Crazy Eights

Crazy Eights is the classic card-shedding game that’s the ancestor of Uno. It uses a standard 52-card deck. Here you play one-on-one against a computer opponent, and each of you starts with 8 cards. Match the top of the discard pile by either rank or suit. Eights are wild. First to play all their cards wins. The game has been a family favourite for decades, and Uno (1971) is its best-known commercial descendant.

How to play

• Look at the top of the discard pile. The arrow beside it shows the suit in play.
• Click any card in your hand that matches by rank OR by suit. Cards you can’t play are greyed out.
• If you have no playable card, click the stock (or Draw card) to draw. Keep drawing until you get a card you can play, then play it.
• Eights are wild. Play an 8 on anything, then choose the next suit.
• 2s make the next player draw 2. If a 2 is played on you, you can answer with a 2 of your own to pass the penalty back (it stacks to 4, 6 and so on), or take the cards with Pass.
• Aces skip. Play an Ace and your opponent misses a turn, so you go again.
• First to play all cards wins. The game keeps count of your wins in your browser.

Beginner strategy

• Hoard your eights. Save them for when you can’t otherwise play.
• Pay attention to the computer’s suit choices. When it plays an 8, it names the suit it holds most of.
• Keep a 2 in reserve. It’s your only defence when a draw-2 lands on you.
• Use Aces to chain plays. An Ace gives you an extra turn, which is handy for shedding two cards in a row.
• Watch rank patterns. Repeated rank discards mean that rank’s getting scarce.
• Force draws. Switch to suits your opponent likely can’t match.

Crazy Eights → Uno

The commercial Uno deck (1971) is built on the same idea as Crazy Eights. Uno adds dedicated action cards (Skip, Reverse, Draw Two, Wild Draw Four), colors in place of suits, and the “Uno!” callout when you have one card left. Many Crazy Eights house rules, like the draw-2 and skip cards in this version, play the same role with ordinary cards. The core match-and-shed mechanic is identical.

FAQ

• Q: Who do I play against? A: One computer opponent. It plays a matching card when it can, saves its eights, and draws until it can play when it can’t.
• Q: Difference from Uno? A: Uno uses a special 108-card deck with action cards. Crazy Eights uses a standard 52-card deck.
• Q: How many to start? A: 8 cards each in this game. Traditional rules usually deal 7 each for two players and 5 each with more.
• Q: What if the stock runs out? A: The discard pile (all but the top card) is shuffled to form a new stock. If there is nothing left to draw and you cannot play, use Pass.
• Q: Winning? A: First to empty their hand.

For other card games, try Blackjack, War, Solitaire, or Yahtzee.