What Is Uno?
Uno is one of the most popular card games in the world — easy to learn, fun for all ages, and full of moments where the whole table erupts. The goal is to be the first player to get rid of all the cards in your hand. On each turn you play a card that matches the top card of the discard pile either by color or by number. Special action cards skip players, reverse direction, or force others to draw extra cards. When you’re down to your very last card, you must shout ‘UNO!’ — or face a penalty.
What You Need
- The Uno deck — 108 cards total. If you don’t have Uno cards, you can adapt a standard deck but the official Uno deck is inexpensive and widely available.
- Two to ten players
Understanding the Uno Deck
The Uno deck has four colored suits — Red, Yellow, Green, and Blue. Each color has:
- Number cards 0 through 9 (two of each number 1–9, one 0 per color)
- Two Skip cards — the next player loses their turn
- Two Reverse cards — reverses the direction of play (in a two-player game, acts like a Skip)
- Two Draw Two cards — the next player must draw two cards and loses their turn
Plus four special black cards:
- Four Wild cards — can be played on anything; you choose the new color
- Four Wild Draw Four cards — can be played on anything (with restrictions); you choose the new color and the next player draws four cards and loses their turn
Setting Up the Game
- Shuffle all 108 cards thoroughly.
- Deal seven cards to each player, face-down one at a time.
- Place the remaining cards face-down in the center as the draw pile.
- Flip the top card of the draw pile face-up to start the discard pile. If it is a Wild Draw Four, shuffle it back in and flip another card. Any other special card applies its effect to start the game.
How to Play — Step by Step
The player to the left of the dealer goes first. Play moves clockwise unless a Reverse card changes it.
- Look at the top card of the discard pile. Note its color and its number (or type).
- Play one card from your hand onto the discard pile. The card you play must match the top discard in either COLOR (same color, any number) or NUMBER/TYPE (same number or same type of action card, any color). For example: if the top card is a Red 7, you can play any Red card or any other 7.
- Wild cards can be played on top of anything at any time. When you play a Wild, announce the color that the next player must match.
- Wild Draw Four can only be legally played if you have no card in your hand that matches the current color. When played, announce the new color and the next player draws four cards and loses their turn.
- If you have no playable card, draw one card from the draw pile. If the drawn card is playable, you may play it immediately. If not, your turn ends.
- Apply action card effects immediately when played: Skip causes the next player to lose their turn, Reverse changes direction, Draw Two forces the next player to draw two and lose their turn.
Calling UNO!
The moment you play your second-to-last card — leaving only one card in your hand — you must immediately shout ‘UNO!’ loud and clear. If another player catches you with one card before you call UNO, they can challenge you and you must draw four penalty cards. Call it fast.
Going Out
Play your last card and the round ends. You must be able to legally play your last card — it must match the discard. You cannot end the game by drawing a card.
Scoring — If Playing Multiple Rounds
The player who goes out scores points for cards remaining in all opponents’ hands:
- Number cards: face value
- Skip, Reverse, Draw Two: 20 points each
- Wild, Wild Draw Four: 50 points each
First player to reach 500 total points across multiple rounds wins. Or simply play one round — whoever goes out first wins.
Tips for New Players
- Save Wild Draw Four cards for desperate situations — they are your most powerful card and too valuable to waste on easy plays.
- When you play a Wild, call the color you have the most of — you are likely to play again next turn.
- Pay attention to how many cards opponents have. If someone is down to one or two cards, use Skip, Reverse, or Draw Two to slow them down.