Looking for a fun and fast-paced card game that’s perfect for players of all ages? Crazy Eights might be your new favorite! Its gameplay is very similar to UNO’s (minus the special plus cards that drive everyone insane). Let’s dive in and learn to play Crazy Eights!

❥ DIFFICULTY: Easy

❥ PLAY TIME: 10 - 30 minutes

❥ NO. OF PLAYERS: 2-7 players

❥ NO. OF DECKS: 1 deck

❥ SETUP

Start by picking the dealer—it’s all about luck! Each player draws a card from a shuffled deck, and the one with the lowest card becomes the dealer. The dealer shuffles the deck and hands out five cards to each player, one at a time, face down. The rest of the cards form the stock pile in the center. Flip over the top card to start the discard pile. If it’s an 8, slip it back into the stock and flip a new card to get things rolling.

❥ OBJECTIVE

The goal of Crazy Eights is simple: be the first player to get rid of all your cards. Along the way, you’ll need to match cards by suit or rank, and strategically use special cards to outwit your opponents.

❥ HOW TO PLAY

❥ Deal the Cards

• For 2 players: Deal 7 cards each.

  For 3 or more players: Deal 5 cards each.

• Place the remaining deck face down in the center to form the draw pile.

• Turn the top card of the draw pile face up to start the discard pile. If it’s an Eight, shuffle it back into the draw pile and draw a new card.

❥ Starting the Game

• The player to the left of the dealer goes first and the play proceeds clockwise.

❥ Playing a Card

• On your turn, play a card from your hand that matches the top card of the discard pile by rank (e.g., another 7) or suit (e.g., any hearts).

• If you can’t play, draw a card from the draw pile. If you can play the drawn card, do so immediately. If a player cannot place any of their cards on the top card of the discard pile, they must draw cards from the stock until they can do so or they’ve drawn a maximum of five cards.

❥ Special Cards

• Eights are Wild: When you play an Eight, you get to choose the suit that the next player must follow. Announce your chosen suit when you play the Eight.

• Other Optional Rules:

  Some players use additional rules for cards like 2s (force the next player to draw 2 cards) or Queens (skip the next player’s turn). Decide before the game begins if you want to include these.

❥ WINNING A ROUND

The first player to play all their cards wins the round. The remaining players tally the points left in their hands:

• Ace: 1 point

• Number cards 2 through 9 (except 8): Face value (e.g., a 5 is worth 5 points).

• 10, Jack, Queen, King: 10 points each.

• Eights: 50 points each.
  

❥ WINNING THE GAME

Play multiple rounds, keeping a running score. The player with the lowest score after a set number of rounds (or when someone reaches a predetermined score, such as 100) wins the game.

❥ TIPS AND STRATEGIES

• Save Your Eights: Keep them for strategic moments to disrupt opponents or when you’re stuck without a playable card.

• Watch Opponents’ Moves: Pay attention to which suits your opponents struggle with and use that to your advantage when playing Eights.

• Manage Your Hand: Try to play high-point cards early to minimize your score if another player wins the round.