Crazy Eights
Shed your cards by matching the top of the discard pile by suit or rank. Eights are wild: play one to change the suit. Take on one, two or three computer players and be first to reach the target score.
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Crazy eight! Choose the new suit
Hand over
Shuffling…
Score sheet
Match the top card by suit or rank. Eights are wild: play one any time and name the next suit. Keys: ← → move, Enter play, D draw, H hint.
How to use the Crazy Eights
- Pick your table. Choose how many computer opponents you want and which draw rule to use. The defaults are one opponent and draw until you can play.
- Match the top card. On your turn play a highlighted card that matches the suit or the rank of the top discard.
- Play an 8 to change the suit. Eights can be played on anything. Choose the suit the next player has to follow.
- Draw when you're stuck. If no card fits, press Draw card or click the stock until you get a playable card (or reach the draw limit you chose).
- Go out to score. The first player to empty their hand wins the hand and scores the value of every card left in the other players' hands. Reach the target score to win the game.
Crazy Eights card values
When a hand ends, the winner adds up the cards still held by the other players:
| Card | Points | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Any 8 | 50 | Wild and powerful, but very costly if you get caught with one. |
| King, Queen, Jack | 10 | Get rid of face cards early when you have a choice. |
| 10 down to 2 | Face value | A 9 costs 9 points, a 2 costs 2 points. |
| Ace | 1 | The cheapest card to be holding at the end. |
Example: you go out while your opponents hold 8♣, K♦ and 4♠ (50 + 10 + 4) and A♥, 7♥ (1 + 7). You score 72 points.
Crazy Eights strategy tips
- Save your eights. An 8 is your escape when nothing else matches. Playing it early wastes your best card.
- Change to your longest suit. When you play an 8, name the suit you hold the most of so you can keep playing on later turns.
- Switch by rank. Matching rank is a way to change suit without an 8: playing 7♠ on 7♥ moves the game to spades.
- Watch who draws. If a player had to draw on a suit, they probably don't have it. Leaving that suit on top can keep them stuck.
- Dump points early. When two cards fit, play the higher-value one so it isn't counted against you if someone goes out.
- Count cards left. When an opponent is down to one card, it's a good moment to play a card in a suit they've been unable to follow.
Popular house rules
| Rule | How it works | In this game |
|---|---|---|
| Draw until you can play | Keep drawing from the stock until a card fits. | Default |
| Draw one / draw three | Limit the draw, then pass if still stuck. | Option |
| Twos draw two | The next player picks up two cards and loses the turn. | Option |
| Reshuffle the discards | When the stock is empty, the discard pile becomes the new stock. | Default (or pass) |
| Starter is an 8 | Bury it in the stock and turn another card. | Always |
Frequently asked questions
How do you play Crazy Eights?
Each player is dealt cards (7 each with two players, 5 each with more) and one card is turned up to start the discard pile. Players take turns placing a card that matches the top card's suit or rank. Eights are wild and can be played on any card, and the player names the suit that must be followed next. If you can't play, you draw from the stock. The first player to get rid of all their cards wins the hand.
How is Crazy Eights scored?
The player who goes out scores points for the cards left in the other players' hands: 50 for each 8, 10 for each King, Queen or Jack, 1 for each Ace, and face value for 2 through 10. Points carry over from hand to hand, and the first player to reach the target, usually 100 points, wins the game.
What happens when you play an 8 in Crazy Eights?
An 8 can be played at any time, whatever the top card is. When you play it, you choose a suit, and the next player must play a card of that suit or another 8. Because they are so flexible, eights are also the most expensive cards to be caught holding: 50 points each.
What if you can't play a card in Crazy Eights?
You draw from the stock. The traditional rule is to keep drawing until you get a card you can play. Popular house rules limit the draw to one card or three cards, after which you pass. All three options are available in the settings above.
What happens when the stock runs out?
By default the discard pile, except the top card, is shuffled to form a new stock. If you choose the no-reshuffle option, a player who cannot play simply passes. If nobody can play, the hand is blocked and the player with the lowest card count wins, scoring the difference between their count and each other player's count.
Is Crazy Eights the same as Uno?
Uno is a commercial game that grew out of the same family as Crazy Eights. Both are shedding games where you match by color or suit and number, and both use wild cards. Crazy Eights uses a standard 52-card deck, and its special cards are mainly the wild 8s, with optional house rules such as twos making the next player draw.
What does the twos rule do?
With the draw-two option on, playing a 2 forces the next player to draw two cards and skip their turn. It is a common house rule that makes the game faster and more aggressive. It is off by default, so 2s are normal cards.
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