About a month ago I decided to see if anyone is still playing the original game of tarot. I found that nowadays they call it “French Tarot” to distinguish it from the divination practice, and that it has a small but active online presence through sites like Board Game Arena.
I decided to learn the game, and if I had to summarize it, I’d call it “Really complicated Spades”, but even that’s not doing it justice. Essentially it’s a team-based competitive game for between 3 and 5 players, only the teams change every hand.
I downloaded a phone app to learn the game, and once you wrap your head around the nuances, it’s a really fascinating game that takes some time to master.
There’s a deck called “Tarot Of Loka” that is designed for both divination and gaming. I also ordered a standardized Fournier playing deck from Spain so I can try teaching the game to others. The trump cards in the Fournier deck more closely resemble the ones found in Tarock decks, where the images feature flipped rural scenes instead of the classic arcana, but if you know your cards then using them for divination is still possible. My plan is to release a short video about tarot gaming in the 21st century and the cards used for it.
You can tell the modern elements are there to aid the gameplay; old TdM decks definitely don’t lend themselves to easy “fan-handed” reading, especially in a game where the starting hand has 18 cards in it.
Anyways, does anyone else here play the game? If not, is there interest in learning the game? I’m in the process of assembling notes for a “gaming divination” style work, with a hefty chunk of the text dedicated to games with tarot cards, and I’d love to hear if others are looking for fun and social ways to introduce tarot to their friends via the medium of gaming.
I might be interested in learning the game theory, but if it’s for 3-5 players I’d be challenged to gather that number of interested people together. Would be interested to see your video on this topic, though!
It’ll be a bit before I’m able to do the video, I ordered the cards but it’ll take a couple weeks for them to get to me. In the meantime I can offer the following alternatives:
There’s also a free French Tarot game available in the Microsoft Store called “Tarot Hero”, but it’s entirely in French. I believe it has online multiplayer but again, since it’s all in French, I’ve only figured out how to get a local single player game going with computer opponents. Get Tarot Hero - Microsoft Store
If you want to play with others for free, check out the website Board Game Arena and search for “French Tarot” https://boardgamearena.com/
I have one friend who plays. My partner and I have talked about learning to play but it has never yet made it high enough on our priority list. Thanks for the tip on French Tarot apps! That would never have occurred to me. It looks like there are a couple iphone apps available. I will update this thread if I find one I like.
I’ve tried it out a bit, too, and it’s quite intricate. The Tarot of Loka deck seems like a versatile choice for both gaming and divination. Your idea of making a video about tarot gaming in the 21st century sounds really cool! As a tarot admirer, I found this tarot guide at https://moretarot.com/ very helpful. You can get many ideas and advice there. Give it a shot!
That sounds like an amazing deep dive into the original game of tarot — I’ve heard of French Tarot before but never explored it in detail. I’m not playing the game myself, but I do work with tarot cards in the more traditional divination sense.
I love that you’re bridging the gap between gaming and spiritual use — it’s such a creative and underappreciated way to introduce tarot to people who might not otherwise explore it. It’s also fascinating how certain decks like the “Tarot of Loka” are built for both purposes — dual functionality like that really shows how flexible tarot can be.
If anyone reading this is more on the intuitive or spiritual side and wants to go deeper into reading tarot, I’d recommend checking out this excellent tarot training course I found. It’s beginner-friendly, affordable, and helps build a solid foundation in card meanings, spreads, and intuitive reading.
That said, your idea of “gaming divination” sounds awesome — I’d definitely watch that video when you release it. Keep us posted!
