Playing a card
A card must match the suit or the rank of the top discard. If you have nothing playable you draw until you do, so hand size can swing quickly.
Crazy Eights — shed your hand first
Crazy Eights is the family card game most people already half-know: match the top discard by suit or rank, or drop an eight and name a new suit. First player with an empty hand wins the round.
Play Crazy EightsThe eights
An eight is wild and can be played on anything. Playing one lets you nominate the suit that the next player must follow — it is the only real control you have over the game.
Winning the round
Shed every card to end the round. The other players score penalty points for what remains in hand, with eights the most expensive cards to be caught holding.
Tips that actually help
- Hold one eight back for the moment you are about to get stuck.
- Shed your longest suit while you still have options in it.
- Watch which suit an opponent keeps refusing — name it when you play your eight.
- Late in a round, dump high cards first; they cost the most if you lose.
Common questions
- How many cards do you start with?
- Each player is dealt a starting hand and draws from the stock whenever they cannot play.
- Is Crazy Eights the same as Uno?
- They are close cousins. Uno adds coloured action cards; Crazy Eights does the same job with a standard deck and the eights as wilds.
- Can I play an eight at any time?
- Yes. An eight is always legal and always lets you choose the next suit.