How to play UNO
UNO is the card game almost everyone half-remembers and nobody agrees on. Match the top card by colour or number, play your action cards at the right moment, and shout UNO when you are down to one. This version plays 2-8 people pass-and-play in the browser, with a privacy screen between turns so nobody sees the next player's hand.
Deal seven cards each
Everyone starts with seven cards and one card is turned face up to begin the discard pile. The deck supplies the rest, and when it runs out the discard pile is shuffled back in so the game never stalls.
Match colour or number
On your turn play a card that matches the top card by colour or by number. A red 7 can be followed by any red card or any 7. If you cannot play, draw a card and your turn passes.
Use action cards
Skip jumps the next player. Reverse flips the direction of play. Draw Two forces the next player to take two cards and lose their turn. Wild lets you choose the colour, and Wild Draw Four does that and hands the next player four cards.
Call UNO on your second-to-last card
When you play down to a single card you must call UNO. Forgetting is the classic way to lose a winning position.
First to empty their hand wins
Play continues until someone has no cards left. On one device the screen is covered between turns, so hand the phone over before tapping to reveal.
Tips and strategy
- Hold your wild cards. A Wild is never dead, so keeping one guarantees you can always play late in a round when your options narrow.
- Shed high numbers first if you are playing to points. Low cards are cheaper to be caught holding.
- Watch what colour each player keeps dodging. Someone who draws rather than play on blue almost certainly has no blue.
- Playing a Draw Two right before your own turn comes round again is far stronger than playing it early.
- If one player is close to winning, change the colour rather than the number. It is the harder thing for them to answer.
Frequently asked questions
- Can you play UNO online for free?
- Yes. This version runs free in your browser with no download and no account. Two to eight players share one device, with a privacy screen between turns.
- Can you stack Draw Two cards?
- Stacking is a house rule, not part of the official rules, and it is not used here. A Draw Two makes the next player draw two and lose their turn.
- What happens when the draw pile runs out?
- The discard pile is shuffled back into the deck, keeping the current top card in play, so the game continues rather than ending early.
- What happens if you forget to say UNO?
- Calling UNO on your second-to-last card is the rule. In casual play the usual penalty is drawing two cards if another player catches you before the next turn begins.