or number repeats, because if one does you get nothing that turn. Even when you stop safely, a roll of the die can knock a whole colour off your pile. Ravensburger says 2 to 6 players, 8 and up, about 20 minutes, and it's very easy to teach.
Check price on Amazon for Push (opens in a new tab)
Details last checked 27 October 2026.
4. Camel Up (2nd edition)
Bet on a wobbly camel race where camels stack on top of each other, so the leader can change on every dice roll.
- Players
- 3 to 8 players
- Age
- 8+
- Play time
- 30 to 45 minutes
- Our teaching rating
- Easy to teach
Why it suits this: Bet on a wobbly camel race where camels stack on top of each other, so the leader can change on every dice roll. The gamble is when to bet: early for a bigger payout, or late when you're surer. Lookout Games says 3 to 8 players, 8 and up, 30 to 45 minutes.
Details last checked 19 October 2026.
5. The Quacks of Quedlinburg
Draw ingredient chips from your bag into your pot and push your luck. Too many cherry bombs and it explodes, so the knack is knowing when to stop. Winnings buy better chips for later rounds.
- Players
- 2 to 4 players
- Age
- 10+
- Play time
- about 45 minutes
- Our teaching rating
- Takes a little explaining
Why it suits this: The favourite for a regular games night. Draw ingredient chips from your bag into your pot and push your luck: too many cherry bombs and it explodes, so the knack is knowing when to stop. Winnings buy better chips for later rounds. Wolfgang Warsch's game is 2 to 4 players, 10 and up, about 45 minutes, from Schmidt Spiele. It takes a little more teaching.
Check price on Amazon for The Quacks of Quedlinburg (opens in a new tab)
Details last checked 19 October 2026.
6. Heat: Pedal to the Metal
Motor racing with cards. Push hard into corners and you pick up Heat cards that clog your hand. Legends robot drivers let you play solo.
- Players
- 1 to 6 players
- Age
- 10+
- Play time
- about 60 minutes
- Our teaching rating
- Takes a little explaining
Why it suits this: Motor racing with cards. Push hard into corners and you pick up Heat cards that clog your hand, so every lap is a question of how far to risk it. Legends robot drivers let you play solo. Days of Wonder says 1 to 6 players, 10 and up, about 60 minutes. The biggest game here.
Check price on Amazon for Heat: Pedal to the Metal (opens in a new tab)
Details last checked 19 October 2026.
Which push-your-luck game is best for…
- A quick family game: Flip 7 or Exploding Kittens.
- A big group of up to 8: Camel Up.
- Up to 6 players in a small box: Push.
- A regular games night: The Quacks of Quedlinburg.
- Playing solo: Heat.
Push-your-luck questions
What does push your luck mean in board games?
You keep taking risks for a bigger reward, and choose when to stop. Go too far and you lose what you’d built up that turn.
What’s the easiest push-your-luck game?
Flip 7. It’s just a deck of cards, and The Op lists it from age 8.
More ideas: dice games, quick board games and games like Exploding Kittens.
How we choose and check
We pick games for the situation, and ignore hobby rankings and hype. Player counts, ages and play times come from the publisher's own page or the box. If we can't confirm a detail there, we leave it off the card. The teaching rating is our own view from reading the rules, not a publisher figure. Nobody pays us to include a game. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. See how we make money.