About Kadi

Preserving Kenya's favorite card game for the digital age

The Game Everyone Knows

If you grew up in Kenya, you know Kadi. It's the card game played at family gatherings, school breaks, and campus hostels across the country. From Mombasa to Kisumu, Nairobi to Eldoret — Kadi transcends age, tribe, and social class. The rules get passed down from older siblings and cousins, each neighborhood adding its own house rules and variations.

Yet despite being one of East Africa's most widely played card games, Kadi never had a proper digital home. No official rules document, no online version, no way to play when your friends aren't around. Until now.

Our Mission

Kadi (playkadi.com) is the definitive digital adaptation of the Kenyan card game. We built it to:

  • Preserve the game: Document and codify the classic rules so they're never lost to time
  • Connect players: Let Kenyans (and anyone who loves card games) play together from anywhere
  • Settle the debates: Support multiple rule presets — from strict classic to stacking mayhem — so every house rule gets its place
  • Build community: Crews, tournaments, leaderboards, and seasons bring competitive depth to a game that deserves it

How It Works

Kadi runs entirely in your browser — no app download required (though it works great as a PWA on your phone's home screen). The game engine is deterministic: every move is validated on both client and server, preventing cheating while keeping gameplay smooth.

Play vs AI

Practice against computer opponents with easy, medium, and hard difficulty levels. Perfect for learning or sharpening your strategy.

Private Rooms

Create a room, share the link on WhatsApp, and play with your friends. Customize rules to match your house style.

Quick Match

Get matched with other players automatically. ELO-rated games so you always face a fair opponent.

Tournaments

Daily and weekly tournaments with coin prizes. Climb the rankings, earn bragging rights, and rep your crew.

Features

  • 4 rule presets — Classic, Stacking Mayhem, Quick, and Strict modes
  • Custom rules — Toggle 40+ individual rule settings to create your perfect game
  • ELO rating system — Chess-style ranking that reflects your true skill level
  • Game replays — Every game is recorded and replayable with a shareable link
  • Crews — Form teams, climb crew rankings, and represent in crew wars
  • Leaderboards — Compete for top spots in ELO, XP, and coins
  • Mobile-first design — Optimized for phones with touch-friendly controls and card dragging
  • Free to play — No paywall, no pay-to-win. Cosmetics and time-savers only.
  • M-Pesa integration — Buy gems directly with M-Pesa (coming soon)

More Than Just a Game

Kadi is part of Kenya's cultural fabric. It teaches quick thinking, risk assessment, and social awareness — you have to read your opponents, decide when to attack with penalties or hold back, and manage your hand for the perfect finish. The "Niko Kadi!" declaration is one of the most satisfying (and nerve-wracking) moments in any card game.

By bringing Kadi online, we're not just making a game — we're preserving a tradition and giving it a platform to grow. We hope that players around the world will discover what Kenyans have known for generations: Kadi is simply one of the best card games ever invented.

Built With Care

Kadi is an open-source project built with modern web technologies. The game engine is written in pure TypeScript with zero dependencies — the same code validates moves on your device and on our servers, ensuring fair play. Every game is cryptographically seeded for reproducibility, enabling our replay system and preventing tampering.

Get in Touch

Have feedback, found a bug, or want to suggest a feature? We'd love to hear from you.

Join the Community

Start playing for free — no download, no signup required. Create an account to track your progress and compete on the leaderboard.

Play Kadi Now