UNO: Rules, Variants and Which to Choose | Loja dos Puzzles

Why a puzzle store sells UNO

A puzzle takes over the table for a week and calls for quiet and patience. A card game fills the twenty minutes before dinner with noise and laughter. They are two sides of the same family game night, and that is why we launched our Family Games collection with the most played card game in the world. This guide explains the rules in two minutes and what changes in each of the six editions we have in stock.

UNO rules in two minutes

Each player is dealt seven cards. On your turn, you play a card that matches the one on top of the discard pile by color, number or symbol; if you have no match, you draw one from the deck and, if it fits, you can play it right away. The action cards do the rest: Skip makes the next player miss a turn, Reverse changes direction, Draw Two makes the next player draw two cards, Wild lets you choose the color and Wild Draw Four lets you choose the color and makes the next player draw four (you can only play it when you have no card in the current color, and it can be challenged). When you are down to a single card, you shout UNO; if you forget and get caught, you draw two. The first player to get rid of all their cards wins the round and scores the points of the cards left in the other players' hands; the game ends at 500 points, although most families simply play best of three.

The six editions, one by one

Classic UNO

Classic UNO is the essential starting point. Mattel's current edition comes with 112 cards, the Swap Hands card (you swap your whole hand with another player) and three blank wild cards where you can write your own house rules. For 2 to 10 players, ages 7 and up.

UNO Zero

UNO Zero is the new release that turns the game upside down: your cards are laid face down in a two-by-three grid instead of held in your hand, and the player with the fewest points wins. You swap high cards for low ones and clear matching columns. It is more tactical and more relaxed, and it is the choice for anyone who has played the classic a thousand times.

DOS Second Edition

DOS is played with two discard piles, and cards match by number or by the sum of two cards. The second edition adds Wild DOS cards, the Throw Two card and a colorblind-friendly deck. For 2 to 4 players, it is the best of the family for playing as a pair.

UNO Harry Potter

UNO Harry Potter puts the four Hogwarts houses on the card colors and adds the Sorting Hat card, which makes your opponent keep drawing until a Gryffindor card comes up. It is the right gift for anyone with the saga on their bookshelf.

UNO Spider-Man

UNO Spider-Man uses classic comic book art and has the Web Swing card, which lets you choose who misses a turn, even several players at once. It is the favorite of kids who own our Marvel puzzles.

UNO Minimalista

UNO Minimalista keeps the classic rules with 108 cards in a stripped-back design by Warleson Oliveira, in a black box that looks great on a shelf. It is the edition to give to adults and design lovers.

Which one to choose

For a home without UNO, the classic. For a family that already has the classic, UNO Zero or DOS. For a child who loves superheroes, Spider-Man; for a Harry Potter reader, the Sorting Hat makes all the difference. For an adult, Minimalista. And for the complete gift, an UNO together with a puzzle: the game for the twenty minutes and the puzzle for the week. See our Christmas gifts 2026 suggestions.