My Family Loves Rummikub and Miraculously So Do I

New York Times

18-07-2025

The game consists of a bunch of numbered tiles. Could it really be that fun? Maria Adelmann/NYT Wirecutter
But Rummikub? It's almost aggressively anti-narrative. The rules are shockingly simple. If you know your numbers, you can play.
I didn't see this as a selling point. Hate to brag, but I've known my numbers since preschool. I thought of Uno, of the interminable games I played with young children, of the boredom of luck as a primary game mechanic, of your brain turning to mush as you awaited your fate.
But mid-Rummikub, I was surprised to find that the brain power required to get rid of a single tile made me feel like the woman in the Confused Math Lady meme. I was impressed.
Easy to learn and play at different strategic levels, Rummikub is a surprisingly engaging game best for three to four players. This version is lightweight and comes with a travel case.
At its core, Rummikub is basically a card game, with numbered tiles in four different colors in lieu of suits. (Apparently, it was invented in 1940s communist Romania, when playing cards was outlawed.) The rules are, indeed, Rummy-esque.
The goal is to get rid of all the tiles on your tray by collecting sets of at least three tiles, which you lay in front of you on the table. A set can either be a group, at least three tiles of the same number in different colors; or a run, at least three tiles with consecutive numbers in the same color. Two joker tiles, emblazoned with an iconic, mischievous face, also spice things up. At its simplest level, Rummikub involves putting together groups (tiles with the same number but in different colors) and runs (tiles with consecutive numbers of the same color). There are also two iconic jokers. Maria Adelmann/NYT Wirecutter
Once sets have begun to accumulate on the table, you can get rid of as many tiles on your tray as you possibly can during your turn by creating new sets and/or adding to existing sets on the table. If you can't lay down any tiles, you have to pick up a new one.
The real fun is that you can also break apart and reform sets on the table, as long as you still create groups or runs of at least three tiles. Whoever lays all of their tiles on the table first, wins.
I love the thrill, the chugging brain power required, to orchestrate a cascade of changes just to get rid of a single tile, altering the entire tablescape in the process. This also means that even when it's not your turn, you have reason to pay attention.
It's also one of the joys of the game for editorial director Lauren Sullivan. 'I get horribly obnoxious playing,' she says. She often moves dozens of tiles on her turn before realizing the play won't actually work, then she has to 'unwind the entire play.' The game really gets going when you start breaking apart and reforming sets to get rid of tiles. Maria Adelmann/NYT Wirecutter
The game is easy to play with other people not just because it's quick to learn, but because it can be played at different strategic levels at the same time, and no one feels too left behind. You can play the simplest version and never break apart a set on the table, and you will still get rid of tiles, even if another player seems to be playing three-dimensional chess and is getting rid of tiles slightly faster. Adults, teenagers, seniors, and kids as young as 8 can all play together. You can go hard, but you don't have to.
Lauren says the game emerged for her family during the pandemic as an intergenerational delight. She's played it with her 9-year-old, her neighbors, and her mother-in-law, who is in her 80s. Making a cascade of changes on a single turn takes a surprising amount of brain power. Maria Adelmann/NYT Wirecutter
Rounds are also relatively short — about 20 or 30 minutes. Play one round, and you've got a coffee break. Play three, and you've got a game night. The game is generally best played with three or four players, but it is possible to play with two. (There's also a version for six players, though I haven't tried it.)
Rummikub is also a somewhat social game. While my go-to board games involve gathering wheat and playing animal husbandry with meeples, such complex games don't leave much time for conversation. (My partner sometimes notes I might as well be playing such a game by myself.) Like a game of cards or Scrabble, you can have snacks, talk some light smack, complain endlessly about your bad luck, and generally hang out while still focusing on the game.
Another boon for my family: We get a constant influx of international relatives and are always on the hunt for games that don't rely on language. Rummikub is on track to replace Qwirkle, our previous go-to. The only problem we've found with the game is that some colorblind players have had a hard time telling the difference between similarly colored tiles, an issue that could be solved by adding dots in Sharpie to differentiate the colors.
The tactile pleasure of the tiles is another unexpected delight of Rummikub, because having something solid you can hold in your hand is a bit of a novelty in the digital age. Plus, moving tiles around on a tray is easier than wrangling an increasingly large hand of cards — a boon, also, for those with limited dexterity.
The version my mom gave me for Christmas comes with a travel bag. It's a little large if you're packing just a carry-on, but you can easily take it in a checked bag or on a road trip. I also like that the tiles are lightweight and have a little indent where you can put your fingers, and I like that the tray is properly designed so the tiles don't fall off. My set comes with four trays, lightweight tiles, a two-page rule book, and a carrying case for travel. Maria Adelmann/NYT Wirecutter
Rummikub's general appeal also makes it a great hostess gift. When my mom was staying with a friend for several weeks, she shipped the game ahead of time, then taught her friend how to play when she arrived. It's useful to introduce people to the game in person because it looks, well, kind of dated and boring from the box. One relative I stayed with was surprised to find she already had the game in her closet and had never played it.
Much to my surprise, I've discovered this three-quarter-century-old game is also having a moment beyond my family circle. Cool kids in LA and Gen Z and millennials on the quest for analog fun play it, not to mention my co-worker Lauren and her family and neighbors.
Perhaps the reason I like Rummikub best is that it brings people together (incidentally, this has become the game's tagline). Will it replace Fields of Arle and Wingspan in my game closet? Not a chance. But with those games, it can be hard to find a willing victim.
Rummikub is an easier sell. People young, old, and in-between can play, no matter their first language. But the game's universality doesn't make it boring. It still scratches several gaming itches: It requires strategy, it challenges my brain, and perhaps most importantly, it takes me away from my phone and into the world where I can talk to real people and touch real things.
This article was edited by Hannah Rimm and Maxine Builder.