The UNO pack Mattel India sells (112 cards)Photo: Mattel
The 112-card deckPhoto: Toycra
Quick to learn, loud to playPhoto: Mattel
Number, action and Wild cardsPhoto: Toycra
Match the colour, number or symbol on top of the pilePhoto: Toycra
The back of the packPhoto: Mattel
Video

Card game

UNO

Match colours or numbers, then shout UNO before anyone catches you.

2–10players · best with 4-6
10–30 minplaying time
7+recommended age
Learning curve
Very easy1 / 5
EasyDemanding
Luck & skill
More luck than skill
LuckSkill
Interaction
High
Set-up
Under a minute
Reading
None

The quick verdict

Full verdict ↓

Great for Mixed-age groups, where a seven-year-old and a grandparent can play on equal terms

Think twice if Your group wants real strategy. The cards you're dealt decide a lot.

How we rate it

Learning curve. Match the colour, number or symbol, and learn five action cards. UNO is one of the reference games for 1 on our scale.

Luck & skill. The cards you are dealt and draw decide most hands. Holding a Wild for the right moment and choosing colours well help a little.

Interaction. Skip, Reverse, Draw Two and Wild Draw Four are all played on other players, and everyone watches for a missed 'UNO' call.

Set-up. Shuffle, deal seven cards to each player, put the rest face down and turn over the top card to start the discard pile.

Reading. Cards show only colours, numbers and symbols. Only the rule sheet is in English, and the blank Wilds can carry house rules in any language.

Learning curve: 1 = UNO or Connect 4; 3 = Catan; 5 = a heavy strategy game. These describe the experience, not an overall score.

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Is UNO right for you?

Great if

  • Mixed-age groups, where a seven-year-old and a grandparent can play on equal terms
  • Train journeys and holidays: the box fits in a pocket or handbag
  • Big gatherings, since up to 10 people can play from one deck
  • A cheap gift or return gift for children

Skip it if

  • Your group wants real strategy. The cards you're dealt decide a lot.
  • Someone at your table hates being picked on. Draw Two and Wild Draw Four cards are meant to sting.
  • You already own a classic deck and want something new. UNO Flip or a different game will give you more variety than a second classic deck.

A place on the honours list

Good company to be in.

Recognition from beyond our table.

National Toy Hall of Fame (The Strong National Museum of Play, USA), 2018 (Inducted)

Games 100 (Games magazine), 1980 (Listed)

Games 100 (Games magazine), 1982 (Listed)

How UNO plays

Everyone gets seven cards. The top card of the draw pile is turned face up to start the discard pile.

  • Time to teach: about 5 minutes.
  • Reading and language: The cards use colours, numbers and symbols, so nobody has to read during play, and any child who can match colours can join in. Only the rule sheet has text. The three blank Wild cards are there for house rules you write yourself, in whatever language your family speaks.
Quick to learn, loud to play · Photo: Mattel

How to Play UNO in 3 Minutes (UNO Card Game Rules) · Tabletop Duo

Choose a video · Watch right here

If this creator doesn’t allow embedded playback, watch on YouTube ↗.

A turn, step by step

  1. 1
    Match

    Play one card that matches the top of the discard pile by colour, number or symbol, or play a Wild. If you can't (or choose not to), draw one card; you may play it straight away if it fits.

  2. 2
    Attack

    Action cards hit the next player: Skip, Reverse, Draw Two, and Wild Draw Four, which you may only play when you hold no card of the current colour.

  3. 3
    Shout

    Call 'UNO' as you play your second-to-last card. If someone catches you before the next player starts, you draw two cards.

  4. 4
    Win

    Empty your hand first to win the round. Under the full rules you score points from everyone else's leftover cards, and the first to 500 wins.

Read the official rules (PDF)UNO instruction sheet (Mattel item 42003, 112 cards) · English
The full explanation: how a game of UNO goes

On your turn you play one card that matches the top card by colour, number or symbol. If you can't play, or would rather not, you draw one card; if that card fits you may put it down straight away, but no other card.

Action cards keep things lively. Skip makes the next player miss a turn, Reverse changes direction, and Draw Two makes the next player pick up two cards and miss their turn. A Wild lets you choose the colour. A Wild Draw Four also makes the next player pick up four, but you may only play it when you have no card of the current colour. The next player can challenge you if they think you broke that rule, but if they're wrong they pick up six instead.

When you play your second-to-last card, you must call 'UNO'. If someone catches you before the next player starts their turn, you draw two cards as a penalty.

The first player to empty their hand wins the round. Under the official rules they score points for the cards left in everyone else's hands: numbers count face value, Skip, Reverse and Draw Two are 20, and Wilds are 40 or 50. The first player to 500 points wins. Many families just play one hand at a time.

What's in the box

The 112-card deck · Photo: Toycra
  • 76Number cards
    19 in each of red, yellow, green and blue: one 0 and two each of 1 to 9
  • 8Skip cards
    two per colour
  • 8Reverse cards
    two per colour
  • 8Draw Two cards
    two per colour
  • 4Wild cards
  • 4Wild Draw Four cards
  • 1Hand-swapping Wild card
    'Wild Swap Hands' on Mattel's rule sheet; newer decks may print 'Wild Shuffle Hands' instead
  • 3Customisable Wild cards
    blank Wilds to write your own house rules on
  • 1Instruction sheet

From Mattel's own rule sheet for item 42003. Mattel India's two boxes (items 41940 and 42003) are both the 112-card deck; listings that say 108 cards describe the older deck without the four newer Wilds. Since about 2017 many decks print the hand-swap card as 'Wild Shuffle Hands' (collect all hands, shuffle and re-deal); we couldn't check which one the current Indian boxes contain. Current cards also carry small shapes so colour-blind players can tell the colours apart.

Where to buy

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How to make sure you get a genuine copyEditions and the details worth checking.

About the editions

Genuine UNO reaches India through Mattel's Indian company, Mattel Toys (I) Pvt. Ltd. in Mumbai. Indian listings give Indonesia as the country of origin, so the decks are made abroad and imported by Mattel India itself. That's why the real deck is so cheap here. Many themed UNO decks (movie, sports and character editions) are individually imported from abroad rather than brought in by Mattel India, and they are mainly for collectors. For ordinary play, the classic deck is all you need. Our Amazon.in link goes to Mattel's classic 112-card deck.

Before you choose

  • Look for Mattel on the box and in the listing's brand field. Indian retail boxes name Mattel Toys (I) Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai, as importer. Be careful with listings that put 'Mattel' or 'Original and Certified' in the title but name a different company as manufacturer in the product details.
  • Check for the ISI mark. Since 1 January 2021, toys sold in India must carry it under a BIS licence. Mattel India's UNO boxes show a BIS licence number (CM/L-4100102249 on item 41940) and name Mattel Toys (I) Pvt. Ltd., Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai, as importer. A box with no ISI mark and no importer address is a warning sign.
  • Count the cards. A current Mattel deck has 112: 19 number cards in each colour (one 0 and two each of 1–9), two each of Skip, Reverse and Draw Two per colour, 4 Wilds, 4 Wild Draw Fours, one hand-swapping Wild and 3 blank Wilds. A new deck from another brand sold as '108 cards' is a copy.
  • Read the name closely. Copies add letters before or after UNO, or leave the name out and use titles like 'family card game for 2–10 players' with pictures that look like UNO.
  • Don't judge by price alone. The real deck is already inexpensive in India, so copies are rarely much cheaper. The brand, the importer and the ISI mark tell you more.

What reviewers and players say

UNO lasts because anyone can play it: reviewers point out that a five-year-old and a grandparent can sit at the same table and both have a real chance. Rounds are quick, the action cards bring plenty of groans and laughter, and new themed decks and house rules keep it fresh. The trade-off is that luck decides most hands and there are few real choices, so keen gamers tire of it, and the official play-to-500 scoring feels long for such a light game, which is why most families play single hands. It was inducted into the US National Toy Hall of Fame in 2018 for its fast pace and wide age appeal.

What people love

  • Easy enough for young children and grandparents to play together, and children can beat adults
  • Quick rounds full of friendly take-that moments
  • Endless variety, from house rules and the blank Wild cards to hundreds of themed decks
  • Inexpensive and easy to replace when a well-loved deck wears out

Common complaints

  • Mostly luck: your decisions rarely change who wins
  • Playing to 500 points under the official rules drags for such a light game
  • House rules cause arguments; stacking Draw Twos, for example, is not in Mattel's rules
Based on 6 reviews and discussions

Summarised in our own words from the sources above. We don't use Amazon reviews or ratings.

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Match colours or numbers, then shout UNO before anyone catches you.

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Players2–102–102–62–8
Best with4-64-63-53-6
Play time10–30 min10–30 min15–30 min15 min
Age7+7+7+6+
RulesEasyEasyEasyEasy
Indian editionImportedImportedImportedAvailable
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Questions people ask about UNO

How can I tell if my UNO cards are original?

Check the box for the Mattel name, the importer (Mattel Toys (I) Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai) and the ISI mark. Then count the deck. A current Mattel UNO deck has 112 cards, including three blank Wild cards for house rules. Our Check price on Amazon.in button goes to the listing we've checked; make sure the brand is Mattel.

Can you stack Draw Two and Draw Four cards in UNO?

Not under the official rules. If someone plays a Draw Two on you, you draw two and miss your turn. You can't pass it on by playing your own Draw Two. Mattel said in 2019 that stacking is not part of the standard rules, though UNO Show 'em No Mercy is built around it.

What is the difference between UNO, UNO Flip and UNO Show 'em No Mercy?

Classic UNO is the original matching game. UNO Flip uses double-sided cards, and a Flip card switches everyone to a harsher 'dark side' with cards like Draw Five. Show 'em No Mercy has 168 cards, allows stacking, adds Wild Draw 6 and Wild Draw 10, and knocks out anyone holding 25 or more cards.

How many cards do you deal in UNO, and how do you win?

Each player gets seven cards. You win a hand by playing your last card, as long as you called 'UNO' when you were down to one. Under the full rules, the winner of each hand scores points for everyone else's leftover cards, and the first player to reach 500 points wins.

Game facts

Designed by
Merle Robbins
Publisher
Mattel (originally International Games, Inc.)
In India
Mattel Toys (I) Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai (named as importer on Indian UNO boxes and listings)
First published
1971
Players
2–10
Language
No reading – The cards use colours, numbers and symbols, so nobody has to read during play, and any child who can match colours can join in. Only the rule sheet has text. The three blank Wild cards are there for house rules you write yourself, in whatever language your family speaks.
Awards
National Toy Hall of Fame (The Strong National Museum of Play, USA), 2018 (Inducted); Games 100 (Games magazine), 1980 (Listed); Games 100 (Games magazine), 1982 (Listed)
Sources & photo creditsThe references behind this guide.

Facts on this page come from the publisher, the Indian maker or distributor, and the sources below. Photos are credited under each one.