Because it’s a fan-created game, it’s also known by a lot of different names. Some people might say they’re playing Jungle UNO, Crazy UNO, or Wild UNO—it’s usually the same variation.
A modification has every player slap both hands flat on the table. To keep arguments to a minimum with this modification, have the person who plays the card in charge of determining who the last person was. [3] X Research source
If you get UNO during a silent period, hold up a single figure to indicate your UNO, rather than saying it aloud. A variation uses red cards as the signal to be silent. As long as there’s a red card on top of the discard pile, you can’t talk. The jury’s out on whether this causes a longer or shorter silent time than using 7s. [5] X Research source Another variation requires a player who talks to draw a card for every word they say. Harsh![6] X Research source
The person who played the 0 is the only one who has a choice here. If you play a 0 and want to trade hands with somebody, they have to do it.
This can get really hairy if you’re dealing with Reverse cards. You’ve definitely got to pay attention! Playing out of turn gets especially unpredictable if you’re playing with 2 or 3 decks at once. Watch out for that inevitable moment when things go sideways because 5 people all had identical cards and slapped them down at once. And those 5 cards were Reverses. If you play a Wild card out of turn, that means you get to name the color now.
Here’s a little example: Player A plays a Draw 2. Players B, C, D, and E (in a 6-player game) also have Draw 2s, so they all put their cards down. Play continues with Player B, who now has to draw 10 cards. As you can see, Player B made a huge mistake. Stay out of the stacking if you’re the next player, unless you’re holding another Draw 2 that you can throw down on your turn. Otherwise, you’ll end up with all those cards. Technically, you can’t stack a Draw 4 on a Draw 2 (or vice versa). But if your normal house rules allow players to stack a Draw 4 on a Draw 2 (or vice versa), you can apply that house rule to this rule as well.
If you’re playing with the rule that you keep drawing until you get a playable card, you can either keep going the “asking for help” route or take your chances with the draw pile. Pay attention to how many cards the other players have. If someone offers you a card and you would give them UNO if you took it, don’t take it!
You might also add the date to keep a complete record. It’s nice to include the name of the event, too, if you’re playing on a special occasion (such as someone’s birthday).
The player to the left of the dealer starts the game with a play off of the card on the discard pile. They put that card on top of the first card, then play continues with the player on their left. Want a slightly longer game? Play with 2 or 3 decks and deal 10 cards to each player instead of 7. [13] X Research source The official Spicy UNO site recommends playing with 2 decks.
If you can’t play, head to the draw pile and draw a card. If it matches the card on top of the discard pile in number, symbol, or color, you can play it immediately. If you can’t, put it in your hand. Your turn ends and play moves to the next person. Want a potentially deadly alternative? If a player can’t play a card from their hand, they have to keep drawing from the draw pile until they get a card they can play. [15] X Research source
Skip cards: Skip the next player’s turn; can be played on another skip card or a matching color Draw 2 cards: The next player draws 2 cards and forfeits their turn; can be played on another skip card or a matching color Reverse cards: Reverses the direction of play; can be played on another reverse card or a matching color Wild cards: Can be played on any card; announce the color when you play the card; you can play a wild card even if you have another playable card in your hand Wild Draw 4 cards: Technically can only be played if you have no other card in your hand to play; you can play one at any time, but another player can challenge your play. Show them your cards—if you played the card when you had another you could’ve played, you have to draw 4. But if you win the challenge, your challenger has to draw 6!
If you don’t call “UNO” when you only have one card left and someone calls you on it, you have to draw 4 cards. If nobody notices, you’re in the clear—but it’s better not to take that chance.
All number cards (0-9): face value Draw 2: 20 points Reverse: 20 points Skip: 20 points Wild: 50 points Wild Draw 4: 50 points Blank: [whatever house value you’ve given them]
