Buzz
If you're looking for an entertaining game to enjoy with a few friends, give Uno a try! In this game, each player is dealt 7 Uno cards. The objective is to place any card from your hand that matches the color or number of the card on the discard pile. The first player to run out of cards wins that round. Then, all players calculate their points. The game continues until someone reaches 500 points. Once you're familiar with Uno, try experimenting with different variations for a fresh experience.
Steps
Starting the Game
Shuffle the deck and deal 7 cards to each player. Prepare the Uno deck by shuffling the 108 cards. Then, deal 7 cards to each player. Instruct the players to keep their cards face down.
- You can play Uno with 2 to 10 players. Keep in mind that all players should be at least 7 years old.
Place the remaining Uno cards in the center of the table. The deck should be placed face down. These are the cards that each player will draw during the game.
Flip the top card of the draw pile to begin the game. Place the card face-up next to the pile. This card will serve as the starting point for the game, and you will quickly build a discard pile.
Play a card that matches the color, number, or symbol. The player to the left of the dealer will place a card from their hand that matches either the color, number, or symbol of the card face-up in the center. Guide the player to place their card on the discard pile. The next player will check their hand for a card that can be played.
- For example, if the top card of the pile is a red 8, you can place any red card or any 8 from your hand.
- Uno is typically played clockwise starting from the dealer.
Tip: If a player holds a Wild card, they can play it at any time during the game.
Draw a card from the draw pile if you don't have a playable card. When it’s your turn, if you have no matching card by color, number, or symbol, draw a card. You can play this new card immediately if it matches any feature of the face-up card.
- If the drawn card cannot be played, the turn passes to the next player.
Pay attention to action cards and Wild cards. In addition to the basic Uno number cards, there are 3 types of action cards. If you play a Wild card, you can choose the color for the next turn. When you play a Draw 2 card, the next player must draw 2 cards and lose their turn. With a Reverse card, you can change the direction of play; the player before you will get an additional turn.
- The Reverse card has two opposite arrows as its symbol.
- If you play a Skip card, represented by a diagonal line crossing through a circle, the next player will lose their turn.
Did you know? Playing the Wild Draw 4 card works the same as a regular Wild card, but the next player must draw 4 cards and lose their turn.
Say "Uno" when you have only 1 card left. The game continues until a player has only 1 card in hand. At this point, they must say "Uno"; if they forget, they will be penalized if another player catches them.
- If someone forgets to say "Uno", they will be penalized by drawing 2 additional cards. If no one notices, they won't face a penalty.
Place your last card to win the game. When you have only 1 card left (and have said "Uno"), wait for your turn after the others complete their turns. If you can place your last card before the others, you win the round!
- If you can't play your last card, draw a new one and keep playing until someone runs out of cards.
- Try to keep your Wild card until the very end if you have one. That way, you can be sure you can play it and win!
Score points for each player at the end of every round. The winner of each round earns points by adding up the value of all the cards left in the other players' hands. Keep track of the score for each round and continue playing until one player reaches 500 points. That player is the overall winner of the game.
- When scoring, the winner receives:
- 20 points for each Draw 2, Reverse, or Skip card left in other players' hands
- 50 points for Wild and Wild Draw 4 cards
- The face value of the other cards (for example, an 8 card is worth 8 points)
- You can also choose to score by counting the remaining cards in each player's hand after each round, and the first to reach 100 points wins, although this is not the official rule of the game.
Try out some basic 'twists'
Play Uno online or on a gaming console. Don't worry if you can't meet up with many people in person to play Uno! You can easily search online to play Uno virtually. If you prefer, you can buy the Uno game to play on your computer or gaming console, such as PS4 or Xbox One.
- You can even adjust the rules to suit your preferences for a completely unique Uno experience.
Apply the rule of playing 2 cards to make the game end faster. To speed up Uno, you can set the rule that each player places 2 cards instead of 1. This way, players will finish their cards more quickly.
- For example, if there is a yellow 3 card on the table, a player can place a yellow 7 card and a red 3 card.
- If you don't want the game to end too quickly, you can ask players to draw 2 cards instead of 1 whenever they have no cards to play.
Tip: Since the game rules allow you to play multiple cards at once, consider increasing the winning score to at least 1,000 points instead of 500.
Change the meaning of the Wild card. If you're using a new Uno deck, you’ll likely notice the 3 Wild cards, which let you set your own rules. To use these blank Wild cards, you'll need to establish a rule that everyone agrees on. After that, you can use them like any other Wild card. For instance, your customized rule might be:
- Everyone must draw 2 cards.
- The next player must sing a song or draw 1 card.
- Swap 1 card with the player next to you.
Swap the cards you have with another player if you have the Swap Hands card. This is a new card in the Uno deck. The rule for using the Wild Swap Hands card is similar to the Wild card, but you can choose the player with whom you will swap cards.
- For example, when you have this card, wait until the game is nearly over and swap your cards with the player who has fewer cards.
Tip
- If you run out of cards to draw, simply shuffle the unused deck and place it face down to continue drawing cards.
What You Need
- Uno card deck
- Paper and pen
- Computer (optional)
