Card game
UNO
Match colours or numbers, then shout UNO before anyone catches you.
- 2–10best with 4-6
- 10–30 minper game
- Under a minuteto set up
- 7+years
- Very easy
- Nonereading
The Indian edition, on Amazon.in
We matched this listing to the edition made and sold in India. Amazon shows today's price, the seller and delivery.
Paid link. We may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
The game in a nutshell
UNO is Mattel's colour-and-number matching card game for 2 to 10 players aged 7 and up. The aim is to get rid of all your cards first, and you have to shout 'UNO' when you're down to one. It suits mixed-age family gatherings, big groups and travel, because everyone learns it in minutes and a hand is over quickly. A genuine Mattel deck is inexpensive in India, so the real thing costs hardly more than a copy.
Is UNO right for you?
Great if
- Mixed-age groups, where a seven-year-old and a grandparent can play on equal terms
- Train journeys and holidays: the box fits in a pocket or handbag
- Big gatherings, since up to 10 people can play from one deck
- A cheap gift or return gift for children
Skip it if
- Your group wants real strategy. The cards you're dealt decide a lot.
- Someone at your table hates being picked on. Draw Two and Wild Draw Four cards are meant to sting.
- You already own a classic deck and want something new. UNO Flip or a different game will give you more variety than a second classic deck.
A place on the honours list
Good company to be in.
Recognition from beyond our table.
National Toy Hall of Fame (The Strong National Museum of Play, USA), 2018 (Inducted)
Games 100 (Games magazine), 1980 (Listed)
Games 100 (Games magazine), 1982 (Listed)
How UNO plays
Everyone gets seven cards. The top card of the draw pile is turned face up to start the discard pile.
- Time to teach: about 5 minutes.
- Reading and language: The cards use colours, numbers and symbols, so nobody has to read during play, and any child who can match colours can join in. Only the rule sheet has text. The three blank Wild cards are there for house rules you write yourself, in whatever language your family speaks.
How to Play UNO in 3 Minutes (UNO Card Game Rules) · Tabletop Duo
Choose a video · Watch right here
If this creator doesn’t allow embedded playback, watch on YouTube ↗.
Your turn, step by step
- 1Match
Play one card that matches the top of the discard pile by colour, number or symbol, or play a Wild. If you can't (or choose not to), draw one card; you may play it straight away if it fits.
- 2Attack
Action cards hit the next player: Skip, Reverse, Draw Two, and Wild Draw Four, which you may only play when you hold no card of the current colour.
- 3Shout
Call 'UNO' as you play your second-to-last card. If someone catches you before the next player starts, you draw two cards.
- 4Win
Empty your hand first to win the round. Under the full rules you score points from everyone else's leftover cards, and the first to 500 wins.
The full explanation: how a game of UNO goes
On your turn you play one card that matches the top card by colour, number or symbol. If you can't play, or would rather not, you draw one card; if that card fits you may put it down straight away, but no other card.
Action cards keep things lively. Skip makes the next player miss a turn, Reverse changes direction, and Draw Two makes the next player pick up two cards and miss their turn. A Wild lets you choose the colour. A Wild Draw Four also makes the next player pick up four, but you may only play it when you have no card of the current colour. The next player can challenge you if they think you broke that rule, but if they're wrong they pick up six instead.
When you play your second-to-last card, you must call 'UNO'. If someone catches you before the next player starts their turn, you draw two cards as a penalty.
The first player to empty their hand wins the round. Under the official rules they score points for the cards left in everyone else's hands: numbers count face value, Skip, Reverse and Draw Two are 20, and Wilds are 40 or 50. The first player to 500 points wins. Many families just play one hand at a time.
What's in the box
- 76Number cards
19 in each of red, yellow, green and blue: one 0 and two each of 1 to 9 - 8Skip cards
two per colour - 8Reverse cards
two per colour - 8Draw Two cards
two per colour - 4Wild cards
- 4Wild Draw Four cards
- 1Hand-swapping Wild card
'Wild Swap Hands' on Mattel's rule sheet; newer decks may print 'Wild Shuffle Hands' instead - 3Customisable Wild cards
blank Wilds to write your own house rules on - 1Instruction sheet
From Mattel's own rule sheet for item 42003. Mattel India's two boxes (items 41940 and 42003) are both the 112-card deck; listings that say 108 cards describe the older deck without the four newer Wilds. Since about 2017 many decks print the hand-swap card as 'Wild Shuffle Hands' (collect all hands, shuffle and re-deal); we couldn't check which one the current Indian boxes contain. Current cards also carry small shapes so colour-blind players can tell the colours apart.
Where to buy
The Indian edition, on Amazon.in
We matched this listing to the edition made and sold in India. Amazon shows today's price, the seller and delivery.
Opens Amazon.in in a new tab.
Genuine UNO reaches India through Mattel's Indian company, Mattel Toys (I) Pvt. Ltd. in Mumbai. Indian listings give Indonesia as the country of origin, so the decks are made abroad and imported by Mattel India itself. That's why the real deck is so cheap here. Many themed UNO decks (movie, sports and character editions) are individually imported from abroad rather than brought in by Mattel India, and they are mainly for collectors. For ordinary play, the classic deck is all you need. Our Amazon.in link goes to Mattel's classic 112-card deck.
How to make sure you get a genuine copyA little care before you click.
- Look for Mattel on the box and in the listing's brand field. Indian retail boxes name Mattel Toys (I) Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai, as importer. Be careful with listings that put 'Mattel' or 'Original and Certified' in the title but name a different company as manufacturer in the product details.
- Check for the ISI mark. Since 1 January 2021, toys sold in India must carry it under a BIS licence. Mattel India's UNO boxes show a BIS licence number (CM/L-4100102249 on item 41940) and name Mattel Toys (I) Pvt. Ltd., Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai, as importer. A box with no ISI mark and no importer address is a warning sign.
- Count the cards. A current Mattel deck has 112: 19 number cards in each colour (one 0 and two each of 1–9), two each of Skip, Reverse and Draw Two per colour, 4 Wilds, 4 Wild Draw Fours, one hand-swapping Wild and 3 blank Wilds. A new deck from another brand sold as '108 cards' is a copy.
- Read the name closely. Copies add letters before or after UNO, or leave the name out and use titles like 'family card game for 2–10 players' with pictures that look like UNO.
- Don't judge by price alone. The real deck is already inexpensive in India, so copies are rarely much cheaper. The brand, the importer and the ISI mark tell you more.
We link to one Amazon.in listing that we've checked against the maker's own information. We don't show prices: Amazon shows today's price, the seller and delivery. Paid link. We may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
What reviewers and players say
UNO lasts because anyone can play it: reviewers point out that a five-year-old and a grandparent can sit at the same table and both have a real chance. Rounds are quick, the action cards bring plenty of groans and laughter, and new themed decks and house rules keep it fresh. The trade-off is that luck decides most hands and there are few real choices, so keen gamers tire of it, and the official play-to-500 scoring feels long for such a light game, which is why most families play single hands. It was inducted into the US National Toy Hall of Fame in 2018 for its fast pace and wide age appeal.
What people love
- Easy enough for young children and grandparents to play together, and children can beat adults
- Quick rounds full of friendly take-that moments
- Endless variety, from house rules and the blank Wild cards to hundreds of themed decks
- Inexpensive and easy to replace when a well-loved deck wears out
Common complaints
- Mostly luck: your decisions rarely change who wins
- Playing to 500 points under the official rules drags for such a light game
- House rules cause arguments; stacking Draw Twos, for example, is not in Mattel's rules
Based on 6 reviews and discussions
- Review Back in the Day: UNO (David McMillan, March 2024) · Meeple Mountain
- Review Why this popular card game is still relevant 52 years after its debut (Saira Mueller, CNN, June 2024) · KSL.com (from CNN)
- Award 2018 National Toy Hall of Fame inductees announced: UNO, pinball and Magic 8 Ball (The Strong, November 2018) · Visit Rochester (press release from The Strong)
- Players Comment on house rules in 'How to teach your kids to play poker: Start with one card' (animal531, August 2025) · Hacker News
- Reference UNO instruction sheet (Mattel, 2015) · Mattel
- Reference Uno (card game) · Wikipedia
Summarised in our own words from the sources above. We don't use Amazon reviews or ratings.
More like UNO
Our picks if UNO isn't quite right
| Feature |
UNO |
Dobble |
Exploding Kittens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Players | 2–10 | 2–8 | 2–5 |
| Best with | 4-6 | 3-6 | 4-5 |
| Play time | 10–30 min | 15 min | 15–20 min |
| Age | 7+ | 6+ | 7+ |
| Rules | Easy | Easy | Easy |
| Indian edition | Import | Yes | Yes |
| Why look at it | This page | Another quick, cheap card game that children and adults can play together | A short party card game with more attacking cards and silly art |
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Build a medieval map tile by tile, then claim it

Kingdomino
Build a tiny kingdom from land dominoes in twenty minutes
Also worth a look (not in our catalogue yet): UNO Flip – The same matching game with a double-sided deck that turns nastier halfway through.
Questions people ask about UNO
How can I tell if my UNO cards are original?
Check the box for the Mattel name, the importer (Mattel Toys (I) Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai) and the ISI mark. Then count the deck. A current Mattel UNO deck has 112 cards, including three blank Wild cards for house rules. Our Buy on Amazon.in button goes to the listing we've checked; make sure the brand is Mattel.
Can you stack Draw Two and Draw Four cards in UNO?
Not under the official rules. If someone plays a Draw Two on you, you draw two and miss your turn. You can't pass it on by playing your own Draw Two. Mattel said in 2019 that stacking is not part of the standard rules, though UNO Show 'em No Mercy is built around it.
What is the difference between UNO, UNO Flip and UNO Show 'em No Mercy?
Classic UNO is the original matching game. UNO Flip uses double-sided cards, and a Flip card switches everyone to a harsher 'dark side' with cards like Draw Five. Show 'em No Mercy has 168 cards, allows stacking, adds Wild Draw 6 and Wild Draw 10, and knocks out anyone holding 25 or more cards.
How many cards do you deal in UNO, and how do you win?
Each player gets seven cards. You win a hand by playing your last card, as long as you called 'UNO' when you were down to one. Under the full rules, the winner of each hand scores points for everyone else's leftover cards, and the first player to reach 500 points wins.
Game facts
- Designed by
- Merle Robbins
- Publisher
- Mattel (originally International Games, Inc.)
- In India
- Mattel Toys (I) Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai (named as importer on Indian UNO boxes and listings)
- First published
- 1971
- Players
- 2–10
- Language
- No reading – The cards use colours, numbers and symbols, so nobody has to read during play, and any child who can match colours can join in. Only the rule sheet has text. The three blank Wild cards are there for house rules you write yourself, in whatever language your family speaks.
- Awards
- National Toy Hall of Fame (The Strong National Museum of Play, USA), 2018 (Inducted); Games 100 (Games magazine), 1980 (Listed); Games 100 (Games magazine), 1982 (Listed)
Sources & photo creditsThe references behind this guide.
Facts on this page come from the publisher, the Indian maker or distributor, and the sources below. Photos are credited under each one.
- Uno (card game) - Wikipedia
- Mattel - UNO instruction sheet (42003, 112 cards)
- Mattel Shop - UNO Card Game (42003)
- Mattel - UNO Flip instruction sheet (GDR44)
- Mattel Canada - UNO Show 'em No Mercy (HWV18)
- Toycra - Uno Playing Card Game
- Toycra - Uno Playing Card Game Classic-New
- Toycra - UNO Flip
- Toycra - UNO Show 'em No Mercy
- Crossword - UNO Show 'em No Mercy
- Hamleys - Original Mattel UNO Card Game
- Bored Game Company - UNO
- FirstCry - Mattel UNO card games listing
- Bureau of Indian Standards - Indian Standards on toys (Toys QCO, ISI mark)

















