People of all ages and walks of life love a game of Uno. Most people learn to play family-friendly card games when they are just children.
However, did you know you can also play other games using Uno cards?
When you first purchased your deck of Uno cards, you probably never realized the possibilities for other games you could play. Well, I am here to enlighten you about some of the different and fun games you can play with your Uno cards.
14 Other Games to Play with a Deck of Uno Cards
Some of the games I will talk about below can be played with other people, and some of them can be played by yourself, meaning no matter your situation, if you have a deck of Uno cards to hand, you’re set for entertainment.
Most of the games I have listed below are super simple and easy to understand, which means you have a handy go-to guide next time you want a quick idea for a game to play with your deck of Uno cards.
So, let’s look at what different and fun card games you can play with your Uno cards.
1. Guess The Number
Guess the number is a guessing game that involves guessing what number you have by asking questions. If you’ve ever played “celebrity head,” this game will sound familiar.
The only difference with Guess the Number is that you’re attempting to find out what number you have chosen by asking questions that only require a YES or NO or answer. Such as “do I come before 5.”
If you want to make the game more complex for older teens, perhaps you can even try guessing the card’s number and color.
Number of Players: 2+.
2. Go Fish
One of my favorites, the aim of this game is to get your hand down to just two of each colored number and then continue using the general rules of Go Fish. If you’re unsure how to play the basic version of the game, you should check out this guide on how to play Go Fish.
You can make this game even more enjoyable by including some of the rules from the classic Uno game, too, using the two and four-draw cards. This means that if an opponent asks you for one of these cards and you don’t have it, they must collect either two or four cards from the deck.
Number of Players: 2+
3. Snap
This simple version of the family card game Snap is a fun, fast game that even really young players can get on board with. You’ll need to ensure that you are only using the numbered cards, so sort through your deck before you begin playing, leave the other cards to one side, and then shuffle your deck.
Deal the cards out evenly between all the players, making sure nobody can see the cards. Then the first player puts their top card down, face up, for everyone else to see. Then it is followed by the next player, who puts their top card down and continues like this until a matching pair is placed down one after the other.
Everyone slaps their hands down when this happens and yells, “Snap!” Then, with their hand on the bottom and touching the cards, the player picks up the deck.
The game proceeds until only one player is holding all the cards. Then, this player is the winner.
Number of Players: 2+
4. Memory
Memory begins with 20 Uno cards sorted into 10 pairs. First, shuffle the cards, then place them on the playing table in a grid with five cards across and five down.
The aim of the game is to take it in turns, turning over two cards at a time. If you find a pair, the cards become yours, taking another turn. If you don’t match a pair, you need to use your memory for your next turn so that next time you can find a pair quickly.
The player who collects the most cards at the end of the game is the winner.
Number of Players: 2+
5. Find The Items
To play Find the Items, you need to start by gathering all the numbered cards and shuffling them before taking one card from the deck.
The game aims to find as many items in the room that match the color of the card on the table. For example, if the card shown is a green five, everyone must hunt to find five green items.
The game is scored using a point system, so each time a player completes the task, they win a point. The person that accumulates the most points by the end of gameplay is crowned the winner.
Number of Players: 2+
6. The Domino Effect
This is an excellent game to play if you have an old deck of Uno cards that has been well used, so you don’t mind damaging too much.
The game plays out a bit like a typical game of dominos. First, hand each player the same number of cards. The cards should be folded down the middle so they can stand on their side. Then, set a timer.
The aim of the game is for each player to build a train of “dominoes” and knock them down in a chain reaction before the timer ends. The player who had the longest successful train is the winner.
Number of Players: 2+
7 Card Toss
Probably the most straightforward game on this list; I always find Card Toss goes down a treat with young children. All you need to do is find a container or “goal,” such as a Tupperware box or bowl. Then, divide your cards evenly between the players, and each takes turns tossing a card into the goal.
Whoever gets the most cards into the container is the winner.
Number of Players: 2+
8. Number Grab Card Game
Number Grab Card Game is an excellent way to challenge your quick thinking skills and put them to the test. All you need to play this particular card game is the number of cards from the deck.
A chosen player puts the first card down in the center of the playing area, and the first person to yell out the number on the card wins that card. The winner is the player with the most cards at the end of the game.
This game can be made more difficult by placing down two cards instead of one, meaning you will need to shout out the number of the two cards added together.
You could even add sums into the mix, so the winner is the first person to shout out the sum and the answer. For example, if a 4 and 2 are placed down, someone yells, “four times two is 8.” They would win the cards.
Number of Players: 2+
9. Sorting Card Game
This is a great game for toddlers still learning to recognize their numbers and colors.
All that is required to play the Sorting Card Game is to shuffle a deck of Uno cards and then allow your child to sort the cards into specific piles. This can be according to numbers, colors, or a bit of both, subject to your child’s level of education.
This game can be fun for more than one child by asking them to try and sort their piles faster than the other.
Number of Players: 2+
10. Old Maid
To play Old Maid, take your Uno deck, take out all the number cards, plus one extra random card, your wild card, and disregard the rest of the deck.
Shuffle the numbered cards, and deal them equally amongst the players.
The aim of the game is two match cards together, so if you have a matching pair in your initial deck, you put this straight to one side.
Whoever starts the game should hold up their deck to the player on their right, so they can’t see the cards and allow them to take one card from their hand. They must then attempt to make a pair out of their hand.
As you go around the table, and each person matches cards, one person will eventually be left with the wild card. This person is the loser and must sit the rest of the rounds. The person remaining at the end who hasn’t been left with a wild card is the victor.
There are other ways to play the Old Maid Card Game, which are more complex if you want to up the ante.
Number of Players: 2+
11. Simple Patterns Game
This is a great game to improve children’s skills when it comes to math and creating patterns. All you need to do is take your deck of Uno cards and begin laying out a pattern your child can attempt to continue.
You can do this using numbers, colors alone, or a combination of both. For example, 2 green, 1 red, 2 yellow, 2 green, 1 red, 2 yellow, and so on. Next, your child must work out what comes next and so on.
Number of Players: 2+
12. Spoons
This is a simple way of playing the original spoons card game. Begin by removing all the numbered cards from your Uno deck and set the rest aside.
You won’t be needing those. Next, get the number of spoons which is one less than there are players. For example, if there are 8 players in your particular group, you will need 7 spoons.
Each play is dealt four cards and must match four numbers. Once a player has matched four cards, they pick up a spoon. Whoever’s left without a spoon at the end is given a letter from the word “spoon.” The first player to have all the word letters is out of the game.
Continue playing until everyone is out and only one person is remaining. The last person in the game is the winner.
You can make scoring easy with this game by having a pen and paper to hand so that you can write down when each person is given a letter.
Number of Players: 2 – 12
13. Move It
This is an excellent game for any gathering if you want to have a good laugh. It also has no winner or loser unless a player chooses not to participate in their action, in which case, they’re out.
To play Move It, you will need all the numbered cards in every color. Each colored card will have a different action. This could be anything from a silly dance, a funny movement, or a tongue twister.
Each player takes turns revealing a card, and whatever color is shown is the action that should be performed, and the number on the card is the number of times they must perform the action.
You can mix the game up by introducing wild cards. This is a random card, which, if revealed, can have any action and the number of times performed made up on the spot.
Number of Players: 2+
14. Card Houses
This is another game that you will probably only want to play if you have an old deck of cards lying around that you don’t mind being damaged.
It entails using the cards to build a structure without it collapsing. The winner is the player who manages to make the biggest house without it toppling over.
Number of Players: 2+
Summary
So there we have it, go and grab that pack of Uno cards that have been sitting in your drawers, and put them to good use with one of these different and fun games for the whole family.
