Questions and answers

About the app

What is Rummy House?
Four rummy card games in one Android app: Basic Rummy, Turkish 51, German Rommé and Gin Rummy. Each can be played offline against bots, and with a friend on a second phone nearby.

Is it free?
Yes. The app is free to download and play, and every game and every option is included. It shows ads, and a one-time Remove ads purchase in Settings switches them off for good.

Where do the ads appear?
As a banner on the menu, settings and result screens, and now and then as a full-screen ad between matches. Never on the table while a hand is being played.

Do I need an account?
No. The app asks for a name to show at your seat, and nothing else. Signing in to Google Play Games is optional and only adds achievements, leaderboards and a backup of your progress.

Does it need the internet?
Not to play. Matches against bots and matches with a friend nearby both work with no connection. A connection is used for ads, for the optional Play Games sign-in and for the Remove ads purchase.

Which phones does it run on?
Android 8.0 or later, on phones and tablets. The game is played upright.

In which languages is the app?
Eleven: English, German, Turkish, Spanish, Portuguese for Brazil and for Portugal, Arabic, Hindi, Simplified Chinese, Japanese and Korean. Change it under Settings → Language.

Why is the app called Rommé, 51 or Rummy clásico on my phone?
It is the same app. On a phone set to German, Turkish or Spanish, the icon carries the name the game is known by there. Inside, it is Rummy House in every language.

The games

Which game should I start with?
Basic Rummy. It has one deck, no jokers and no opening threshold, so you can lay a meld from your first turn.

Where are the rules?
Under How to Play on the menu: one tab for each game, one section at a time, with a worked example drawn in cards. There are practice lessons under Settings → Tutorials.

What is the difference between Turkish 51 and Rommé?
Both use two decks and count points against you. Turkish 51 needs 51 points to open, plays with four jokers, and adds folding and going double. Rommé needs 40, plays with six jokers, and rewards going out in one turn with Hand-Rommé.

Can I change the rules?
Yes. Every game has its own house rules: how long a match lasts, and the optional rules people argue about at real tables. Change them on the New Game screen or under Settings → House rules.

How many players can sit at the table?
Two to four in Basic Rummy, Turkish 51 and Rommé. Gin Rummy is for two.

How strong are the bots?
There are three levels: Easy, Medium and Hard. You can set a level for each bot, or let the app pick at random.

Which kinds of Gin Rummy are there?
Standard, with a knock at 10 or less; Oklahoma, where the first upcard sets the knock limit; and Gin only, where nothing but gin ends a hand. Bonuses can be Classic or Modern.

Is this a game for money?
No. There is no betting, no stake and nothing to win or lose but the match. EXP and levels only unlock card designs.

At the table

How do I move my cards?
Press and hold a card and drag it. Tap several cards to select them and drag them together. Double-tap a card to keep it out of a group. Sort lines your groups up.

What does the gold dot on a card mean?
That the card can be added to a meld already on the table. Switch it off with Meld hints, or swap the dot for another marker in Appearance.

Why are some of my cards outlined in gold?
They form a valid meld together. The outline moves with the cards as you rearrange them.

The app will not let me lay down my cards.
Until you have opened, your first lay-down has to reach the opening total: 51 in Turkish 51, 40 in Rommé. The number above your hand counts how far your groups are. In those two games one card always has to stay in your hand for the discard.

I closed the app in the middle of a match.
Nothing is lost. A match against bots is saved as you play: tap Continue on the menu.

Can I keep several matches going?
One at a time. Starting a new match replaces the one that was waiting.

The cards move too fast, or too slowly.
Set Settings → Animation speed anywhere from 0.5× to 2×.

Playing with a friend

How do we play together?
Both need the app, and both need to be in the same room. One taps Play with a Friend → Host a game → Start hosting; the other taps Join a game → Search for a host.

Do we need Wi-Fi or mobile data?
No. The phones link directly over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, with no network in between.

Can we play when we are not in the same place?
No. Rummy House has no online play: a match with a friend is between two phones nearby.

Can more than two people play together?
Two people can share a table, and bots can fill one or two more seats. Gin Rummy is one against one.

The phones do not find each other.
Check that Bluetooth is on in both phones and that the app was allowed to find nearby devices. On Android 12 and older, Location has to be switched on as well; the app says so and offers the switch. Then keep the phones close together and search again.

What happens if the connection drops?
The match pauses and both phones say why. When they find each other again, play carries on from the same position.

It says the app versions don't match.
Update the app on both phones. Two different versions do not start a match, so that neither shows a table the other cannot follow.

Is there a chat?
No. The other player sees your name and your moves, nothing else.

Progress

What is EXP for?
Levels, and levels unlock card faces, card backs, backgrounds and hint markers. They change how the table looks, never how the game plays.

How do I level up faster?
Play your first match of the day, which pays double, keep a win streak going for up to 50% more, and finish the three daily challenges.

What is Prestige?
At level 50 you can go back to level 1 for a permanent star. Everything you unlocked stays unlocked.

Will my progress survive a new phone?
With Play Games signed in, your trophies, level, prestige, wins and best streak come back. Your current streak, daily challenges and detailed statistics stay on the old phone.

Data and privacy

What does the app collect?
There is no developer account system, no chat and no game server. Your name, your settings, your progress and your saved match are kept on your phone. With your consent, usage statistics go to Google Analytics for Firebase under a random identifier, never with your name or your cards. Ads are served by Google AdMob. The full policy is under Settings → Privacy policy.

What does my friend's phone receive?
Your name, the rules of the match, and the game in progress: the moves, and the part of the table each player is shown. It goes to that one phone and nowhere else.

Why does the app ask to find nearby devices?
Only to play with a friend. Android asks the first time you host or join a game. The app does not read your location.

How do I change my consent or reset my data?
Settings → Ad privacy settings reopens your consent choice. Settings → Reset analytics ID starts a new random identifier. To delete everything the app keeps on your phone, clear its storage in Android's settings or uninstall it.