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Official UNO Rules

Here's how to play Uno, the classic card game that combines strategy and a dash of yelling "Uno!"

Objective

  • The goal of Uno is to be the first player to play all of your cards.

Setup

1. Gather 2 to 10 players.


2. Shuffle the deck of Uno cards.


3. Deal 7 cards to each player.


4. Place the remaining deck face-down in the center of the table to form the draw pile.


5. Flip the top card of the draw pile over and place it face-up next to the draw pile to start the discard pile.

Gameplay

1. Turn Structure:

  • Starting with the player to the dealer's left and going clockwise, each player takes turns.

  • On your turn, you must play one card from your hand that matches the color, number, or symbol of the top card on the discard pile. 

2. Playing Cards:

  • Cards must match either the color, number, or symbol of the top card on the discard pile.

  • If you don't have a playable card in your hand, you must draw a card from the draw pile. If the drawn card is playable, you may play it immediately. Otherwise, your turn ends.

  • If you have a playable card, you may choose to play it or draw a card from the draw pile. 

3. Special Cards:

  • Skip: Skips the next player's turn.

  • Reverse: Reverses the direction of play.

  • Draw Two: Forces the next player to draw two cards and forfeit their turn.

  • Wild: Allows the player to choose the color to play next. Can be played on any card.

  • Wild Draw Four: Allows the player to choose the color to play next and forces the next player to draw four cards and forfeit their turn. Can be challenged by the next player if they suspect it was played illegally. 

4. Challenges:

  • If a player plays a Wild Draw Four card and another player suspects it was played illegally (i.e., the player had a playable card of the current color), they can challenge it.

  • The player who played the Wild Draw Four must reveal their hand. If they have a playable card of the current color, they must draw four cards instead. If not, the challenger must draw six cards (four for the Wild Draw Four plus two for challenging).

Winning the Game

  • The game continues until one player plays their last card.Once a player has played their last card, they must call out "Uno!" to indicate they have one card left.

  • If another player notices that a player forgot to say "Uno" before playing their second-to-last card, they must draw two cards as a penalty.

  • The first player to play all of their cards wins the game.

Notes/Variations

  • For longer games, you can increase the number of cards dealt to each player at the beginning of the game. 

  • You can introduce house rules or variations to customize the gameplay experience, such as playing with custom rules for certain cards or adding additional action cards.



Two Player & Four Player Rules


For two players, there is a slight change of rules:

  • Reverse works like Skip

  • Play Skip, and you may immediately play another card

  • If you play a Draw Two or Wild Draw Four card, your opponent has to draw the number of cards required, and then play immediately resumes back on your turn.

 

For four players (two-partner teams), players sit opposite their partners, and play until one of either partner goes out with one Uno card left. Scoring for the winning team is done by adding up all the points from opposing partner’s hands


Additional Tips:

  • Observe discarded cards to plan your moves.

  • Use action cards strategically to mess with your opponents.

  • Don't forget to yell "Uno!" when down to your last card!

Remember, Uno is a game that can get intense and competitive, so be prepared for plenty of twists and turns as you strive to be the first to shout "Uno!" and win the game.

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