canastafamilien

Canastafamilien is a term found in some Scandinavian-language sources used to refer to the Canasta family of card games. The word combines canasta, the Spanish word for basket, with familien, meaning family. It is not a formal category in major English-language game literature, but may appear in regional guides to group Canasta variants and related games under a common label.

Canasta itself is a rummy-style card game typically played by four players in two partnerships, though variants exist for two players and solo play. The game uses two standard decks plus jokers, for a total of 108 or 112 cards. After drawing, players form melds of three or more cards of the same rank on the table. A key objective is to create canastas—melds of seven or more cards of the same rank—which yield higher points. Wild cards, usually jokers (and in many rules, twos), can be used to complete melds but are restricted in value and carry penalties if misused. The game ends when a team goes out, and points are tallied according to melds, canastas, and remaining hand cards.

Variations commonly associated with the Canasta family include Classic Canasta, American Canasta, and related formats such as Hand and Foot and Samba, which adapt deck size, wild-card rules, and partnerships but retain the core mechanics of melding and canastas. The term canastafamilien thus points to this cluster of related games rather than a single, fixed rule set.