The Complete Guide to Rummy: History, Gameplay, Community, and More The history of rummy, which dates back to the early 19th century, is as fascinating as the game itself. Although the game's precise fairplay registrationorigins are still somewhat unknown, it is generally accepted that it developed from a number of card games that were well-liked in Europe. The game of "Concentration," which was played in the US and involved matching card pairs, is the most famous ancestor. Many changes were made to the game as it traveled across continents, resulting in the development of the various versions that we know today.