21 Blitz Game Review [2024]: I Played for Fun and Won

21 Blitz is an app-based game available from the Apple App Store, Galaxy Store, and Google Play that mixes elements of the Solitaire and 21 card games in quick and exciting game modes. It was created by Tether Studios, an independent game development studio based in Henderson, Nevada. The company focuses on developing mobile, skill-based games.

Is 21 Blitz legit?

Yes, it's legit and the game leans into making sure players know it. Every time you play a game they display a match ID you can reference if you have any questions about your earnings or the match-up. They also emphasize that you play against real people, not bots. 

Each game you are matched up against another person based your ability and gameplay. There were times when I was playing where there wasn't another person available to play against me in real-time. In these cases, the matches happen asynchronously and you might have to wait several minutes or even hours to see if you've won or lost.

Tether Studios, the game's creator, has a worldwide audience of over 32 million players involved with its games, including titles such as Mahjong Solitaire Cube, Yatzy Royale, and Cube Cube. Tether Studios was founded in 2014 by Aletheia O’Neil and Tim O’Neil and runs on Skillz. This game platform hosts billions of online multiplayer tournaments for millions of players worldwide competing for cash prizes. Other popular Skillz games include Dominoes Gold, Blackout Bingo, and Pool Payday.

Many Tether Studios games have ranked in the top 5 games in their categories on the App Store. 21 Blitz has over 28,000 ratings and an overall 4.6 out of 5 rating in the Apple App Store. The app also has high ratings in the Galaxy Store, with over 3,000 reviews and an overall 4.5 out of 5 rating.

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My experience playing 21 Blitz 

I've played online solitaire for years, but never this mix of solitaire and blackjack. I found it quick to learn and I enjoyed the additional layer of strategy you get from combining the games. Graphically, 21 Blitz is lacking a bit compared to other games I've played. But, it also had way fewer in-app ads and pop-ups so personally I'll take that trade-off. 

To get started I downloaded the app and created a 21 Blitz account. The app prompts you to choose an avatar and username before you can play your first game. The username field contains silly suggestions like "LibraForeignSchedule321" but I ran into issues registering with these pre-filled usernames. I had to cycle through three different name suggestions until I found one that I was able to register with — the first two usernames that were suggested to me resulted in error messages. This was an odd hiccup in the sign-up process, but luckily the only glitch I encountered while playing.

Once I created my account, I went through a brief tutorial that explained the basics of gameplay. This was enough for me to get the gist. After playing a few times, I was able to develop some strategy. 

How to play 21 Blitz

In the game, you have four columns where you can stack cards. The goal is stack cards in combinations that add up to 21. Once you get a stack totaling 21, you get points and the stack clears, leaving room for you to stack more cards. You can get bonus points for different combinations and stacks. Some of the special combos include:

• Black Jacks - These are wild cards and clear any stack. You can use them to get rid of a stack that's causing you issues. If you use it to clear the stack and hit 21, you get a bonus. 
• Streaks - If you clear stacks on back-to-back turns, you can get a bonus. There's an undo button that lets you go back a step. You can use this to peek ahead and plan your streaks. 
• 5-card stacks - If you can stack 5 cards and stay under 21, you clear the column and get a bonus. If you can also make those 5 cards add up to 21, you'll get even more points
  

If you go over 21 in a stack, you get a strike. If you get three strikes, the game is over. Your game is also over when you get through all the cards in the deck or you run out of time — each game is three minutes max. I usually got through all my cards well ahead of the time limit. 

Strategy-wise, I try to keep my stacks adding up to different totals to increase my chances of getting a card to make 21. For example, I try to avoid having 3 stacks each totaling 19 that all need a 2 to make 21. Instead I try to have a stack of 15, a stack of 17 and a stack of 19 so a 6, 4, or 2 can give me 21. I also try to keep a stack of low cards at all times where I'm going for the 5-card stack bonus.

Game currencies and prizes

While I found the game itself easy to learn and get started, the in-game currencies and terminology were rather confusing. 

There are Z coins and Ticketz.  You can participate in different game modes using Z coins (the in-game virtual currency) or your cash balance. You automatically start with a small number of Z coins after learning how to play with the tutorial, which consists of two practice games against other players. You can earn more Z coins by winning games, unlocking trophies, and claiming daily rewards. If you continue earning enough coins, you can keep playing the game forever. To win games, you typically need to score higher than your opponent.

Whether you win or lose, you also earn Ticketz with your game play. These Ticketz can be redeemed for prizes. Playing the "Rookie" game that required a $0.60 entry fee, I won $1 and 50 Ticketz by beating my opponent. There are different tiers you can achieve monthly with your Ticketz winnings. These tiers unlock multipliers that help you win Ticketz more quickly. (See, I told you it's confusing.) 

It takes a LOT of Ticketz to redeem them the prizes so I wouldn't bank on taking home a prize right away. For example, a Cuisinart Griddler that sells for $99.99 on Amazon costs 2.3 million Ticketz, putting the value of each ticket at just a fraction of a penny. You can also redeem Ticketz for in-game items like Bonus Cash to play cash games. One dollar in bonus cash will cost you 20,000 Ticketz.

There are also trophies and quests where you can win Z coins and Ticketz for completing different tasks. I was awarded a trophy and 50 Z Coins for playing 3 games. All the incentives are lined up to keep you playing. Game mechanics like this can be fun, but also somewhat addictive so be aware of ways the game is designed to keep you playing.

Game modes

Here are some of the basic game modes available in 21 Blitz:

• Practice: Play against a player with a similar skill level using Z coins. Prizes include Z coins, tickets, and Leagues medals.
• Head-to-head: Use your cash balance to play against a player of a similar skill level. Prizes include cash, tickets, and Leagues medals.
• Brackets: Play against multiple other players using your cash balance. Prizes include cash, tickets, and Leagues medals.
• Events: Participate in events against other players, typically using your cash balance. Prizes often include cash and tickets but might include products as well.

Leagues is an ongoing timed prize pool available to all players who have played enough games, usually around three. After playing a sufficient number of games, you’re automatically entered into Leagues, which pits you against all other eligible players for a pool of prizes. When the current Leagues period ends, the top players on the leaderboards win prizes.

The more Leagues medals you win from playing different game modes, the more opportunities you have to win a prize from the pool. Leagues is separated into Pro and Practice categories depending on whether you’re playing using Z coins or your cash balance.

Who can play 21 Blitz?

As a game that uses real money, 21 Blitz is rated for individuals 17 and older on the App Store. However, Skillz requires players to be 18 or older to compete in its cash games. Languages included in the App Store version of 21 Blitz are English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, and Spanish.

Online gaming with real money isn’t legal in all locations. Skillz cash tournaments aren’t available in these states:

• Arkansas
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Indiana
• Louisiana
• Maine
• South Dakota

Because 21 Blitz is free, you can play for fun and to pass the time. But given its features, it could prove a temptation to deposit your money to win cash prizes. If you have or have had issues with addiction, it could make sense to avoid 21 Blitz and its potentially addictive features.

How much money can you win with 21 Blitz?

As a competitive, skill-based gaming app, 21 Blitz rewards the best players with the most prizes. This could include winning Z coins, Ticketz, and/or cash, depending on the game mode. However, it’s important to remember that there’s no guarantee that you’ll win anything and you can lose the money you deposit.

If you want to earn money with 21 Blitz but don’t want to deposit any of your own money, you could theoretically play enough games with Z coins to make it to the cash games eventually. You would have to earn tickets by winning practice games until you could afford to trade your tickets for bonus cash in the Skillz Rewards store. It currently takes 20,000 tickets to get $1 of bonus cash, which is enough cash to participate in the lowest-priced cash match.

Because you can only earn one ticket for winning a practice match and the time limit for each game is three minutes, it would take at least 20,000 games, or 60,000 minutes (1,000 hours) to earn enough tickets for a small amount of bonus cash. That’s a long time, and probably not worth it for most players.

The alternative is to deposit some of your own money and immediately gain access to the cash games on Android and iOS. When I played, the lowest cost of entry I saw was $0.60, which offers a $1 prize. As a new player, I started here and played a bunch of games at this "Rookie" level. I lost more than I won and even when I won, I only netted $0.40 in winnings ($1 minus the $0.60 of my own money I got back) so needless to say, I didn't get rich. 

Prizes and games change all the time, but the highest prize I've seen is a $425 cash prize game with a $260 entry requirement in the head-to-head mode. 

Withdrawing your winnings

You can withdraw from your cash balance (not including bonus cash but including deposits and earned cash) ‌by selecting the “Withdraw” option from the in-game menu. You should see this option after you register your account. It's important to note that there is a $1.50 charge if you withdraw less than $10 so it's best to wait until you have at least $10.

For any money you’ve deposited into your account, a withdrawal will return your money using your original payment method, including a credit card or PayPal. If you withdraw funds beyond what you originally deposited, U.S. players will receive a mailed check, whereas players in other locations will receive a PayPal payment. The mailed check can take 4-6 weeks, according to their FAQ page. This is a long time to wait for your earnings and you can't make any additional deposits while you're waiting for your check. When compared to other similar games, this is one of the longest wait times I've seen to receive your earnings. 

If you don't want to deposit money or risk losing money, you might want to check out a platform like Kashkick where you can get paid to play games without needing to spend money. Kashkick also processes payments every two weeks so you'll probably get paid faster.

FAQs about 21 Blitz

Other apps to consider

If 21 Blitz isn’t the right fit for you, consider checking out other games that pay real money to make some spare cash in your free time.

Solitaire Cash

For another type of Solitaire game, check out Solitaire Cash. This app offers opportunities to win real money by playing Solitaire online against other players. If you enjoy different types of Solitaire game types, including Spider and FreeCell, you’ll likely catch onto this game quickly. Read our Solitaire Cash review to learn more.

Blackout Bingo

If you’re more into bingo, consider Blackout Bingo. This app takes the classic bingo game you know and love and puts a modern twist on it, allowing you to test your bingo skills against other online players straight from your compatible device. If you’re skilled at bingo, you could have more opportunities to win real money with this game. Check out our Blackout Bingo review for more details.

Bottom line

21 Blitz is a lot of fun for casual gamers looking for an engaging way to potentially earn some extra cash through their card skills. However, keep in mind there's no guarantee you'll win money and you could lose the money you deposit. It stands out from other, similar, games for its emphasis on legit play against other people and not bots. It's fun game play, but the graphics are lacking a bit.