How to Play UNO — Classic Rules
UNO is played with a special 108-card deck. On your turn you match the top card of the discard pile by color, number, or symbol — or play a Wild — and the first person to empty their hand wins the round.
These are the classic Mattel rules, including the parts most house tables get wrong: the Wild Draw Four restriction, the challenge rule, and the penalty for forgetting to call “UNO.”
Last reviewed 2026-07-27
What's in the box
- 108 cards total
- Number cards 0–9 in four colors (red, yellow, green, blue)
- Action cards: Skip, Reverse, and Draw Two in each color
- 4 Wild cards and 4 Wild Draw Four cards
- A scorepad (in most editions)
Setup
- Shuffle and deal 7 cards to each player.
- Place the rest face down as the draw pile.
- Flip the top card face up to start the discard pile. If it is a Wild Draw Four, return it to the deck and flip a new one.
- Play begins with the player to the dealer’s left and normally proceeds clockwise.
How to play — the rules
Matching the discard
To play a card it must match the top of the discard pile in one of three ways: same color, same number, or same symbol (Skip on Skip, Reverse on Reverse, and so on). A Wild can be played on anything.
If you have no legal play, draw one card from the draw pile. If that card can be played, you may play it immediately; otherwise your turn ends and play passes on.
Action cards
- Skip — the next player loses their turn.
- Reverse — the direction of play flips. With only two players it acts like a Skip.
- Draw Two — the next player draws 2 cards and forfeits their turn.
- Wild — you choose the color that play must continue in.
- Wild Draw Four — you choose the new color, and the next player draws 4 and loses their turn.
The Wild Draw Four rule (and challenge)
Officially you may only play a Wild Draw Four when you have no card in your hand that matches the current color. You may still hold matching numbers, Wilds, or action cards — only a color match blocks it.
A player who suspects you played it illegally can challenge. You privately show your hand: if you were bluffing you draw 4 instead; if the challenge was wrong, the challenger draws 6 (the original 4 plus 2).
When the first card is an action card
- Wild — the first player chooses the starting color.
- Draw Two — the first player draws 2 and is skipped.
- Reverse — direction reverses, so the dealer effectively plays first.
- Skip — the first player is skipped.
A turn, step by step
- Check the top discard: what color, number, and symbol must you match?
- Play one matching card, or a Wild, face up onto the discard pile.
- If you cannot play, draw one card and play it if it is legal.
- Resolve any action (choose a color, apply Skip/Draw, etc.).
- If you are now down to one card, say “UNO” out loud before your turn fully ends.
How to win
You win a round by playing the last card from your hand. If your final card is a Draw Two or Wild Draw Four, the next player still draws those cards.
In a scored game the round winner collects points for every card left in opponents’ hands: number cards at face value, Skip / Reverse / Draw Two at 20 each, and Wild / Wild Draw Four at 50 each. The first player to reach 500 points wins the match.
Strategy tips
- Shed high-value cards first. Wilds are worth 50 points if you are caught holding them — but keep at least one as an escape hatch for when you get stuck.
- Watch colors, not just numbers. Dumping every red early can leave you unable to follow a color everyone else is playing.
- Save a Wild Draw Four for the moment an opponent calls “UNO” — four cards is often enough to reset the race.
- In a two-player game, Skip and Reverse both give you an extra turn; hoard them for the finish.
- Track what opponents draw. Someone who keeps drawing on your color is a target for a Skip or Draw Two.
Frequently asked questions
Can you stack Draw Two or Draw Four cards in UNO?
Not in the official rules. Stacking (playing a Draw Two on a Draw Two to pass the penalty along) is a popular house rule, but by the book the targeted player simply draws the cards and loses their turn.
What is the penalty for forgetting to say UNO?
If another player catches you holding one card before the next player takes their turn, you must draw 2 cards as a penalty. Once the next player starts, you are safe.
Can I end the game on an action card?
Yes. You may play your last card even if it is a Skip, Reverse, Draw Two, or Wild Draw Four. Any draw penalty still applies to the next player, but you have already won the round.
When can I legally play a Wild Draw Four?
Only when you have no card matching the current color. You can still be holding numbers or symbols of other colors — it is specifically a color match that makes the Wild Draw Four illegal.
Do you have to play a card if you can?
In classic UNO, no — you may choose to draw from the pile even if you hold a playable card. (Note that the harsher Show ’Em No Mercy variant reverses this and forces you to play.)
House-rule ideas
- Stacking: allow Draw Two on Draw Two (and Draw Four on Draw Four) to pass and accumulate the penalty until someone cannot respond.
- Jump-in: anyone holding an identical card (same color and number) may play it out of turn immediately.
- Seven-Zero: playing a 7 swaps hands with a chosen player; playing a 0 rotates all hands in the direction of play.
- Draw-to-match: keep drawing until you get a playable card instead of drawing just one.
Buy UNO Classic
UNO Card Game (Classic)
The original 108-card deck — the one every house rule is built on.
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