Can you stack Draw 2 cards in UNO?

Not under the official rules. When a Draw Two is played on you, you draw 2 and lose your turn; you can't play your own Draw Two to pass it on. Mattel confirmed this on social media in 2019. Stacking is one of the most popular house rules, though, so agree on it before the game starts if your group likes it.

Can you end UNO on a Wild card or action card?

Yes. You can go out on any legal card, including a Wild, Skip, Reverse, Draw Two, or Wild Draw 4. If your last card is a Draw Two or Wild Draw 4, the next player still has to draw those cards, and they count toward the points you score for the round.

What happens if you forget to say UNO?

If another player catches you before the next player begins their turn, you draw 2 cards as a penalty. If nobody notices in time, there's no penalty. Say 'UNO' as you play your next-to-last card, not after the next player has started.

When can you play a Wild Draw 4?

Only when you have no card in your hand that matches the color of the top card on the discard pile. You may play it even if you hold a card of the same number or symbol. The next player can challenge you; if you broke the rule, you draw 4, and if you didn't, the challenger draws 6.

How many cards are in an UNO deck?

Current UNO decks have 112 cards. That's 76 number cards (19 in each of four colors), 8 Skips, 8 Reverses, 8 Draw Twos, 4 Wilds, 4 Wild Draw 4s, 1 Wild Shuffle Hands, and 3 customizable Wilds. Decks made before 2018 have 108 cards, without the last four.

How does Reverse work in 2-player UNO?

With two players, a Reverse acts like a Skip: your opponent misses their turn, so you play again. Some Mattel instruction sheets also say that after you play a Draw Two or Wild Draw 4 in a two-player game, your opponent draws and play comes straight back to you.

How many points do you need to win UNO?

The official target is 500 points. The player who goes out each round scores the value of everyone else's remaining cards: face value for number cards, 20 for Draw Two, Reverse, and Skip, and 50 for Wild and Wild Draw 4. The first to 500 wins.

If you draw a playable card, can you play it?

Yes. When you can't play and draw a card from the draw pile, you may play that card right away if it matches. If it doesn't match, your turn is over and play passes to the next player.

UNO Rules: How to Play, Every Card and Scoring

1Object of the game

Get rid of all your cards before anyone else. When you go out, you score points for every card still in your opponents' hands. The official game is played over several rounds, and the first player to reach 500 points wins. For a quick game, many families simply play one round and call the first person out the winner.

2Setup

Each player draws a card to pick the dealer. The highest number deals, and any card with a symbol counts as zero.
The dealer shuffles and deals 7 cards to each player, one at a time, face down.
Place the rest of the deck face down in the middle as the draw pile. Turn the top card face up next to it to start the discard pile.
If the first card turned up is an action card or a Wild, current Mattel sheets say to put it back and turn up another. Older sheets had it take effect right away, except a Wild Draw 4, which always goes back.
The player to the dealer's left goes first, and play moves to the left (clockwise).

3The play

Match the top card of the discard pile by color, by number, or by symbol. A red 7 can go on any red card or on any 7. A blue Skip can go on any blue card or on any Skip.
You can also play a Wild at any time. Name the color that play continues in. A Wild Draw 4 does the same, but you may only play it when you have no card matching the color on the discard pile.
If you have no playable card, draw one card from the draw pile. If that card can be played, you may play it right away. Otherwise your turn ends.
Action cards: Draw Two makes the next player draw 2 cards and lose their turn. Skip makes the next player lose their turn. Reverse switches the direction of play. Wild Draw 4 makes the next player draw 4 and lose their turn, and you name the color.
When you play your next-to-last card, say 'UNO' out loud. If another player catches you before the next player begins their turn, you draw 2 cards as a penalty.
If the draw pile runs out, set aside the top card of the discard pile, shuffle the rest, and turn them face down as the new draw pile.

4End of a hand

A round ends the moment one player plays their last card. If that last card is a Draw Two or Wild Draw 4, the next player still draws the 2 or 4 cards, and those cards count toward the round's points. The player who went out adds up the cards left in all opponents' hands and records that total. Then gather the cards, pass the deal to the left, and play the next round.

5Scoring

Only the player who goes out scores in a round. They score the total value of the cards left in every other player's hand.

For	Points
Number cards 0–9	Face value
Draw Two	20
Reverse	20
Skip	20
Wild	50
Wild Draw 4	50
Game target	500 points

Mattel's instructions also give an alternate method: every player keeps a running total of the points left in their own hand at the end of each round, and when someone reaches 500, the player with the lowest total wins. Current decks also include a Wild Shuffle Hands card and three blank Wild cards you can write your own rule on; check the sheet in your box for their exact rules and point values.

More detail: every uno card explained.

6Winning

In the standard scoring, the first player to reach 500 points wins the game. With the alternate scoring, the game ends when anyone reaches 500 and the lowest total wins. If you are playing a single round for fun, the first player to empty their hand wins.

7A worked hand

Four players: Ana, Ben, Cy, and Dee. Ana has 312 points going into the round. She holds one card, a green Draw Two, and has already said 'UNO.' The discard is a green 4, so she plays the Draw Two and goes out. Because her last card was a Draw Two, Ben still draws 2 cards, a yellow 5 and a Wild. Now count. Ben holds a red 7, a blue Skip, the yellow 5, and the Wild: 7 + 20 + 5 + 50 = 82. Cy holds a green 3, a red 9, a yellow Draw Two, and a Wild Draw 4: 3 + 9 + 20 + 50 = 82. Dee holds a blue 0 and a red Reverse: 0 + 20 = 20. The round is worth 82 + 82 + 20 = 184 points, all to Ana, who moves from 312 to 496. She is 4 points short of 500, so the game goes on. Notice how Dee's small hand cost Ana almost nothing, while the two 50-point Wilds made up more than half the round. That is why you should play your Wilds before someone else goes out.

8House rules

The rules above are the version most US players use. These are the variations you are most likely to run into; settle them before the first deal.

Stacking: When someone plays a Draw Two on you, you can play your own Draw Two to pass a draw of 4 to the next player, and so on. Very popular, but Mattel has said publicly that stacking is not part of the official rules.
Draw until you can play: Instead of drawing one card, you keep drawing until you get a card you can play. It makes rounds swing harder and last longer.
Seven-O: Playing a 7 means you swap hands with a player of your choice, and playing a 0 means everyone passes their hand to the next player in the direction of play.
Jump-in: If you hold the exact same card (same color and number) as the top of the discard pile, you may play it immediately, even out of turn. Play continues from you.
Single-round game: Skip the scoring and the 500-point target. The first player out wins, which works well with young kids.

9Mistakes people make

You may only play a Wild Draw 4 when you have no card matching the color on the discard pile. Holding a matching number or a matching action card does not stop you.
If you are challenged on a Wild Draw 4 and you played it illegally, you draw the 4 cards. If you played it legally, the challenger draws 6 (the 4 plus 2 more).
The UNO penalty only applies if you are caught before the next player starts their turn. After that it's too late to call it.
In the official rules, you draw one card when you can't play, not until you find a playable card.

10Playing better

Get rid of high-value cards early. Wilds and Wild Draw 4s are worth 50 points each to whoever goes out, so don't sit on them for too long.
Save a Wild for the end when you can. It lets you play your last or next-to-last card no matter what color is showing.
Change the color to one you hold a lot of, and avoid switching to a color the next player just played heavily.
Watch the player with few cards. Use a Skip, Draw Two, or Reverse on them to slow them down when they are close to going out.
Don't play a Wild Draw 4 illegally. If the next player challenges and wins, you draw the 4 cards instead.
Count what's been played. If three red cards went down and the player after you drew on red last time, red is a good color to name.

UNO: questions people ask

Can you stack Draw 2 cards in UNO?: Not under the official rules. When a Draw Two is played on you, you draw 2 and lose your turn; you can't play your own Draw Two to pass it on. Mattel confirmed this on social media in 2019. Stacking is one of the most popular house rules, though, so agree on it before the game starts if your group likes it.
Can you end UNO on a Wild card or action card?: Yes. You can go out on any legal card, including a Wild, Skip, Reverse, Draw Two, or Wild Draw 4. If your last card is a Draw Two or Wild Draw 4, the next player still has to draw those cards, and they count toward the points you score for the round.
What happens if you forget to say UNO?: If another player catches you before the next player begins their turn, you draw 2 cards as a penalty. If nobody notices in time, there's no penalty. Say 'UNO' as you play your next-to-last card, not after the next player has started.
When can you play a Wild Draw 4?: Only when you have no card in your hand that matches the color of the top card on the discard pile. You may play it even if you hold a card of the same number or symbol. The next player can challenge you; if you broke the rule, you draw 4, and if you didn't, the challenger draws 6.
How many cards are in an UNO deck?: Current UNO decks have 112 cards. That's 76 number cards (19 in each of four colors), 8 Skips, 8 Reverses, 8 Draw Twos, 4 Wilds, 4 Wild Draw 4s, 1 Wild Shuffle Hands, and 3 customizable Wilds. Decks made before 2018 have 108 cards, without the last four.
How does Reverse work in 2-player UNO?: With two players, a Reverse acts like a Skip: your opponent misses their turn, so you play again. Some Mattel instruction sheets also say that after you play a Draw Two or Wild Draw 4 in a two-player game, your opponent draws and play comes straight back to you.
How many points do you need to win UNO?: The official target is 500 points. The player who goes out each round scores the value of everyone else's remaining cards: face value for number cards, 20 for Draw Two, Reverse, and Skip, and 50 for Wild and Wild Draw 4. The first to 500 wins.
If you draw a playable card, can you play it?: Yes. When you can't play and draw a card from the draw pile, you may play that card right away if it matches. If it doesn't match, your turn is over and play passes to the next player.

UNO is a trademark of Mattel, Inc. This page describes the rules for players and has no connection with the trademark owner.

Sources

Checked by Morgan Hale against the sources below. Last reviewed September 28, 2026.

UNO instructions (basic game), Mattel. Read September 28, 2026.
UNO 30th Anniversary Edition instructions, Mattel. Read September 28, 2026.
Uno (card game), Wikipedia. Read September 28, 2026.

Also on the table: Crazy Eights, Phase 10, Skip-Bo, Go Fish.