Shithead Card Game for Android
Hit Head is a free Android version of the card game known as Shithead, Palace, Karma and Shed. Play against bots offline, play online, or open a table for your friends.
▶ Get Hit Head free on Google Play
Android only. Free to play, with ads and optional in-app purchases.
Why a Shithead app?
Anyone who has played Shithead knows the argument at the start: which cards burn the pile, which ones reverse, what happens with a 2. Hit Head plays one fixed rule set with its own special cards, so the table agrees before the first card is down. You also never need a full deck, and you never need to find three other players: bots fill the empty seats.
What you get in Hit Head
- Single-player against bots. It works offline.
- Online multiplayer. Live games against real players.
- Friends tables. Open a table, share the invite code, and play with people you know.
- Tournament mode. Work your way through the Bronze, Silver and Gold tables to win the cup.
- Global Top 20 leaderboard. Win games, earn coins and climb the ranks.
- Game store. Spend your coins on profile avatars.
How a game works
Each player gets three hidden cards, three face-up cards and three cards in hand. You play a card equal to or higher than the top of the pile, or you pick the pile up. Empty your hand, then your face-up cards, and finally take your chances on the hidden ones. The last player holding cards loses. Read the complete rules.
The special cards
| Card | What it does |
|---|---|
| Hit Head | The game's joker. Throw it at an opponent and they take the whole pile, unless they have a Hit Head card of their own and fire it back. |
| Bomb | Burns the pile and gives you an extra turn. |
| Zero | Resets the pile value to zero, so the next player can play any card. |
| Transparent | Copies the card beneath it. |
| 4 | The next player must play a 4 or lower. |
| 5 | Skips the next player. |
| 6 | Reverses the direction of play. |
| Four of a kind | Four identical cards in a row burn the pile and give you an extra turn. |
Playing Shithead on your phone: the options
There are several ways to play Shithead on a phone. They differ in the rules and in how you play, so here is a plain comparison. The notes on other games come from their own websites, checked on 11 November 2026.
| Option | How you play | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Hit Head | Android app | Single-player against bots offline, online multiplayer, friends tables, tournament and leaderboard. Free, with ads. Not available on iPhone. |
| Joker Palace | Android and iPhone apps | Free. According to its site: real-time multiplayer, private tables with invite links, four rule sets and a weekly league. |
| shithead.app | In the browser | According to its site: no download or account, 2 to 5 players, play against the computer or friends, and you can set the special-card rules yourself. |
| CardGames.io | In the browser | According to its page: no download, play against the computer or another player. |
The rules are not the same in every game. If your group plays with its own house rules, check the rules of the game before you start.
Questions
What is Shithead?
Shithead is a card game where everyone tries to get rid of all their cards, and the last player still holding cards is the shithead. It is also called Palace, Karma, Shed and many other names, and the house rules change from group to group.
Is Hit Head the same as Shithead?
Hit Head is a Shithead-style game (the Palace and Karma family) with one fixed rule set and its own special cards: Zero, Transparent, Bomb and the Hit Head card. The full rules are on the how-to-play page, so you can check them before you play with a group used to different house rules.
Is Hit Head free?
Yes. Hit Head is free to download and play. It contains third-party ads and optional in-app purchases.
Can I play Hit Head on an iPhone?
No. Hit Head is available for Android only. On an iPhone you can play Shithead in a web browser or with another app.
Can I play without an internet connection?
Yes. Single-player mode against bots works offline. Multiplayer and friends tables need a connection.
Can I play with my friends?
Yes. Open a friends table, share the invite code, and your friends join your table. A table seats up to four players, and bots fill empty seats.
← Complete rules ← Hit Head home