Dealing:
When you are about to start a game, shuffle, cut the deck and the person on your left will deal. 7 cards.
Everyone watches his/her own cards and sort them the way they want. Once all the players are ready, the dealer flips over the first card from the deck. The player on the dealer’s left is the first to play. The game moves by default clockwise, and all the rules apply to this first card.
Regular Uno:
Play the game like a regular Uno. Everyone has a turn going clockwise (unless a reverse card is played) 8 on top of a 8, blue on top of a blue card etc…
Skipped & Double Down & Free Play AKA French Uno Rules:
You can play out of turn if you have an EXACT MATCH (= the exact same card = same color same number).
Looking at image below – A 5 (red five) is played by player (A) after that, it is technically player (B)’s turn, but player (D) also has the exact same card 5 (red five) he/she can play his/her card if he/she is faster than player (B).
– If player (B) is the fastest one with his/her 1 (red one), then Player (D) place his/her card back into his/her hand.
– If player (D) is the fastest one with his/her 5 (red five), then Player (B) & Player (C) ‘s turns are skipped.
Then, because player (D) doubled down, he/she gets a free play – any legal play (=matching color or number), in this case player (D) plays his/her 9 (red nine).
If you don’t have a legal play, just say “pass” and the game resumes.
Summary:
1. Player A played the 5
2. It is Player B’s turned but Player B is slow
4. Player D is faster than B and plays his/her 5
3. As a result, Player B and C had their turn skipped
Player D played OUT OF TURN and DOUBLED DOWN with his/her 5.
Special French Rule with the +2 or +4:
Draw Two (+2) cards and Draw Four Wild (+4) cards are cumulative and can be played out of turn.
Looking at image below – Player (C) played a +2 , technically player (D) has to pick up 2 cards. But player (D) also has a +2 so he/she plays it. Then, technically, player (A) has to pick up 4 cards. But player (A) also has a +2! So technically, player (B) has to pick up 6 cards, but player (B) decides to play his/her other +2!! So, technically player (A) has to pick up 8 cards, but player (B) as a +2!!! This time, no one else has +2 (or want to play a +2) so player (C) picks up 10 cards.
This rule applies to the +4 cards. Please understand that regular Wild cards and +4 cards are not the same.
In both cases, the player who draws the cards does forfeit his/her turn.
Summary:
1. Player C played the +2
2. Player D who doesn’t want to draw 2 cards plays his/her +2
3. Player A plays his/her +2
4. Player D plays his/her +2
5. And because Player C only has 2 cards left, Player B plays his/her +2
Player C now has to draw 10 cards and forfeit his/her turn! And if the game was going clockwise, Player D has to play next, with the 9.
If you are nice players, give the person who drew a minute to sort his/her cards before resuming the game.
Doubling Down with your own cards:
Case 1: When you skipped somebody’s turn because you doubled down a card (same color, same number and not a special card) you get a free play. Let’s say you doubled down on a 5 (red five), you can play any other red card or 5. If you can’t play, say “pass” and the game resumes.
Case 2: Player (C) played a 5 (red five). Player (D) plays his/her 2 9 (red nine) and because he/she doubled down, he/she get a free play. Player (D) can then play it 5 (red five). Player (D) says “Uno” as he/she only has a 1 yellow card left. It is player (A)’s turn.
Looking at image below – Case 3: Player (C) played a 5 (red five). Player (D) plays his/her 5 (red five) and because he/she doubled down, he/she get a free play. Player (D) can then play both of the 9 (red nine) and because this is doubling down, player (D) would technically have another free play. Unfortunately the only card he/she has left is a yellow skip so player (D) says “Uno” and “pass” it is player (A)’s turn.
/!\ You can’t double down on special cards = Skip, Reverse or regular Wild cards.
Summary:
1. Player C played a 5
2. Player D is doubling down with his/her 5
3. Because Player D has two 9 he/she can play them and gets a free play
Unfortunately Player D can’t play again – playing the Skip would be an illegal play.
So Player D says “UNO!” and it is now Player A’s turn.
If you can’t play:
If you cannot play on your turn, you must draw one card, if you can play it, play it. If you can’t, keep it. After that, the game moves on to the next player.
The bullshit call:
If you have a card that can be played, you MUST play it.
Wild and Wild Draw Four (+4) card can be played only if you don’t have a card in your hand that matches the color or number of the card previously played, BUT if you play a +4 when you actually could play another card, any players can call “bullshit” on you. If someone calls bullshit and you were indeed lying, you pick up the 4 cards + 2 penalty cards, if the player wasn’t lying, the player who called bullshit draws the 4!
Calling out “UNO!”:
When you have one card left in your hand, remember to say UNO. If you don’t and another player calls you out, you must pick up 2 cards.
The end:
The player with no card left in his/her hand is the winner.
If the person finishes with a +2, the player after must draw the 2 cards, unless someone else has another +2 and plays it. In this particular situation, the game ends when all the players got rid of their +2 and the player after must draw all the cards (same rules apply with +4). Only then, players count their cards => Learn about the scoring.
Next game – DO NOT SHUFFLE:
Once everybody is done counting their points, gather all the cards. The player who has dealt the previous game, will cut the pile, and the person to his/her left will deal 7 cards. Someone will flip the card from the top of the drawing pile, and the player on the left will be the first to play. If it is a +2, that player must draw 2 cards, unless someone jumps in and plays another +2, then the +2 double down rule applies (same with +4).
Variants to make it harder/crazier:
1. You can’t go out (and win) if your last card is a +4 or a wild. You must draw, drop your wild or +4 when it is your turn and stay with a number or a special card. – Don’t forget to say UNO!
2. Don’t wait to have everyone ready to flip the card at the beginning of a hand.
3. If you play a 0 (there is only one for each color), you can swap hands with any other player. The swap is not required, but you can if you want.
