UNO is one of the most popular board games in the world, incredibly easy to play, and a ton of fun 😆 If you want to play UNO with your friends but don't know the rules yet, this article will guide you through everything from the basics to advanced strategies.
Pokémon UNO Deck
Basic Rules of UNO
The first to get rid of all their cards wins
At the start, each player is dealt 7 cards. You play by matching the top card on the discard pile by either number, color, or symbol.
Example with Number Cards
Let's say the card on the table is a Green 7. In this case, you can play any 7 card of any color, any Green number card, any Green action card, or you can play one of the following special cards: Wild, Wild Draw 4, Snorlax, or Greninja.
The two cards Snorlax andGreninja (bottom right) are exclusive special cards in the Pokémon UNO deck.
Playable cards on a Green 7
Example with Action Cards
Suppose the card on the table is a Blue Skip. Because it's a Skip card, the next player's turn is skipped, and play passes to the person after them. In this case, you can play a Skip card of any color, any Blue card, or one of the special cards: Wild, Wild Draw 4, Snorlax, or Greninja.
Playable cards on a Blue Skip
If you don't have a matching card to play, you must draw 1 card from the draw pile. If the drawn card is playable, you can play it immediately. If not, your turn ends and play moves to the next person. The game is won when someone gets rid of all the cards in their hand.
But, before you run out of cards...
When you have exactly one card left in your hand, you must immediately yell "UNO" (which means 'one' in Spanish). Anyone who forgets to yell it will be penalized by drawing 2 cards. (Be sure to check out the "Penalties and Violations" section!)
It's more than just matching cards
With 5 types of action cards, you can launch attacks—like skipping someone's turn or forcing them to draw 4 cards. What's more, even if you forget to yell "UNO" on your last card, you won't be penalized if no one calls you out. The rules are simple, but the thrill of offense and defense is absolutely peak. That is the magic of UNO.
Card Types and Quantities Explained
When can you play an Action Card?
Wild, Wild Draw 4, Snorlax (Kabigon), and Greninja (Gekkouga) can be played regardless of what card is on the table. The person playing this card gets to declare the color they want, and the next player must play according to that chosen color.
Draw 2, Reverse, and Skip can be played if they match the color or symbol of the top card on the discard pile.
Detailed Guide to UNO Cards
Draw 2
8 cards (Blue, Green, Red, Yellow - 2 of each color) When this card is played, the next player must draw 2 cards from the draw pile and loses their turn. Play then passes to the following person. If this is the first card turned up at the beginning of the game, the player to the left of the dealer (the first player) must draw 2 cards, and their turn is skipped.
Reverse
8 cards (Blue, Green, Red, Yellow - 2 of each color) This reverses the direction of play. If play is moving to the left, it changes to the right, and vice versa. If this is the first card turned up at the beginning of the game, the standard clockwise order is reversed, and the dealer goes first.
Skip
8 cards (Blue, Green, Red, Yellow - 2 of each color) The next player loses their turn. If this is the first card turned up, the player to the left of the dealer loses their turn. The person to their left becomes the first player to start.
Wild
4 cards The person playing this card gets to declare any color they want, and it can be played regardless of what card is currently on the table. You can play a Wild card even if you have other playable cards in your hand. The next player is forced to follow your chosen color. If this is the first card turned up, the player to the left of the dealer (the first player) gets to call out the color they want to start with.
Wild Draw 4
4 cards The person playing this card gets to declare the color they want, and forces the next player to draw 4 cards. The next player also loses their turn, and play moves to the person after them. This card cannot be played if you have another playable matching card in your hand. If you play it illegally, there are penalties—but you can also bluff and try to get away with it (Check out the "Penalties and Violations" section for more). If this is the first card turned up at the start of the game, put it back into the draw pile, shuffle, and turn over a new top card.
Snorlax (Kabigon)
2 cards The person playing this card gets to call the color they want. The next player must draw 3 cards from the draw pile into their hand, and then discard ALL cards of the declared color from their hand before ending their turn. Play then passes to the following person. This card can be played regardless of what card is on the table. You can still play this card even if you have other playable cards in your hand. If this is the first card turned up, the player to the left of the dealer (the first player) gets to declare the starting color.
Greninja (Gekkouga)
2 cards The person playing this card gets to call the color they want. The next player must draw a card from the draw pile. If the drawn card does not match the declared color, they must keep drawing until they find one that does. They cannot play that card and their turn ends. When play passes to the next person, the player who originally played the Greninja card gets to declare the color they want once again. This card can be played regardless of what card is on the table. You can still play this card even if you have other playable cards in your hand. If this is the first card turned up, the player to the left of the dealer (the first player) gets to declare the starting color.
Number Cards
76 cards These consist of red, yellow, blue, and green cards. Each color has one '0' card, and two of each number from '1' to '9'.
A Pokémon UNO deck contains a total of 112 cards, including both action cards and number cards.
How to Start a Game of UNO
First, choose the dealer: Everyone draws 1 card. The person with the highest number card becomes the dealer. Action cards count as 0.
Deal the cards: The dealer gives each player 7 cards facedown. The remaining cards are placed facedown in a stack to form the Draw pile. The dealer turns over the top card from the Draw pile and places it face up next to it. This becomes the Discard pile, and the top card is the starting card. If the Draw pile runs out during the game, shuffle the Discard pile to form a new Draw pile.
Start the round: The player sitting to the left of the dealer goes first. Play moves in a clockwise direction.
How to Win a Round of UNO
When you have exactly one card left in your hand, you must yell "UNO" loud enough for everyone to hear. The round ends as soon as a player plays their final card. The winner of the round becomes the dealer for the next round.
If the winning card played is a "Draw 2", the next player must still draw 2 cards. If it's a "Wild Draw 4", the next player must draw 4 cards before the round officially ends.
How to Keep Score in UNO
The player who gets rid of all their cards (the winner) earns points equal to the total value of all the cards left in the other players' hands. Card values are scored as follows:
Number cards (0-9): Face value (e.g., a 7 is worth 7 points)
Action cards:
Draw 2: 20 points
Reverse: 20 points
Skip: 20 points
Wild: 50 points
Wild Draw 4: 50 points
Snorlax (Kabigon): 50 points
Greninja (Gekkouga): 50 points
Example of a 5-Round Game
In Round 1, "Player B" wins. The total points left in the hands of Players A, C, and D equal 118, so you write +118 in Player B's column.
The players who did not win will record the total value of their remaining cards as negative points.
After each round, keep a running tally of everyone's cumulative score. (In the chart: the top number is the score for that round, the bottom number is the total accumulated points).
The player with the highest total score at the end of the game is the overall winner.
According to standard international rules, instead of a set number of rounds, the first person to reach 500 points is declared the ultimate winner of the game.
Penalties and Violations in UNO
When running out of cards
When you have 2 cards left and play one, you must yell out "UNO" so everyone can hear. Anyone who forgets to yell must draw 2 cards as a penalty. Of course, if you forget and no one calls you out on it (like saying, "You forgot to say UNO!"), you don't have to draw the penalty cards.
If a player forgets to call "UNO" and gets caught by another player between the moment they play their second-to-last card and the exact moment the next player puts their card down, they will be penalized.
When playing a card
Even if you have a valid playable card in your hand, you can strategically choose to draw a card from the draw pile instead. If the card you just drew is playable, you can play it right away, or choose to keep it in your hand. However, if the card you drew is not playable, you cannot change your mind and play the previously valid card you already held in your hand.
If a player plays an illegal card and gets caught by others, they must take the card back into their hand and draw 2 penalty cards from the draw pile. Play then moves to the next person.
When using a Wild Draw 4 Card (Challenging)
Playing a Wild Draw 4 card when you have another valid card in your hand (matching the color on the table) is technically against the rules. However, if no one catches you, it stands. If you are caught, you must take the Wild Draw 4 back into your hand and draw 4 penalty cards.
The next player in line has the right to speak up when a Wild Draw 4 is played. If they suspect it was played illegally, they can call a "Challenge". The suspected player is then forced to show their hand to the challenger (and only to that challenger).
Only the next person whose turn it is (the one who is about to draw 4 cards) has the right to Challenge.
If the player is actually guilty, they take the penalty. But if they are innocent (meaning they truly didn't have any other valid cards to play), the challenger takes the hit. In that case, the challenger must not only draw the original 4 cards but also an extra 2 penalty cards (making it 6 cards in total).
Two-Player Rules and the UNO Penalty System
When Playing with Two People
When playing UNO with only 2 players, the following special rules apply:
There is no longer a difference between a Reverse card and a Skip card. The person who plays a Reverse card gets to immediately take another turn.
Similarly, when you play a Skip card, you immediately get to take another turn.
When playing a Draw 2 card, after your opponent draws 2 cards, their turn ends. Play immediately bounces right back to you. This same rule applies to the Wild Draw 4 card. Aside from these tweaks, everything else follows standard UNO rules.
Penalty Point System
Whenever someone forgets to yell "UNO" or is caught breaking a rule, tally up the total points of the cards in their hand at that exact moment and record it as penalty points. The first person to reach a predetermined threshold of penalty points (usually 500 points) is eliminated from the game. In a final 1-on-1 showdown, the first person to hit 500 penalty points loses the game.
UNO – Simple, yet surprisingly strategic
UNO might seem like a straightforward game at first glance, but the more you play, the more addictive it gets. With just a few basic rules, you can create countless "comeback" moments, enjoy epic game nights with friends, and share endless laughs.
Whether you're playing traditional UNO or special editions like Pokémon UNO, the most important thing is to master the rules, fully utilize the special cards, and of course, don't forget to yell UNO at the right time 😆
If you're looking for a quick, easy-to-learn, yet tactical game to play when hanging out with friends, UNO is absolutely the perfect choice.
You can check out the detailed official Japanese instruction manual for the Pokémon UNO deck here:
Hello everyone. I'm an IT engineer working in Japan. I created this blog to share about life and experiences during my study and work journey. I hope this article will be helpful to you.
