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Uno Flip is a fun version of Uno that deserves some serious attention. It is very similar to classical Uno, but with a light and dark version of itself along with different action cards. Unlike the typical Uno card game where you only play with one side while the card back is just decorative art, in Uno Flip you have to use both sides of the cards. If you love Uno, it’s likely you will like Uno Flip too.

Ready to try Uno Flip? Let’s dive into the Uno Flip rules!

Contents of Each Deck

There are altogether 112 cards in each deck of Uno Flip, and 2-10 players may take part in a game. The objective of the game is the same as all the Uno games, which is to get rid of all your cards before the others do, and scoring 500+ points from counting the cards left in their hands.

The Light Side consists of typical blue/green/yellow/red cards and slightly different Action cards from the regular Uno, in the form of a Draw One card (instead of the typical Draw Two) and Wild Draw Two cards (instead of Wild Draw Four). There are also Flip cards in each of the 4 colors to execute and trigger flipping over to the other side.

The Dark Side consists of pink/teal/purple/orange cards and Draw Five cards, Wild Draw Color cards, and Flip cards to execute flipping. Yes you read that right, the Draw Five cards means one will have to draw 5 cards!

Starting Up

Always make sure ALL the cards are always facing one way, whether it be the Dark or Light Side, depending on what side is in play at the moment; however gameplay always begins on the Light Side. Choose a dealer by having everyone draw a card from the deck. Looking at the Light Side, the player with the highest number (Action cards count as zero) becomes the dealer.

The dealer then shuffles the deck and deals out 7 cards to each player. Since gameplay begins with the Light Side, hold the cards with the Light Side facing you, while the outer Dark Side faces everyone else.

The deck is then placed down with the Light Side facing down (unseen), while the Dark Side faces up. This is the Draw pile. The top card on the Draw pile is then turned up and placed down to form a separate Discard pile. Obviously, this first card will have its Light side facing up so everyone can see what it is.

Gameplay

The player to the left of the dealer usually begins first, and play goes in a clockwise direction until changed by a Reverse card. Begin by matching the topmost card on the Discard pile with number, color, or symbol (Action cards) according to the side it is on (Light or Dark side).

If the topmost card is a green 5 (Light side), then you can put down a green card, or a number 5 card of any color (it must be a Light side card as well). If the Discard pile card is a purple 3 (Dark side), then you can put down any purple card, or number 3 card (provided they are all on the Dark side as well).

You can also play an Action card that is appropriate (refer to the Action cards section below) but remember, it needs to be an Action card of either Light or Dark side, depending on what side the Discard pile card is on at that particular moment.

If you have no suitable card to play, then you must draw a card from the Draw pile. If the card can be played, then you can choose to play it. If the card cannot be played, then your turn is over, and it’s the next player’s turn. Do note you can choose NOT to play any card even if you do have a suitable matching card.

Action Cards in Uno Flip

Uno Flip has a number of Action cards that are unique to itself. Let us take a look at them for both sides, starting with the Light Side.

Light Side

Draw One

Once played, the next player needs to draw one card from the Draw pile and skip their turn. You can only play this card if it’s the same color as the Discard pile card, or on another Draw One card of any color on it. Note: This refers to another Draw One card played by a player whose turn came before you and does not imply stacking – you are not allowed to stack cards in Uno. If turned up as the first card when the game begins, the first player (on the dealer’s left) must draw a card and skip their turn.

Skip

When played, the next player must skip their turn. This card can only be played on top of a same-color card or another Skip card of any color (put down by an earlier player). If this is the first card turned up to start the game, the first player must skip their turn, and the next player (to his/her left) goes instead.

Reverse

This card turns the direction of play to the opposite direction. You can only play this card on a matching color card, or on another Reverse card. If this is the first card turned up at the start of the game, the first player on the dealer’s left (who is supposed to go first) is skipped and the dealer goes first instead, followed by the player to his/her right. The direction of play also begins counter-clockwise (instead of the usual clockwise direction).

Wild card

This card enables the player who plays it to choose what color they want to continue play. You can play this card even if you have other playable cards (that matches the card on top of the Discard pile), because the Wild card can represent ANY color. If turned up at the start of play, the first player gets to choose what color to continue play.

Wild Draw Two

Although a Wild card, but this card also forces the next player to draw 2 cards from the Draw pile and skip their turn. Unlike the normal Wild card that can be played with or without any matching color cards, you should only play this when you do NOT have any suitable matching color cards.

If the next player suspects you played this card “illegally”, they are entitled to challenge you to show your hand to him/her. If it’s proven that you do have matching color cards in your hand and thus played that Wild Draw Two illegally, you must draw 2 cards instead of the challenger. But if proven innocent (and you indeed have no matching color cards), the challenger must draw 4 cards instead!

Flip card

This card can only be played on top of a matching color card or another Flip card. When you play the Flip card while the game is on the Light Side, all the cards must be flipped over to the Dark Side. This includes the Discard pile (the topmost Flip card that was just played now goes to the bottom), the Draw pile, and everyone’s cards in their hands (now everyone must turn the Dark Side to face themselves while the Light Side faces the opponents).

Like the Reverse card, this new side remains in play until changed over by a new Flip card being played. If turned up at the start of play, everything must flip and the first player must now match that Flip card with a matching color card (or another Flip)!

Dark Side

Note that the Dark Side cards should never start off the game (only the Light Side), so you should not ever have to wonder about turning up an Action card from the Dark Side as the first card to begin a game/round.

Draw Five

When this card is played, the next player must draw 5 cards from the Draw pile and skip their turn. Whoa, 5 cards may seem like a lot to some! You can only play this card on a similarly colored card or on another Draw Five card lying on the Discard pile.

Skip Everyone

This Skip is slightly different from the Light Side Skip card. When played, ALL other players are skipped, and the player who played it effectively gets another turn again. You can only play this card on another card of the same color or on another Skip Everyone (of any color).

Reverse

This card changes the direction of play, from clockwise to anti-clockwise, and vice-versa. You can only play this card on a card of the same color, or on another Reverse of any color.

Wild card

Playing this color allows you to choose ANY color you want in order to continue play. This means you can also choose to maintain the color that is currently in play. Also, you can play this card even though you have other suitable cards in hand.

Wild Draw Color card

This card is dreadful. When you play this card, specify the color you want, and the next player has to draw cards until they get a card with the color of your choice (and miss their turn). It doesn’t matter how many cards they need to draw as long as they draw a card with your chosen color!

But just like the Wild Draw Two card from the Light Side, you can only play this card if you don’t have any card in hand that matches the color of the topmost card on the Discard pile. You can still play this card anyway, but the next player is also allowed to challenge you to show your hand and prove you played the Wild Draw Color card legally. If guilty, you have to draw cards instead, until you get the chosen color. But if innocent, the challenger has to draw cards until they get the chosen color PLUS 2 more cards!

Flip card

The Dark Side Flip card works in the same way as the Light Side Flip card (see above). When played by someone, ALL the cards have to be flipped over from the Dark Side to the Light Side. This includes the Draw pile, Discard pile, and everyone’s cards in their hands. The Flip card can only be played on a card of the same color or another Flip card, and once changed, the new side remains in play until a new Flip card is played.

Going Out

As always, remember to yell “Uno” aloud when you are playing your second-last card. The purpose is to inform others that you’re going to win the round. If you forget to announce “Uno” before the next player has played a card and someone catches you for it, you need to draw 2 cards from the Draw pile.

The winner of the round is the first person to get rid of all their cards. Note that if your last card is a Draw One, Draw Five, Wild Draw Two or Wild Draw Color, the next player also needs to draw cards as instructed by those cards. These cards will still count towards the final score of the winner of the round.

If the Draw pile gets depleted and no one has yet won the round, shuffle the Discard pile and turn it into a new Draw pile.

 

Scoring and Winning

Points are gained by the winner of the round from adding the points of all the cards left in their opponent’s hands. The points gained are as follows and they should only follow the side that the game ended on. For example, do not count any Draw Ones if the game ended on the Dark Side, as Draw One cards are from the Light Side.

• Numbered cards (0-9) – Face value
• Draw One – 10 points
• Draw Five/Reverse/Skip/Flip – 20 points each
• Skip Everyone – 30 points
• Wild – 40 points
• Wild Draw Two – 50 points
• Wild Draw Color – 60 points

The winner is the first player to achieve 500 or more points, although you can certainly set a lower or higher point threshold depending on how many rounds you would like to play.

Alternative Gameplay

Another way to play Uno as proposed by Mattel, is to keep a running tally of the points from each player at the end of each round. When someone reaches 500 points, the player with the lowest points is declared the winner instead.