Learn everything you need to know about the Dos card game with our in-depth guide. Dos combines elements of Uno, but is still its own unique, fun card game. If you like Uno though then it’s easy to recommend Dos.
We’ll look at everything you need to know about the Dos card game with our in-depth guide. We’ll also look at everything you need to play and even explore a little about the history of the game.
What is The Dos Card Game?
Dos is actually a very recent game, as it was only released in 2018. Published and created by Mattel, Dos was even at one point advertised as an Uno spin-off. The cards even share a similar design.
The two games also share many gameplay elements. Although they both manage to remain unique and distinct, despite their similarities. In both games, you want to be the first to use all your cards.
But in Dos, you use cards by placing them in one of the discard piles in the center. You can match cards by their number and their color. Multiple cards can be used to form the same value of a card as well.
Wild cards also appear like in Uno. These cards have the same purpose, you can use them to represent any other number. Dos cards are also used which count as two of any color. We’ll talk more about how to play the Dos card game below. But now let’s look at what you need to play.
What You’ll Need
To play the Dos card game you’ll need a set of cards. Like we said earlier DOS is published by Mattel. So, you should be able to find the cards quite easily. You can also find them online without much trouble like this DOS card playing set.
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You get 112 cards in a Dos card set. The cards can be sorted into three groups. To help you understand the rules of Dos we’ll talk about the three kinds of cards below.
Numbered Cards
Numbered cards make up the majority of cards in Dos. These cards act in a similar manner to those found in Uno. You have to match numbers together to use them. Numbered cards also come in four different colors: red, green, yellow, and blue.
Wild Cards
Wild cards are also shared from Uno and they work in much the same way. These cards can act as any number. The wild cards also come in the same four colors as the numbered cards. These cards can be very advantageous to players, so if you get one (or more) use them strategically.
Dos Cards
Dos cards work in a similar manner to the standard wild cards. But these cards can act as two of any number and color. These cards are again very advantageous and sure to be valuable to any player.
The Dos Card Game Rules and Gameplay
The Aim of The Game
The aim of Dos is quite simple, you need to be the first to use all your cards. Then the cards left in your opponent/s hand will award you points. The first player to score at least 200 points will be the winner.
You can also play Dos without the score rule. If you are playing without points then the player who uses all their cards first will win! Let’s now take a look at how you set up and play the Dos card game.
Setting Up and Playing Dos
To begin with, one player should take the deck of cards and shuffle it. Then each player should be dealt 7 cards. Place the deck down in the center and flip two cards face up. These cards will make the starting base for players.
Dos makes a great two-player card game, but it can be played with up to four players. Once every player has been dealt their cards they will need to start using them. Starting with the player who dealt and then continuing clockwise every player should try to place at least one card down.
In the Dos card game, cards are played using matches. Matches come in numerous forms and use both colors and numbers. To help you understand how you can use them we’ve outlined the matches below.
Single Match: A single match is when you match cards using the number. For example, a yellow 5 could be placed on top of a red 5.
Double Match: A double match is when you use two cards to match the number of the base card. This also ignores the color. For example, a red 2 and green 2 could be placed on top of a yellow 4.
When you have made a match you should move the cards to the discard pile. Then take 2 more cards from the deck and place them face down. These will be the new base cards that the next player will need to try to match. However, before you move you might also be able to make a color match!
In the Dos card game matching with colors isn’t essential. However, if you can match by color then you can get rid of more cards during a single turn. While also making the game more difficult for your opponents. We’ve outlined how the color matches work below.
Single Color Match: This is when you match a card by color alone. For example, you could place a red 5 down on another red 5 card.
Double Color Match: This is when you play 2 cards that equal the same value as the base card. They’ll also need to be the same color. For example, a yellow 2 and a yellow 3, can be placed down on a yellow 5.
If you play a single color match then you can play another of your cards by adding it to the base cards. This will increase the number of base cards in the center to three. If you manage a double color match then every other player must pick up a card!
Before we talk about how scoring works let’s just take a look at the special cards. We’ve talked about these above but to reiterate. Wild cards can act as any number and they come in 4 different colors.
While Dos cards can act as 2 numbers of any color. These cards effectively give you a shortcut to getting a double color match, which makes them very valuable.
Winning Dos
The first thing to remember is that when you get down to your last two cards, you need to shout out Dos. If you don’t then you will need to draw another two cards and add them to your hand. The first player to play all their cards wins the round.
If you are playing the Dos card game with the traditional score-based rules, you’ll then need to add up points. The player who won their round is awarded points based on the cards left in their opponent’s hand.
Numbered cards have their face value, a wild card rewards 40 points, and a Dos card will reward 20 points. The first player to reach 200 points wins the game!
Dos – A Fun Twist On Traditional Uno
Dos is an imaginative and fun card game that is sure to be a hit on your next game night! The game is simple and ideal for family play, but there is also plenty of room for more strategic play as well. If you love Uno then you’ll certainly enjoy Dos.
