UNO card game: easy rules and real fun

UNO is a fast-paced card game where players race to match colours and numbers, just don’t forget to yell “UNO!” before your last card.

The UNO card game is one most of us have played at some point. It’s fun, fast, slightly chaotic, and perfect for all ages. Whether you’re learning it for the first time or just brushing up before game night, here’s your complete and helpful guide to UNO.

What’s UNO all about?

UNO is a card game where your mission is simple: get rid of all your cards before anyone else does. You do that by matching the top card on the pile by colour or number. But the real fun? Action cards. They can skip turns, reverse play, or force your friend to pick up four cards, and that’s when the real chaos begins.

Where did UNO come from?

Believe it or not, UNO card game wasn’t made by a big company. It was created by a barber named Merle Robbins in Ohio back in 1971. He made it so his family could stop arguing about rules during card games. Turns out, it was a hit. He sold it to a group of investors for $50,000 (and royalties), and eventually, Mattel took over. Now, it’s a worldwide favourite.

What’s the goal of the game?

The aim is easy. Get rid of all your cards. When you do, you earn points from the cards left in everyone else’s hand.

Quick UNO setup

Here’s how you get started with UNO card game:

• Shuffle the deck
• Deal 7 cards to each player
• Place the rest of the deck face down (draw pile)
• Flip one card to start the discard pile
  First player matches it by colour or number, or plays a wild card

What’s in a UNO deck? (108 cards explained)

UNO card game isn’t just a bunch of colourful cards, there’s a proper setup behind all the fun. Here’s a clear breakdown of what’s inside a standard UNO deck.

4 Colours: Red, Yellow, Green & Blue

Each colour has:

• 1 Zero card
• 2 of each number from 1 to 9 (That’s 18 number cards + 1 zero = 19 number cards per colour)
• 2 Skip cards (Next player loses their turn)
• 2 Reverse cards (Changes the direction of play)
• 2 Draw Two cards
  (Next player draws 2 cards and skips their turn.)

19 number cards + 6 action cards = 25 cards per colour

25 × 4 colours = 100 cards total (including number + colour-based action cards)

Wild cards (colourless)

You’ll also find 8 special Wild cards:

• 4 Wild cards (Change the current colour to any of your choice.)
• 4 Wild Draw Four cards (Change colour + next player draws 4 cards, but only if you have no matching colour)

These cards are black and can be played any time, but there are rules to how they’re used.

How to play UNO?

On your turn, try to match the top card of the discard pile:

• Same colour
• Or same number
• Or play a wild card if you’re stuck

Can’t play anything? Draw a card from the deck. If that new card matches by number, colour, or is a wild card, you can play it immediately. If not, just keep it and your turn ends.
And when you’re down to one card? Say “UNO!” loud and clear. If you forget and someone calls you out before your next turn, you’ll have to draw two cards.

This penalty only applies if someone catches you before your next turn starts, if they miss it, you’re safe!

Example: how a 4-player UNO game works

Let’s walk through a round of UNO card game with 4 players:
Amit, Priya, Ravi, and Zara.

Step 1: setup

• Everyone gets 7 cards.
• The rest form the draw pile.
• Flip the top card to start the discard pile, let’s say it’s a Green 5.

Play starts clockwise from the left of the dealer.

Step 2: gameplay in action

1. Amit plays a Green 8: same colour.
2. Priya plays a Green Skip: Ravi’s turn is skipped.
3. Zara plays a Green Draw Two: Amit draws 2 cards and skips his turn.
4. Priya plays a Green Reverse: direction of play now goes counter-clockwise.
5. Zara goes again (since play reversed): she plays a Blue 8 (same number as earlier).
6. Ravi doesn’t have any Blue cards, so he draws a card from the draw pile.

Two things can happen here:
If he draws a Blue 2, it matches the colour, so he plays it right away.
If he draws a Red 5 (or any non-blue/non-matching card), he keeps it and ends his turn.

1. Amit plays a Wild Card, he chooses Red as the new colour.
2. Priya plays a Red 5.
3. Zara plays a Wild Draw Four, she declares Yellow as the new colour.
   Ravi challenges her use of the Wild Draw Four (to check if she had any matching colored cards). But Zara had no red cards, so Ravi loses the challenge and draws 4 cards.

What do the action cards do?

These cards keep the UNO card game spicy:

• Skip – Next player loses their turn
• Reverse – Changes the direction of play
• Draw Two – Next player draws 2 cards and skips a turn
• Wild – Pick any colour you want
• Wild Draw Four – Pick a colour and make the next player draw 4 cards. You can only use this if you don’t have a matching colour. Otherwise, people can challenge you.

UNO penalties

Here are the scenarios that lead to penalties:

• Forgot to say UNO?
  If you have just one card, you must say “UNO” before your turn ends. That’s a +2 card penalty if someone catches you.
• Played a Wild Draw Four when you shouldn’t?
  You can only play a Wild Draw Four card if you have no card in your hand that matches the current color. If someone challenges and they’re right, you must draw 4 cards.
• False Challenge on Wild Draw Four
  If you challenge a Wild Draw Four but the player actually had no other option, your challenge fails. As a result, you must draw 6 cards as a penalty.

Playing UNO with 2 or 4 players:

The UNO card game works with 2 to 10 or more players. But the vibe changes a bit depending on how many people are in.

In 2-player games:

• Skip and Reverse both act like Skip. Your opponent misses a turn.
• It’s fast, intense, and over quickly.

In 4-player games:

• More chances to use strategy or gang up on someone
• Expect temporary alliances, sudden betrayals, and lots of laughs

UNO rounds:

1. Everyone gets 7 cards
2. Flip the top card from the draw pile
3. Players take turns clockwise, matching the discard pile by number or colour
4. Action cards can change the flow
5. Call UNO when you’re down to one card
6. Play your last card to win the round
7. Count points if you’re tracking scores. Or just reshuffle and go again.

House rules:

Every friend group or family seems to play UNO card game differently. That’s half the fun. Here are a few popular house rules people like to use:

• Stacking Draw Twos – If someone plays a Draw Two, you can add another one. The next person has to draw four
• Jump-In Rule – Got the same card as the one just played? Jump in and play it, even if it’s not your turn
• Blank Wild Cards – Some decks have these so you can write your own rule, like “Everyone swap hands” or “No talking until your next turn”

Tip: Decide on house rules before you start playing, or someone will definitely argue halfway through

Rule updates you should know (2018 to 2022)

• No stacking Draw Twos or Draw Fours (officially). But many still play this way for fun
• Wild Shuffle Hands card was added. Everyone trades hands when it’s played
• UNO Flip came out with a double-sided deck. There’s a “light side” and a “dark side” for more twists

UNO cards & styles:

The original deck has 108 cards, but there are so many versions now:

• UNO Flip – Has a dark side with more powerful cards
• UNO Attack – Comes with a card launcher that spits out random cards
• UNO Minimalista – Sleek, simple design if you like a modern look
• Themed Decks – Think UNO BTS, UNO Harry Potter, UNO Emoji, etc.

Every version keeps the core gameplay but adds its own flavor

UNO card game variations

Feeling bored with the original? Here are some fun spin-offs:

• UNO Flip – Double-sided cards, double the trouble
• UNO Dare – Adds truth-or-dare-style challenges
• UNO Attack – You never know how many cards you’ll get
• UNO All Wild – Every card is wild. Pure madness
• UNO Remix – Customize the rules as you go

Perfect if your group loves experimenting with new ways to play

Final thoughts

UNO card game isn’t just a game. It’s a tradition. It’s the kind of game you pull out after dinner, during a trip, or while hanging with friends on a lazy Sunday. You don’t need to be a card game expert. Just grab a deck, shuffle up, and jump in.

Oh, and one last thing. Don’t forget to yell “UNO.” Or you’ll regret it.

Also explore:

• Games to play with friends
  
• Traditional games of India

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