Uno

Officially UNO

Family shedding card game with a custom 108-card deck — match colour or number, use action cards to disrupt opponents, and shout 'UNO!' when you have one card left.

📐table⏱~30 min🌤both

What is Uno?

UNO is a shedding-style card game played with a custom 108-card deck, invented by Merle Robbins in Reading, Ohio in 1971. Players (2-10) race to be first to shed all cards from their hand by playing a card matching the top of the discard pile in colour or number, or by playing a wild or action card. Action cards — Skip, Reverse, Draw Two, Wild, Wild Draw Four — add strategic variety. A player about to play their second-to-last card must shout 'UNO!' or be penalised with two cards drawn. Points are scored by the round winner based on cards left in opponents' hands; games are played to 500 points. UNO is one of the best-selling family games in the world and has been produced by Mattel since 1992.

Quick facts

How it works

Objective

Be the first player to shed all cards from your hand; over multiple rounds, be the first to reach 500 points.

Match structure

Deal 7 cards to each player. Turn the top card face-up on the discard pile to start play. Players take turns clockwise (until a Reverse) playing a card that matches the discard pile by colour, number, or symbol, or play a Wild. If unable to play, draw a card; if playable, play it immediately (optional). When a player is down to one card, they must shout 'UNO!'. The first player to shed all cards wins the round and scores the value of every opponent's remaining hand.

Rules

Basic rules

Match colour or number
You must play a card that matches the top discard by colour or number/symbol.
Wild cards
Wild cards may be played on any card; the player choosing the colour for the next play.
Action cards
Skip — next player misses a turn. Reverse — direction of play flips. Draw Two — next player draws 2 and misses a turn. Wild Draw Four — next player draws 4 and misses a turn.
Draw when you can't play
If no card in your hand matches, draw one from the pile; play it immediately if legal.
Shouting UNO
When you have one card left, you must shout 'UNO!'. If caught not doing so before the next player's turn, you draw two cards as a penalty.
Round ends
When a player plays their last card. Score the value of all cards remaining in opponents' hands.

Advanced rules

Wild Draw Four legality
Officially a player may only play a Wild Draw Four if they hold no matching-colour card. Challenges are permitted — if you don't have a matching card, the challenger draws 6; if you do, you draw 4.
Wild card at start
If a Wild is flipped as the starting card, the first player chooses the colour.
Wild Draw Four at start
Return the Wild Draw Four to the deck and flip a new card.
House rule: stacking
Not official — some groups allow stacking Draw Two on Draw Two (or Draw Four on Draw Four); if not blocked, all penalties add.
House rule: '7-0 rule'
Playing a 7 lets you swap hands with any opponent; playing a 0 rotates all hands in the direction of play.

Scoring

Round winner scores the total value of every opponent's remaining hand.

Action	Points
Number cards (0-9)	face value
Action cards (Skip, Reverse, Draw Two)	20 each
Wild / Wild Draw Four	50 each

Win condition · First player to reach 500 points across multiple rounds wins the game.

Playing area

Called

table

Dimensions

Any flat surface — living-room floor or table.

A face-down draw pile and a face-up discard pile in the middle; each player has a hand of 7 cards.

Equipment

UNO deck
108 cards: 76 number cards (0-9 in four colours) + 24 action cards (Skip, Reverse, Draw Two × 2 per colour) + 8 Wild cards (4 Wild + 4 Wild Draw Four).
Score pad
Optional pen and paper to track round scores toward the 500-point win.

Officiating

Recreational play is self-officiated. UNO Tournament Rules add strict interpretations for professional competition.

Self-officiated (Mattel Tournament Rules for competition play)

Strategies

Save Wilds
Hold Wild and Wild Draw Four for the endgame; deploy when you have UNO to prevent counter-play.
Colour-focus
Try to reduce your hand to one dominant colour so any matching card can be played.
Reverse against skipping opponents
Play Reverse to send a Skip or Draw Two back toward the previous opponent.
Bait a UNO call
Sometimes purposely fail to shout UNO to bait opponents into miscalling — controversial house tactic.

Terminology

UNO!: The mandatory shout when you have one card left in your hand.
Wild: Card playable on any colour; player chooses the next colour.
Wild Draw Four: Highest-power card — opponent draws 4 and misses a turn; may be challenged.
Skip: Action card — next player misses a turn.
Reverse: Action card — direction of play flips (2-player game = Skip effect).
Draw Two: Action card — next player draws 2 cards and misses a turn.
Stacking (house rule): Playing Draw Two on Draw Two; not in official rules but common.
Colour change: After a Wild, the next play must match the chosen colour or a Wild.
Round: One deal-to-shed cycle; the game is played over multiple rounds to 500 points.

Major competitions

UNO Championship Series
irregular · USA (Mattel-run) · since 2006
Prize money up to $200,000.
UNO National Championship (India / other countries)
annual · national · since 2018

Where it is played

Governing bodies

Mattel, Inc. (rights holder)
Founded 1945 · El Segundo, USA
Official site ↗
UNO Championship Series
Founded 2006 · worldwide (Mattel-run)

Famous names & records

Famous athletes

N/A — casual family game; no widely-recognised competitive player base

Records

Best-selling card game (worldwide)
Mattel — 150+ million decks sold (2021)
Number of variants / themed editions
Mattel — 150+ themes (Star Wars, Marvel, etc.) (2023)

Learn this sport

beginner

1
Learn the deck
Familiarise yourself with the 4 colours, 0-9 numbers and 5 action cards.
2
Match colour or number
Practise recognising a legal play quickly.
3
Call UNO
Remember to shout 'UNO!' before playing your second-to-last card.
4
Play a full 500-point game
Get used to scoring and rotating dealer.

intermediate

1
Save Wilds
Hold Wild Draw Fours for when you have UNO.
2
Count opponents' cards
Track opponents' hand sizes and colour focus.
3
Read the table
Anticipate which colour to change to based on opponents' hand size.
4
Understand challenges
Learn when to challenge a Wild Draw Four (risk vs reward).

advanced

1
Endgame management
In the last few turns, order your plays so a Skip or Reverse lands on the right opponent.
2
Multi-round strategy
Score-management in tournaments — sometimes force a game-out earlier to close.
3
House rule adaptations
Adjust to '7-0' or 'stacking' rule variants if the group plays them.

Frequently asked

What if I forget to shout UNO?+

If another player catches you before the next player's turn, you must draw 2 cards as a penalty.

Can I stack Draw Twos?+

Not officially — the rules say the next player draws 2 and misses a turn. Stacking is a very common house rule but confirmed as unofficial by Mattel in 2019.

What happens in a 2-player game with Reverse?+

In 2-player games, a Reverse acts as a Skip — the player who plays it takes another turn.

How is the winner decided?+

First player to reach 500 points cumulatively over multiple rounds wins the game.

Can I play a Wild Draw Four whenever?+

Officially only when you have no matching-colour card. Opponents may challenge — if you legally could have played a matching card, you draw 4; if you couldn't, the challenger draws 6.

Sources & provenance

Wikipedia — Uno (card game)— Wikipedia
Mattel — Official UNO Rules— Mattel

Last verified 2026-08-24.community