# Barbu Card Game

> French trick-taking card game with traditional and randomized rounds. (iPhone/iPad app by Etienne Alexander Thompson.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/barbu-card-game/id6462794394 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Etienne Alexander Thompson](https://appshunter.io/developer/1700785059)
- Category: Games, Card, Strategy
- Price: Free
- Rating: 5.00/5 from 2 App Store ratings · 2 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 15.0 · 99 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2023-08-23
- Data updated: 2026-07-22
- Monetization: ad-supported
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/barbu-card-game/id6462794394/reviews.md

## What is Barbu Card Game?

Welcome to Le Barbu!

Le Barbu is a French card game that is of the trick-taking family of games, like Hearts and Spades. It is played with 4 players with a standard 52-card deck with cards ranked from 2 being the lowest to Ace being the highest. Each player will take turns playing a card into the current trick or pile. The first player to play a card into the current trick sets the starting suit, and each other player must play a card of the starting suit if they have one or any card if they don't. Once each player has played a card into the trick, the player that played the highest card of the starting suit wins the pile, and points are awarded based on the current round.

Traditionally in Le Barbu, there are 6 rounds that are played sequentially. Those being the no hearts, no queens, no king of hearts (the barbu), no tricks or piles, nothing, and everything. Each changes how points are awarded, with the first 5 rounds awarding points and the last round removing points. But in Le Barbu, points are bad! You want to have the fewest points to win!

In addition, this app introduces a new game type -- the chaos round! The chaos round is a unique way to play Barbu, where two to three rounds are chosen randomly and combined together to create a unique round. Every time you play you'll be tested on a different combination of points. It introduces many round types that are not part of the traditional game.

Have fun with the game!

## Key features

- Trick-taking gameplay
- Four-player mode
- Standard 52-card deck
- Traditional game rounds
- Unique 'chaos' round mode
- Point-based scoring (lower is better)

## Recent user reviews (2 of 2)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/barbu-card-game/id6462794394/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Love the game, but

*2024-12-11*

Super fun game. There is one thing I would change though. The players never rotate who starts a round, so you are always leading the same round AKA for the "Everything" round, the person on the left always starts. This means they always have an easier time controlling the table if they have high cards. Kind of annoying, but still giving 5 stars because it isn't stopping me from playing...for now.

### 5/5 — That’s a good looking beard!

*2024-07-27*

I got to learn a fun new card game without having to worry about being monetized in any way, couldn’t ask for more!

## Frequently asked questions about Barbu Card Game

### What is Barbu Card Game?

Barbu Card Game is a digital adaptation of the traditional French trick-taking card game. It involves four players using a standard 52-card deck, where the objective is to accumulate the fewest points by winning specific tricks across various rounds.

### How is Barbu Card Game played?

Players take turns playing cards into a trick. The first card played sets the suit, and other players must follow suit if possible. The highest card of the starting suit wins the trick, and points are awarded based on the round's rules. The player with the lowest score at the end wins.

### What are the different rounds in Barbu Card Game?

Traditional rounds include no hearts, no queens, no king of hearts (the barbu), no tricks, nothing, and everything. The app also features a 'chaos round' where 2-3 rounds are randomly combined for a unique gameplay experience.

### Does Barbu Card Game have ads?

Yes, Barbu Card Game contains advertisements. As it is free to download and play, advertisements are used to support the development and maintenance of the game.

### What devices does Barbu Card Game support?

Barbu Card Game is available on iPhone and iPod devices. It is designed to run on these iOS platforms.

### What is the age rating for Barbu Card Game?

Barbu Card Game has an age rating of 4+. This indicates it is suitable for players aged four and above, suggesting content that is generally appropriate for young audiences.

### How often is Barbu Card Game updated?

The latest version of Barbu Card Game is 0.3, and it was last updated on May 13, 2024. This indicates a relatively recent update, suggesting ongoing development and support.

### What is the user sentiment for Barbu Card Game?

Based on the provided rating, Barbu Card Game has received a perfect 5.0 stars from 2 ratings. This indicates a highly positive initial reception from its current player base.

## Version history (last 4 releases)

### 0.4 — 2026-07-14

Updates:
1. Updated the round point interface while playing.
2. Updated the menu to be a dismissible set of buttons rather than static buttons stuck on the screen.
3. Removed the popup menus in favor of more buttons on the dismissible menu and a second sliding menu.
4. Updated score menu to be more dynamic.
5. Updated interface for showing which cards are intractable from a slight color change to bright yellow highlighting of the outside of the card.

### 0.3 — 2024-05-13

Updates:
1. Added automatic playing of cards when a round is over, rather than abruptly ending and showing the scoreboard.
1. Added more informational text throughout the game. These include:
    a. The game type being played at the start of each round, when displaying the round name.
    b. The winning players at the end of the game.
    c. Confirmation that the round is over when automatically playing the remaining tricks.

### 0.2 — 2023-12-26

Larger Updates:
1. Switched UI from 3D to 2D, making cards larger and their suits and ranks clearer.
2. Added difficulties for computers within the settings, with options for easy, medium, and large.

Smaller Updates:
1. Added small animation updates for combining cards in hand once a card has been played.
2. Added animation for moving a pile towards the player that won the pile.
3. Added alternating suit color sorting to more easily tell which cards are available.

### 0.1 — 2023-08-23

No release notes.

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-07-22.*
