Crazy Eights Card Game
Crazy Eights is the card game that inspired Uno: play a card of the same suit or rank, use a wild 8 to change the suit and be the first to get rid of all your cards.
You play against 1 to 3 computer opponents. Choose the rules and be the first to run out of cards!
How to play Crazy Eights
With 2 players, each gets 7 cards; with 3 or 4, everyone gets 5. The rest of the deck becomes the stock, and its top card is turned over to start the discard pile.
On your turn, play a card that matches the suit or rank of the top discard: on a 9 of hearts you can play any heart or any 9. Eights are wild: you can play one on any card and choose the suit that counts from then on.
If you can’t play, tap the stock to draw. With the classic rule you keep drawing until you find a card you can play; with the quick rule you draw up to 3 and, if none of them works, you pass. The first player to run out of cards wins the hand.
Frequently asked questions
Draw until you can play, or only 3 cards?
Both are common. With the classic rule (the one in American rule books) you draw until you can play, which can fill up your hand. Lots of people play with a 3-card limit: after the third draw, if nothing fits, you pass. Pick your rule before you start. When the stock runs out, the discard pile is shuffled into a new stock (up to 3 times per hand; after that, anyone with no play just passes).
How does scoring work?
It’s optional. Whoever goes out scores the cards left in the other players’ hands: 50 for each 8, 10 for each face card (Jack, Queen and King), 1 for an Ace and face value for the rest. The first player to 100 points wins the match. If the game gets blocked, the player with the fewest points in hand wins.
Is Crazy Eights the same as Uno?
Uno grew out of Crazy Eights, which is played with a regular deck. Basic Crazy Eights has no “draw two” or reverse cards, and you don’t have to call out anything when you’re down to one card. In other countries it’s known as Mau-Mau and Makao.