How to Play Uno

Written by George Chrysostomou

Uno has seemingly been around forever (since 1971 to be exact). It hit the mainstream, with hobbyists and casual gamers alike getting drawn in by its simplistic, yet fast gameplay and competitive edge. But how do you actually play Uno? Since the title is so firmly established it seems that newcomers feel a little daunted by the prospect of jumping in without prior knowledge. Luckily, we’ve got you covered, with a basic breakdown of the rules of the classic version of Uno, plus a few twists you’ll find in alternative editions. 

How To Set Up Uno

The importance of the setup cannot be overstated. Because Uno is a carefully balanced game that requires a strict starting point. The game can be played with 2 to 10 players for a pack of 112 cards. You can, however, play with larger groups if you bring in an additional deck. 

You’ll notice that some of the cards in the deck are blank. You may remove these or create your own custom cards to shuffle in.

The cards should be thoroughly shuffled and handed out at random. Each player should receive 7 cards in total. Once the cards have been dealt, place the leftover deck in the centre of the group where everyone can reach it.

Take one card off the top and place it face up. That is the starting card.

Decide who will begin and ensure that if a card that requires a colour choice has been selected, this decision has also been made so that other players know what cards they are allowed to place down on their turn. 

The Basic Rules For Uno

Uno is traditionally split into several rounds. The objective of each round is for players to get rid of their cards as quickly as possible by placing them on the play pile.

In some instances, a group may choose to end a game once a single player has removed all their cards. However, alternative styles of play are possible, where the group continues playing until all but one player has lost their cards. 

On each turn, a player may place down a single card, with the group following the prevailing instructions.

Players may only place down cards that either have matching symbols, or matching background colours, unless playing a special card – like Wild Draw Card or Wild Card, which allows gameplay to shift. If this is played, the next player can play any colour they wish.

If a player simply can’t play a card, because they do not have the colour or symbol needed, then they must pick up a card from the deck and add it to their hand.

When a player has their final card in hand, ready to be played, they must announce to the group that they have Uno. They will be penalised if they have played that final card without informing the group of their nearing win – so be sure not to forget!

What Do The Uno Action Cards Do? 

Draw 2

Players who place down the Draw 2 card are enforcing a penalty on the next player. The following player must pick up 2 cards, unless they are able to skip their turn or reverse the direction of play. There has always been an argument over whether players can stack Draw 2 cards on top of one another, for the next player to take on a heavier debt. That can be decided upon within your own play group. 

Reverse

Playing the reverse card means that the direction of play switches. The player who just had a go will now be placing down a new card. If the flow of play was clockwise, then the reverse will shift it anti-clockwise and vice versa. 

Skip

Placing down the Skip card means that the next player does not get their go. This can be especially useful if they have called Uno and the team are attempting to sabotage their win. 

Wild Cards

Wild Cards represent a change in the flow of play. Those who play a Wild Card can select any colour from the wheel, allowing them to switch the game in their favour. If the current colour selection is yellow for example, you may find it more useful to change to blue, to drop an additional couple of cards from your hand. 

Wild Draw 4 Cards

Wild Draw 4 Cards work in the same capacity as Wild Cards. However, the next player also has the added burden of picking up 4 cards before the run of play continues. 

Wild Shuffle Hands & Wild Swap Hands

Playing the Shuffle Hands or Wild Swap Hands cards mean that players must lose their cards. These are special actions that may vary based on the Uno version. In some instances, the player may simply swap cards with a player of their choosing with a Wild Swap Hands. For Wild Shuffle Hands, every player must give up their hand and allow them to be shuffled before they are randomly passed around again, completely confusing the game. 

How Do You Score in Uno – and who wins? 

The winner is the player who has no cards left, but if you want to figure out the leaderboard, players should add up the points value of the cards in their hand to find out who came second, third, and beyond. The lower the score, the more successful that round has been. All numbered cards are measured at face value. I.e. if you have a yellow two, then it is worth 2 points. The Draw 2, Reverse and Skip cards are worth 20 points. Wild Shuffle Hands cards and custom cards are worth 40 points. Wild Cards and Wild Draw Cards, or colour cards, are worth 50. 

Uno Alternatives

For those who are looking for some different styles of Uno games, there are plenty of unique versions to pick from. Firstly, there are themed special edition Uno sets, which are usually only visually varied and don’t necessarily include specific cards. Rather, the artwork has been tailored to match the theming, such as the Walt Disney World edition of Uno. But, there are also reimagined versions of the game, with very different cards and rules. Here are some of them. 

Uno Extreme: Uno Extreme works just like the classic game, except you’ll be feeding the cards into a machine instead. Press the button whenever you’re facing a penalty, and await your fate as cards are fired directly at you. 

Uno Flip: The majority of Uno Flip works as traditional Uno does, with a couple of additional cards like Draw 1. However, when the deck is flipped from the light to the dark side, or the other way round, the game changes. All hands and all decks can be flipped multiple times throughout play for a unique edge to the classic game. 

Uno Flex: Uno Flex boasts three different types of card. The traditional variations, Flex Cards and Power Cards, which trigger the Flex action. If a Power Card is on Green then the player can use their Flex Card. If a Power Card is on Red, they cannot. 

Uno No Mercy: This is just like traditional Uno, except there are more action cards and tougher penalties such as Draw 10. This brutal version of the game will see your hand fill up far quicker. If you have more than 25 cards in your hand at any time, it’s game over for you. 

Dos: Dos feels like the cousin to Uno, where players may add cards together to match the number down on the play pile. Don’t forget to shout Dos when you have two cards left in your hand!

Uno House Rules: This is a game that allows you to play Uno how you wish. The rules are designed by your party, with the game encouraging outside-the-box ideas. 

Uno Team: Uno is traditionally a solo affair, but in Uno Teams you’ll be grouped with like-minded players. Everything you do will be with your partner in mind, as you fight to win together. 

Uno All Wild: Uno All Wild forgets the number cards completely and goes all in on the action cards. This fast-paced title has you picking up penalties almost every turn. 

Uno Dare: This adult version of Uno switches things up. While the game plays the same, competitors may also swap a penalty for a dare, which ranges from absurd to spicy.

There are plenty more versions of Uno out there, from Uno Quatro to Ono 99, Uno Remix and Uno Flip Splash. Be bold and check out some of those alternative editions after mastering the classic version.