About Donkey

Donkey brings a much-loved family card game online, so friends and relatives can keep playing together even when they are in different cities.

The game

Many of us grew up playing this game at family gatherings, on train journeys and during holidays — as Kazhutha in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Gadha in the north, or Bhabhi and Thulla in Punjab and beyond. The rules are easy to learn in a minute, every round is unpredictable, and nobody wants to be the Donkey at the end. Read the full rules, the strategy tips, or what the game is called around India.

Why this site

• Free and instant. No account, no download, no app store. Open the site, enter a name, and play.
• Made for friends. One person creates a room and shares the code on WhatsApp; up to 8 people can join.
• Works on any device. Phones (Android and iPhone, played sideways), tablets and computers.
• Fair play. Cards are shuffled and dealt by the server, and each player only ever receives their own hand, so nobody can peek.
• Family friendly. Chat includes a filter for abusive words, and player names are checked too.

House rules we use

Every family plays a little differently. This version includes the popular Ace penalties (the Donkey of each game collects A♠, A♥, A♦, A♣ — four Aces makes you the final loser), lets the loser start the next game with A♠, allows asking for another player's cards, and lets the last two players declare. If your family plays with a different rule, tell us — we may add it as an option.

Who makes it

Donkey is built and run by a small independent developer in India. It is supported by a few ads and by players who choose to buy us a coffee.

Get in touch

Found a bug or have an idea? We read every message — visit the contact page.

Start playing