UNO Rules & House Rules Guide

The Deck

An UNO deck contains 108 cards in four colors (red, yellow, green, blue) plus special cards:

Number Cards

Action Cards

Wild Cards

Basic Rules

Setup

1. Each player is dealt 7 cards
2. The remaining deck forms the draw pile
3. One card is flipped to start the discard pile
4. Play begins with the player to the dealer's left

Playing a Card

On your turn, you must play a card that matches the top of the discard pile by:

• Color: Same color as the top card
• Number: Same number as the top card
• Symbol: Same action card type (Skip on Skip, etc.)
• Wild: Wild cards can be played on anything

Drawing Cards

If you cannot (or choose not to) play a card:

1. Draw one card from the draw pile
2. If it's playable, you may play it immediately
3. Otherwise, play passes to the next player

Saying "UNO"

When you play your second-to-last card, you must say "UNO" to alert other players. If you forget and another player calls you out before the next player takes their turn, you must draw 2 penalty cards.

Winning

The first player to play all their cards wins the round. In points mode, remaining players' cards count against them, and the winner scores points from those cards.

House Rules

Our implementation includes extensive configurable house rules. Enable or disable these at game creation, or vote to change them mid-game!

Stacking Rules

Stacking allows players to deflect draw cards by playing their own:

Stack Draw Two

When a Draw Two is played on you, instead of drawing, you can play your own Draw Two. The penalty passes to the next player, who must either:

• Play another Draw Two (adding to the stack)
• Draw all accumulated cards (2, 4, 6, etc.)

Stack Draw Four

Same concept applies to Wild Draw Four cards. Each player can pass the penalty by playing their own Wild Draw Four, accumulating 4, 8, 12+ cards for the unlucky player who can't continue the stack.

Cross-Stacking

The most chaotic option: Draw Fours can be stacked on Draw Twos and vice versa! This creates massive card penalties and unpredictable gameplay.

Seven-O Rule

This popular house rule adds hand-swapping mechanics:

Playing a Seven

When you play a 7, you must swap hands with another player of your choice. This can dramatically change the game state - trade your large hand for an opponent's small one, or give someone your "UNO" hand!

Playing a Zero

When anyone plays a 0, all players pass their entire hand to the next player in the direction of play. Everyone's situation changes simultaneously!

Jump-In Rule

This rule allows playing out of turn under specific conditions:

• You have an exact match (same color AND number/symbol) to the top discard
• You can play it immediately, even if it's not your turn
• Play continues from the jump-in player in the current direction

Jump-In rewards fast reactions and keeping track of the discard pile. It also adds tension - you never know when someone might interrupt!

Draw Until Play

Instead of drawing one card when you can't play:

• Keep drawing cards until you get one you can play
• You must then play that card
• This can result in drawing many cards but keeps the game moving

Force Play

When this rule is enabled:

• If you have a playable card, you must play it
• You cannot choose to draw instead of playing
• Reduces strategic holding of cards

Challenge Wild Draw Four

The official UNO rule states Wild Draw Four can only be played when you have no cards matching the current color. With challenging enabled:

• When someone plays Wild Draw Four on you, you can challenge
• The player must show their hand
• If they had a playable color card, they draw 4 instead of you
• If they played legally, you draw 6 cards (the 4 plus 2 penalty)

Starting Card Neutral

What happens if an action card is flipped to start the discard pile?

• Enabled: The first card has no effect; it only sets the color/number
• Disabled: The starting card's action applies to the first player

Play to Points

Enable cumulative scoring across multiple rounds:

• Set a target score (default: 500 points)
• Winner of each round scores points from opponents' remaining cards
• First player to reach the target wins the game

House Rules Summary Table

Voting System

Can't agree on which house rules to use? Our democratic voting system lets players decide together:

How Voting Works

1. Any player can propose enabling or disabling a house rule
2. All players receive a notification to vote
3. A majority vote is required for the change
4. Changes take effect immediately
5. The room creator can veto or force-approve if needed

This means you can start with basic rules and add stacking mid-game if everyone's having too easy a time, or turn off Seven-O if it's causing too much chaos!

Strategy Guide

Basic Strategy

• Play high-point cards early: If you're stuck with them at the end, they count against you
• Save Wilds for emergencies: Wild cards guarantee you can play; don't waste them
• Track colors: Notice which colors opponents draw for - they likely don't have them
• Change color strategically: When playing Wilds, switch to colors you have many of

Advanced Strategy

• Color blocking: If you know an opponent needs a specific color, avoid playing it
• Action card timing: Save Skips and Reverses for when the player after you is close to winning
• Bluffing with Wild Draw Four: In challenge mode, consider playing it illegally if you think opponents won't challenge
• Stack management: With stacking enabled, hold Draw cards for defense rather than offense

Seven-O Strategy

• Track everyone's hand sizes - swap with whoever has the fewest cards
• Play 0s when you have a large hand to pass your problems to the next player
• Don't announce "UNO" too early - you become a target for 7 swaps!

Jump-In Strategy

• Always watch the discard pile, not just on your turn
• Jumping in can skip problematic players or change direction
• Holding exact matches can be valuable even if you could play other cards

Game Modes

Classic Mode

Single-round gameplay. First player to empty their hand wins. Quick and simple.

Points Mode

Multi-round competitive play:

• Set a target score (commonly 500 points)
• Round winners score points from opponents' remaining cards
• First to reach the target wins overall
• Strategic depth increases as you consider long-term scoring

Hot Seat Mode

Play locally on a single device:

• Pass the device between players
• Perfect for travel or gatherings without multiple devices
• Privacy screens hide hands between turns

Platform Features