Card game
UNO Flip!
Flip every card over to UNO's nastier Dark Side and back again
- Set-up
- Under a minute
- Reading
- None
The quick verdict
Full verdict ↓Great for Families who already play UNO and want a twist that takes a couple of minutes to explain
Think twice if You want stacking and knockouts; that's UNO Show 'em No Mercy, not Flip
How we rate it
Learning curve. Classic UNO plus one idea, the Flip, and a second set of action cards. Anyone who knows UNO learns it in a hand.
Luck & skill. The draw still decides most hands, but timing your Flip and seeing the other side of rivals' cards give a little more control than classic UNO.
Interaction. Draw, Skip and Wild Draw cards target other players, a Flip changes everyone's hand at once, and you can see the hidden side of each other's cards.
Set-up. Turn all the cards the same way, shuffle, deal seven each and start the discard pile, all Light Side up.
Reading. Cards show colours, numbers and symbols only; the rule sheet is the only text.
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 Flip! right for you?
Great if
- Families who already play UNO and want a twist that takes a couple of minutes to explain
- Big family gatherings and school-holiday afternoons: up to 10 can play from one deck
- Children from 7 who love the drama of the whole game suddenly flipping
- Travel: it's one small pack of cards
Skip it if
- You want stacking and knockouts; that's UNO Show 'em No Mercy, not Flip
- Your group already finds UNO hands long: reviewers say Flip hands tend to run longer
- You want real strategy: the draw still decides most hands
How UNO Flip! plays
Set-up: make sure every card faces the same way, then deal seven to each player. Hold your hand with the Light Side (white border) towards you, put the rest Light Side down as the draw pile and turn the top card over to start the discard pile.
- Time to teach: about 5 minutes for anyone who knows UNO.
- Reading and language: The cards use colours, numbers and symbols only, so nobody reads during play. Only Mattel's rule sheet has text. Mattel says every card also carries small shapes so colour-blind players can tell the colours apart, which helps with eight colours across the two sides.
UNO Flip! - How To Play · Cardboard Crash Course
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A turn, step by step
- 1Match
Play a card matching the top card by colour, number or symbol, or play a Wild; if you can't, draw one card.
- 2Flip
A Flip card turns every card over: the Dark Side brings Draw Five, Skip Everyone and Wild Draw Color, until someone flips back.
- 3Shout
Call 'UNO' as you play your second-to-last card, or draw two if someone catches you first.
- 4Win
Empty your hand first to score the cards left in other hands; the first to 500 points wins.
The full explanation: how a game of UNO Flip! goes
On your turn, play a card that matches the top card by colour, number or symbol, or play a Wild. If you can't, draw one card and play it if it fits. The Light Side looks like classic UNO in red, blue, yellow and green, but the number cards run 1 to 9 with no zeros, and the attacks are softer: Draw One instead of Draw Two, and Wild Draw Two instead of Wild Draw Four, which you may only play when you hold nothing of the current colour.
A Flip card turns the discard pile, the draw pile and every player's hand over. On the Dark Side (black border, in pink, teal, orange and purple) the cards hit harder: Draw Five, Skip Everyone, which brings play straight back to you, and Wild Draw Color, which makes the next player draw until they find the colour you name. Another Flip turns everything back to the Light Side.
Call 'UNO' when you play your second-to-last card, or draw two if you're caught. The first player out scores points for the cards left in everyone else's hands, on whichever side is in play; Dark Side cards are worth more, up to 60 for a Wild Draw Color. The first to 500 points wins.
Tip: because everyone holds their Light Side towards themselves, you can see the Dark Side of other players' cards, and they can see yours. Before you play a Flip, look at what the others would be left holding on the other side; reviewers also advise that nobody hides the backs of their cards.
What's in the box
- 112Double-sided cards
each card has a Light Side face and a Dark Side face - 72Light Side: number cards
18 in each of red, blue, yellow and green: two each of 1 to 9 - 32Light Side: Draw One, Reverse, Skip and Flip cards
8 of each, two per colour - 8Light Side: Wild and Wild Draw Two cards
4 of each - 72Dark Side: number cards
18 in each of pink, teal, orange and purple: two each of 1 to 9 - 32Dark Side: Draw Five, Reverse, Skip Everyone and Flip cards
8 of each, two per colour - 8Dark Side: Wild and Wild Draw Color cards
4 of each - 1Instruction sheet
From Mattel's own rule sheets for item GDR44. The deck is 112 cards; each side lists its own 112 faces, so the Light Side and Dark Side rows each add up to 112 rather than to separate cards. There are no 0 cards on either side. Mattel's US product page and an Indian store listing both give 112 cards and instructions.
Where to buy
Paid link · We may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
How to make sure you get a genuine copyEditions and the details worth checking.
What reviewers and players say
Reviewers see UNO Flip as one of the better UNO spin-offs. Geeky Hobbies calls it 'a significant improvement over the original game': the Flip card adds timing, the Dark Side adds risk, and seeing the other side of everyone's cards gives you something to remember and plan around, while it stays easy enough to teach any family. The trade-offs are that hands often run longer than in classic UNO and the cards are ordinary UNO cardstock. GIGAZINE enjoyed the swing from the quick Light Side to the riskier Dark Side, but felt the change was smaller than expected because hand sizes stay the same, and missed being able to stack draw cards. People who don't enjoy UNO are unlikely to be won over.
What people love
- The Flip card turns a weak hand into a strong one, so timing it matters
- The harsher Dark Side, with Draw Five, Skip Everyone and Wild Draw Color, adds risk and drama
- Seeing the other side of rivals' cards adds a little memory and planning
- Still easy to teach to anyone who knows UNO
Common complaints
- Hands tend to run longer than classic UNO
- The flip changes less than you might expect, and draw cards can't be stacked under the official rules
- Ordinary UNO card quality and artwork
Based on 4 reviews and discussions
- Review UNO Flip! (2019) Card Game Review (Eric Mortensen, April 2020) · Geeky Hobbies
- Review UNO FLIP review (GIGAZINE staff, July 2019) · GIGAZINE
- Reference UNO Flip! instruction sheet (Mattel, 2018) · Mattel
- Reference Uno Flip! · Wikipedia
Summarised in our own words from the sources above. We don't use Amazon reviews or ratings.
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| Compare the games.The details that make a difference. |
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UNO Flip!
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UNO Show 'em No Mercy
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ANOTHER WAY TO PLAY
UNO
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ANOTHER WAY TO PLAY
Flip 7
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Why consider it | This game Flip every card over to UNO's nastier Dark Side and back again | A different fit Mattel's harshest UNO: 168 cards, stacking draw cards, hand swaps and knockouts at 25 cards | A different fit The classic one-sided 112-card original, with zeros, Draw Two and Wild Draw Four and no Flip | A different fit Not related despite the name: a push-your-luck number card game |
| Players | 2–10 | 2–6 | 2–10 | 3–18 |
| Best with | 4-6 | 3-5 | 4-6 | 5-8 |
| Play time | 10–30 min | 15–30 min | 10–30 min | 20–40 min |
| Age | 7+ | 7+ | 7+ | 8+ |
| Rules | Easy | Easy | Easy | Easy |
| Indian edition | Imported | Imported | Imported | Imported |
| On this page | Explore UNO Show 'em No Mercy | Explore UNO | Explore Flip 7 |
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Questions people ask about UNO Flip!
What is the difference between UNO and UNO Flip?
UNO Flip uses 112 double-sided cards. The Light Side plays like classic UNO but with softer attacks (Draw One and Wild Draw Two in place of Draw Two and Wild Draw Four), and a Flip card turns every card over to the Dark Side, with Draw Five, Skip Everyone and Wild Draw Color. There are no 0 cards, and because you hold your cards Light Side towards you, everyone can see the Dark Side of your hand.
What does the Flip card do in UNO Flip?
It turns over the discard pile, the draw pile and every player's hand, so the game switches from the Light Side to the Dark Side, or back again. The new side stays in play until someone plays another Flip card.
Is UNO Flip the same as Flip 7?
No. UNO Flip is Mattel's double-sided version of UNO. Flip 7 is a separate push-your-luck number card game from a different publisher, with its own page on our site.
Can you stack Draw cards in UNO Flip?
Not under Mattel's rules. A Draw One, Draw Five or Wild Draw card makes the next player draw and miss their turn; they can't pass it on by playing their own draw card. Some families add stacking as a house rule, and one reviewer suggests it, but it isn't official.
How many players can play UNO Flip, and what age is it for?
Mattel says 2 to 10 players, aged 7 and up, from one deck. Everyone is dealt seven cards, as in classic UNO.
Game facts
- Publisher
- Mattel (Mattel Games)
- In India
- Mattel Toys (I) Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai (named as manufacturer/importer on an Indian store listing)
- First published
- 2019
- Players
- 2–10
- Barcode
- 887961751062
- Language
- No reading – The cards use colours, numbers and symbols only, so nobody reads during play. Only Mattel's rule sheet has text. Mattel says every card also carries small shapes so colour-blind players can tell the colours apart, which helps with eight colours across the two sides.
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.
- Mattel Shop (US) - UNO Flip! Card Game, item GDR44
- Mattel - UNO Flip! instruction sheet (GDR44, English)
- Mattel - UNO Flip! instruction sheet (GDR44, five languages)
- Toycra - UNO Flip! Card Game With Double-Sided Deck
- FirstCry - Mattel UNO Flip Side Card Game
- Geeky Hobbies - UNO Flip! (2019) Card Game Review (Eric Mortensen)
- GIGAZINE - UNO FLIP review (July 2019)
- Wikipedia - Uno Flip!