What Is Switch?
Switch is the British card game that sits in the same family as Crazy Eights and Uno. The goal is simple: be the first to empty your hand. On each turn you play a card matching the top discard by suit or rank. Special cards create powerful effects — Aces change the suit, 2s force drawing, Black Jacks force drawing five cards, Red Jacks cancel Black Jacks, 8s skip the next player, and Queens reverse direction. First to go out wins.
What You Need
- One standard deck of 52 playing cards
- Two to seven players
Special Cards
- Ace: Play on anything. Declare the new suit the next player must match.
- 2: Next player draws 2 cards and loses their turn — unless they play another 2 (then next player draws 4, and so on stacking).
- Black Jack (♠ or ♣): Next player draws 5 cards and loses their turn — unless they play another Black Jack (10 cards) or a Red Jack to cancel.
- Red Jack (♥ or ♦): Cancels a Black Jack penalty completely.
- 8: Skips the next player’s turn.
- Queen: Reverses the direction of play.
Setup
- Deal 7 cards to each player (some play with 5).
- Place remaining cards face-down as stock. Flip one card to start the discard pile.
How to Play
- On your turn, play one card matching the top discard by suit or rank.
- If you cannot play, draw one card. If it is playable, play it immediately.
- Apply special card effects immediately when played.
- When you have one card left, say ‘Last card!’ If another player notices before you say it, draw 2 penalty cards.
Winning
First player to empty their hand wins.
Tips
- Stack 2s aggressively — forcing someone to draw 6 or 8 cards can knock them out of contention.
- Save Red Jacks to cancel Black Jack attacks — they are your most valuable defensive card.
- Call Ace to switch to your strongest suit whenever you play one.