Cabo vs Cambio
If you learned it as Cabo and your friends call it Cambio, you're playing the same game. Here's what's the same, what's different, and how to play either online.
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The short answer
Cabo is a published card game (first released in 2010) with its own deck of cards numbered 0 to 13. Cambio is the same idea played with an ordinary deck of playing cards — which is how most people meet it, at university, on holiday or around a kitchen table. Some groups call it Pablo or Cactus (more on all the names).
What's the same
- Four face-down cards each; you only see two at the start.
- The lowest total wins.
- Power cards let you peek at your own cards, spy on someone else's, and swap.
- Someone calls (“Cabo!” or “Cambio!”), everyone else gets one last turn, and the hands are revealed.
What's different
| Cabo (boxed game) | Cambio (standard deck) | |
|---|---|---|
| Cards | Its own deck, numbered 0–13 | A normal 52-card deck plus Jokers |
| Best card | 0 | Red King (−1), then Joker (0) |
| Peek / spy / swap | 7–8 peek, 9–10 spy, 11–12 swap | 7–8 peek, 9–10 spy, Jack–Queen blind swap, King look and swap |
| Snapping | Depends on the edition and the table | Usually yes — any matching card, any time |
| What you call | “Cabo!” | “Cambio!” |
Rules vary from table to table for both — agree yours before you deal. Cabo is a trademark of its publisher; ¡Cambio! isn't affiliated with it.
Which should you play?
If you've got the Cabo box, play Cabo. If you've got an ordinary pack of cards — or a phone — play Cambio: the Red Kings, Jokers and snapping make it a little wilder. The full rules are on our how to play page.
Play it online
¡Cambio! is a free, Day-of-the-Dead fiesta take on Cambio: play solo along a campaign of rivals, take a daily puzzle, or open a table for friends — no download, no sign-up.
Questions
Is Cabo the same as Cambio?
Essentially, yes: the same game of hidden cards, peeking, swapping and calling. Cabo uses its own 0–13 deck; Cambio uses a standard deck with Red Kings worth −1.
Can you play Cabo with normal cards?
Yes — that's Cambio. Use 7–8 to peek, 9–10 to spy, and Jacks, Queens and Kings to swap.
Who made Cabo?
Cabo was designed by Melissa Limes and Mandy Henning and first published in 2010.