How to Play Crazy Eights Card Game
Crazy Eights is the quintessential card game that brings friends and families together with its simple yet engaging rules.
The game’s whimsy lies in its unpredictable twists and turns, making it a fantastic choice for game night. If you’re a fan of Uno, or wanted to play something similar with a standard deck of cards, this is absolutely a game you need to know how to play.
This guide will walk you through the basics, so grab a deck of cards, gather your group, and get ready for some crazy fun!
Great for down the pub, starting a games night, playing away a lunch break, or bringing the family together!
How to Play Crazy Eights
Objective
The primary goal of Crazy Eights is straightforward: be the first player to discard all your cards. It sounds simple, but the wild eights will keep you on your toes!
The Gameplay
So, how do you play the card game Crazy Eights? Here’s a step by step guide to break it down:
- Start by shuffling the deck and dealing out eight cards to every player (seven if you’re playing with two players). Choose a dealer or get everyone to take a random card before the deal and the highest value is the dealer.
- The rest of the cards then go in the middle of play and become the draw pile. Take the top card of the draw pile and place it face up. This becomes the discard pile. If you start with an eight, shuffle it in and pick a new card.
- The player to the left of the dealer then starts the game by playing a card of their choice.
- The next player must then play a card of the same value or same suit. If the first player played a 2 of Diamonds, then the next player must play any 2 or any Diamonds card. If a player can’t play, they must draw a card.
- The trick is, however, you can play an eight an any time and declare what the next suit is going to be!
- Keep going and repeating this process until someone empties their hand and wins the game!
How to Score in Crazy Eights
Some players will simply say that the winner is the first person to clear their hand of cards. Others prefer to score. The score is given to the winner and depends on the added value of the remaining cards in the rest of the player’s hands.
Card values in Crazy Eights are:
- Aces: 1
- Numbered cards are worth their value (3 = 3)
- Face cards are worth 10 (Jack, Queen, King)
- 8s are worth a staggering 50 points!
You can play up to any score you want, say 150, 200, or just whoever gets the highest score in five rounds.
Other Card Effects in Crazy Eights
To spice the game up a little more, some variations give effects to other cards in the deck, which include:
- Playing a Queen means the next player skips their turn (both playing and drawing a card)
- Playing an Ace reverses the direction in which rounds are played (clockwise, counter-clockwise)
- If you’re not playing with Jokers, playing a 2 can force the next player to pick up two cards (eights don’t save!)
Tips for Beginners and Families for Crazy Eights
- Keep gameplay brisk to maintain engagement, especially with younger players.
- Practice sportsmanship whether you win or lose – a great lesson for children!
- Consider making the final round high-stakes to up the excitement.
Crazy Eights is timeless, thrilling, and perfect for creating memorable moments whether you’re engaging in family fun or an icebreaker for a couples’ gathering. Shuffle up and prepare for a game that stands the test of time, invoking laughter and strategy in equal measure.
Happy dealing!
What do Jokers do in Crazy Eights?
If you decide to play with Jokers in the deck, these can be played at any time. When played, the next player needs to draw two cards from the draw pile and skip their go.
If you want to be super mean, a Joker played on a Joker means the next player needs to pick up four cards!
Are Crazy Eights and Uno the same game?
Crazy Eights and Uno share some similarities – they’re both fast-paced, shedding-style card games with special cards that can shake up the gameplay. However, they’re not the same game!
Think of them as cousins with their own unique quirks. Uno has its own colorful deck and special cards like “Reverse,” “Skip,” and “Draw Two,” while Crazy Eights revolves around matching suits or ranks, with those game-changing eights.
So, while both offer a good dose of card-playing fun, they each have their own strategies and twists!
Stay tuned for the next installment in our card game guide series, where we’ll tackle everything from Go Fish to Poker!
