How to Play Caravan

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: January 31, 2022 References

Caravan is a card game in the video game Fallout: New Vegas. You can play the game with various characters in the game, and it’s a good way to earn some extra money if you’re strapped for cash and you’re good at the game. The rules of Caravan might seem a little convoluted at first, but the game isn’t too tough to master with a little practice. Read on to learn everything you need to know about mastering Caravan!!

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Starting the Game

1
Visit Ringo in Goodsprings to get a free 54 card starter deck. You will need your own deck of cards to play Caravan in Fallout. Ringo will give you a deck for free and he will also give you instructions to the game. After that you can pick up extra cards by visiting merchants and looting corpses in the Wasteland.^{[1]
X
Research source}
- Some quest givers will also give you cards, such as Festus who will give you cards if you beat him at lucky horseshoes.
2
Challenge an NPC to a game of Caravan. The NPCs who will play with you are usually merchants and will have this as an option in the speech menu. Look at the options in the speech menu whenever you interact with an NPC to see if playing a game of Caravan is an option.^{[2]
X
Research source}
- Some NPCs you can challenge to Caravan include Cliff Briscoe, Dale Barton, Isaac, Amb. Dennis Crocker, Jules, Keith, Lacey, Private Jake Irwin, Johnson Nash, Quartermaster Hayes, No-Bark Noonan, Ringo, Little Buster, and Jed Masterson.
Tip: You can also play Caravan in real life. If you want to play Caravan outside of Fallout, then you and your opponent will each need your own standard deck of playing cards. You can build a deck of 30 cards using this deck.

Advertisement
3
Click the interface button to place your bet before the game begins. You can bet as much as you want on a game of Caravan, but you might want to start with low bets until you have figured it out. You won’t know what your hand is, but you may have an idea of your skill level and how difficult the NPC is to beat based on past experiences with playing them. NPCs can also raise your bet if they want, but they will not raise your bet by more than 50%.^{[3]
X
Research source}
- For a low bet, try starting with 1 cap and see what your opponent raises you.
- If you don’t have any money to bet, you’ll need to go out and earn some before you can challenge someone to a game.
- Remember that you’ll lose the amount you bet if you lose the game, or win that amount if you win!

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Building Your Deck

1
Move cards from the bottom to the top row to add to your deck. Your goal is to build 3 caravans that have between 21 and 26 points from number cards in each one, so choose cards with this in mind. Kings, Queens, Jacks, and Jokers provide special effects that can help you to reach your goal and also thwart your opponent. Choose 30 cards from the bottom row and click the “Add” button to put them into your deck.^{[4]
X
Research source}
- Do not use duplicate cards from the same deck. The interface in Fallout will automatically make cards unavailable if they are not useable.
- For example, you cannot use two 3’s of the same suit, but you could use a 3 of clubs and a 3 of hearts if you want.
- Likewise, if you have 2 kings, they would need to be of different suits to use them.^{[5]
  X
  Research source}
2
Remove cards from the top row using the “Remove” button. If you add a card that you change your mind about using, you can also remove it from your deck before the game begins. Highlight a card in the top row and click on the “Remove” button to take it out of your deck.^{[6]
X
Research source}

Tip: Keep in mind that you cannot change your deck once the game has started, so it’s crucial to arrange it how you want it before the game starts.
3
Create a random deck by hitting the “Randomize” button. If you want to play the game without creating a custom deck, then you can also hit the “Randomize” button. This will automatically create a deck out of your available cards.^{[7]
X
Research source}
- This is a good option if you are just learning how to play Caravan and are not yet sure what cards work best for beating your opponents.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Playing the First Round

1
Place 8 number cards or aces from your deck into your 3 caravans. To begin the game, each player should take the top 8 cards from their deck. This is your beginning hand and you will need to arrange all 8 of these cards into caravans. Take turns with your opponent and put down 1 card at a time to fill each of your 3 caravans with cards from your hand. Line up these 3 stacks of cards so they are across from your opponents’ 3 stacks of cards.^{[8]
X
Research source}
- The numbers in your caravans must be sequential in either ascending or descending order, but you can skip numbers. For example, you could start with a 2 of hearts in 1 caravan, then follow it with a 4 of spades, and then follow that with a 7 of clubs.^{[9]
  X
  Research source}
- You may not discard during the opening rounds unless you have no cards at all to play. If you do not have any number cards or aces, show your hand to your opponent, shuffle your hand, and draw a new set of 8 cards.^{[10]
  X
  Research source}
2
Choose one of 3 actions on each of your turns. You and your opponent will alternate turns to play the game. During each of your turns, you must take an action, but you can only complete 1 action per turn. You may do any of the following 3 things on your turn:^{[11]
X
Research source}
- Play 1 card and draw a new card from your caravan on your turn.
- Discard 1 card and draw a new card.
- Disband 1 of your caravans by removing all of the cards in it. Place all of the cards into your discard pile.
Tip: Avoid disbanding caravans unless it is absolutely necessary, such as if a caravan is overburdened (27 or higher). Once you have disbanded a caravan and placed the cards into a discard pile, you cannot use them again during the game.^{[12]
X
Research source}
3
Play your number cards strategically for different points values. Aces and cards numbered 2 through 10 are what get you points in Caravan. Your goal is to create at least 2 caravans of ascending or descending numbers that adds up to between 21 and 26 points. Some ways you might use a number card in the game include:^{[13]
X
Research source}
- Playing any number card on an empty caravan.
- Playing any card not equal to the card you play it on if here’s 1 number card on the caravan.
- Playing an ascending number or a descending number depending on the last 2 cards in the caravan.
4
Use face cards to create special effects and change points values. You can play face cards on your caravan or on an opponent’s caravan. You may play up to 3 face cards for each card in a caravan. The face cards and the effects of each card include:^{[14]
X
Research source}
- Jack: Discard the card that you play it on.
- Queen: Play it on the last card of a caravan to change its suit and reverse its direction.
- King: Double the value of the card you play it on.
- Joker: Play the Joker on an ace to remove all number cards and aces from both players’ caravans that are the same suit as the ace.
5
Win the game by “selling” 2 or more of your caravans. Your caravans are considered sold when they have a points value between 21 and 26. Once you achieve this for 2 of your caravans and your opponent achieves it for 1 of theirs, or if you achieve it for 3 of yours, then you win the game.^{[15]
X
Research source}
- If you have an equal number of caravans for sale, then the player with the higher number caravans wins. For example, if your opponent has 2 caravans for sale at 22 points and 25 points, and you have 2 caravans for sale at 23 and 26 points, then you would be the winner.
- If you run out of cards before you can put a caravan up for sale, then your opponent automatically wins.