The object of the game is to be the first player to attain the target score. The traditional target score is 500. Points are scored by getting rid of all the cards in your hand before your opponents.
Each player is dealt seven cards, the remaining cards forming the stock pile. The top card of the stock is turned over to form the discard pile.
The first player then selects a card from her hand by matching either colour number or word of the top card of the discard pile. The first player's card is then placed on top of the discard pile for the next player to match. A wild card will always fit. If at any time a player cannot play any of her cards, she must draw one card from the stock which she may play if it fits the sequence, otherwise turn passes to the next player.
Special action cards also make the game more interesting by skipping players' turns and causing players to draw additional cards.
There are 108 cards in a Uno deck. There are four suits, Red, Green, Yellow and Blue, each consisting of one 0 card, two 1 cards, two 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, 6s, 7s, 8s and 9s; two Draw Two cards; two Skip cards; and two Reverse cards. In addition there are four Wild cards and four Wild Draw Four cards.
One player is chosen to be dealer, perhaps by cut of the highest valued card. This player then ensures that the cards are reshuffled and seven cards are dealt to each player. The remaining cards form the stock pile. The top card of the stock is turned over to form the discard pile.
If the top discard is a word card then play begins as follows:
Wild Draw Four Card - Another card is turned over on top of this by the
dealer.
Wild Card - The player to the right (left) of the dealer declares the colour.
Draw Two Card - The player to the right (left) of the dealer draws two cards
from the stock and loses her turn.
Skip Card - The player to the right (left) of the dealer loses her turn.
Reverse Card - Turn passes to the left (right), starting with the player on
the left (right) of the dealer
Unless a Skip or Reverse is turned up, play starts with the player to the right (left) of the dealer. Play passes to the right (left) unless a Reverse card is played.
Each player takes turns trying to match colour, number or word of the top discard, or if an action card is played, take the necessary action. If you cannot play a card in this way, you must draw a card from the stock. If it is playable, you have the option to play it, but your turn is over.
The turn then passes to the next player. If a Skip card is played, the next player's loses her turn. If a Reverse card is played, the player who played prior to the current player has the opportunity to play again and the direction of play is reversed. If a Draw card has been played, the next player must draw from the stock as many cards as indicated by the card, and loses her turn.
Draw Two - When a Draw Two Card is played, the next player must draw two
cards from the stock and forfeit her turn. Play then continues
with the next player according to the direction of play.
Reverse - Reverses the direction of play.
Skip- Causes the next player to lose her turn.
N.B. After a Draw Two, Reverse or Skip is played, matching is allowed in all the usual ways, by word or colour. However, the effect of one of these cards can NEVER be cancelled.
Wild cards - The cards marked "Wild" may be played on any colour or type of
card. The player playing a Wild card may change the colour of
play to any colour at all, even the colour used before the Wild
card was played. Apart from changing the colour, Wild cards have
no effect on the next player's turn. A Wild card can be played
under all circumstances, regardless of other cards the player
may hold. Furthermore, Wild cards do not have to be played
before a Draw Four can be played.
Wild Draw Four cards - The playing of these cards not only gives the player
the right to call the colour of play, but also forces
her opponent to draw four cards from the stock and
forfeit their turn. This card can only legally be
played when you have no other card matching the colour
of the current top discard. Draw Four cards can be
played when the player has a matching word or number
card, or has a Wild card in her hand, however.
N.B. When playing Wild and Wild Draw Four cards, you must declare the colour to the next player.
When a player has played her second last card, the player must call out "uno". This warns the opposing players that the player may be able to go out on her next turn.
If this player then plays her last card, ridding her hand of all cards, the hand ends. If the card requires cards to be drawn, these must be added to the losing player's hand for scoring. Points are then allocated to the winning player based on the cards in the losers' hands.
If the target score has not yet been obtained, another hand is dealt (the deal passing to the player on the right (left) of the player who dealt the previous hand) and play continues. If the target has been reached, the player who won the last hand wins the game.
If the stock at any time becomes depleted, reshuffle the discard pile, excluding the top card, and use it as the new stock.
When a player goes out, the opponents' hands are scored, the score being added to the winning player's tally. The cards are valued:
Draw Two, Reverse & Skip 20 points Wild & Wild Draw Four 50 points Other Cards Face value
The first player to reach the originally chosen target is the winner.
Not only may you draw from the stock when you cannot play a card, you may also draw when you do have a playable card. If this is playable, then you have the option of playing the drawn card only.
Last updated: Thursday 31st July 1998
Game devised by International Games Limited. Uno is a registered trademark of International Games Limited. All rights reserved.