Games
The last player loses: Durak, Old Maid and Black Peter
Most games crown a winner. A small family of card games picks a loser instead, and the mood at the table changes.
In most card games the aim is to win. In a few, nobody wins at all: everyone tries not to be the last one left, and the game ends by naming a loser.
Durak
Durak, "fool" in Russian, is the best known. Players attack and defend with cards until the stock runs out, then drop out one by one as they empty their hands. The last player holding cards is the durak. The rules of Durak are short, but a round asks for a lot of judgement about when to fight and when to pick up.
Old Maid
In Old Maid, one queen is removed from a standard deck, so one queen has no partner. Players draw cards from each other's hands in turn and discard pairs. Whoever is left holding the unpaired queen at the end is the old maid. It is a game of luck, which makes it a good one for young children.
Black Peter
Black Peter, Schwarzer Peter in German, works the same way with a special deck. One card shows Black Peter, and the player left holding it loses. In some families the loser gets a smudge of soot or a pen mark on the face.
Why the format works
A game with one loser keeps everyone involved until the end, because nobody can relax until they are safe. In Durak it also makes for a social table, since players who are already out stay to watch and comment on the last few bouts.