APE9

Callbreak

Classic South Asian trick-taking: call your tricks, spades are trump, must follow and beat.

How to play

Four players, each for themselves. 13 cards each. Spades are always trump.

Each player calls between 1 and 8 tricks they intend to win. 1 is the minimum bid.

You must follow suit if possible, and must play a higher card of the led suit if you can beat the trick.

If void in the led suit, you must play a spade trump (and beat any previously played spade if possible).

Achieving your bid scores 10 points per bid trick plus 1 per extra trick; failing loses 10 points per bid trick. Played over 5 rounds.

About Callbreak

Callbreak, also widely celebrated as Lakdi, is a four-player strategic trick-taking card game popular throughout Nepal, India, and South Asia. Played over five rounds with a standard 52-card deck, Spades serve as permanent trumps. At the beginning of each deal, players examine their hands and place a binding call (bid) between 1 and 8 tricks. Players are obligated to follow suit and must play a higher card than the current winning card if capable; if void in the led suit, a player must ruff with a spade trump. Reaching your bid awards positive score while missing penalizes you heavily.

Callbreak at a glance

Players4 players
TypeTable game: play online with friends, or with bots in any seat
FamilyTrick-taking
Bot levelsEasy, medium and hard
OptionsRounds: 5 or 1 or 3
Turn timer (online)30 seconds
CostFree, no download

Tips for Callbreak

  • Be conservative with your call: missing your bid penalizes you heavily, while overtricks still award fractional bonus points.
  • Count played spades carefully so you know when your high non-trump cards become safe master winners.
  • Use short suits to your advantage by ruffing in with low spades when an opponent leads that suit.

Questions about Callbreak

How many people can play Callbreak?

Callbreak is played by exactly 4 players. Real players and bots can share a table, so a game can always start even if you do not have enough people.

Can I play Callbreak against the computer?

Yes. Pick easy, medium or hard bots and start straight away. Bots only use what a player in their seat could see, so they cannot peek at your cards.

Can I play Callbreak online with friends?

Yes. Create a private room and share its code, or join a quick match. If someone drops out mid-game, a bot takes over their seat.

Games like Callbreak

Compare Callbreak

  • Callbreak vs Spades: Callbreak vs Spades: spades are trump in both, but Callbreak is every player for themselves with strict must-beat…

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