Canasta offline is a skill-based game, which uses strategy and a little luck. Players can draw cards, create new melds, and add cards to existing melds with each turn.

Canasta is normally played with two standard 52 card packs plus four jokers (two from each pack), making 108 cards in all. They have standard point values as follows:

Jokers . . . 50 points each
A, 2 . . . 20 points each
K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8 10 points each
7, 6, 5, 4 . . . 5 points each

The cards A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4 are called natural cards. All of the deuces (twos) and jokers are wild cards. With some restrictions, wild cards can be used during the game as substitutes for a natural card of any rank.

The threes have special functions and values, depending on which variation of Canasta is being played.

Canasta offline is generally playing with two and four players.