
- BGG rank
- BGG #21,101
- BGG rating
- 6.4
UNO: Mario Kart
- 2–10 players
- 10–30 min
- Complexity 1.0/5
- 2020

Rules assistance for Crazy Eights
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Crazy Eights is a board game for 2–5 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 4 and up. Its main mechanics are Hand Management and Matching.
Public domain card game which plays with a regular deck of cards. The idea is to get rid of all your cards FIRST. Everyone gets some number of starting cards (like 5), and must play a matching card (colour/suit/value), or pick up 1 from the 'stock' pile, and either play THAT or pass. There are many variants, according to Hoyle. Some have 8s as the wild card (any colour/value), while other use Jacks - hence the alternate names. All seem to have at least one 'pick up #' card, and one 'skip a turn' card. Variants also include pick-up 2s, which could accumulate if more 2s were played consecutively (pick up 4, 6, or 8), and Jacks as the skip-a-turn. In other variants played with 4s as skip-a-turns, Aces as pick up 1s and Queen of Spades as pick up 5. Crazy Eights is the game upon which the commercial UNO is based.
Crazy Eights supports 2–5 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Crazy Eights is 20 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Crazy Eights for ages 4 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Crazy Eights has a complexity rating of 1.1 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Crazy Eights belongs to these categories: Card Game, Children's Game, and Number. Its main mechanics are Hand Management and Matching. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The catalogue lists Crazy Eights as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.