Uno Harry Potter is a relatively new version of Uno which is themed around the popular Harry Potter franchise. Just like the other versions of Uno, this variant comes with its own special Action card, but apart from that, the game is similar to other Uno versions. Let’s review the Uno Harry Potter rules below.
Like other Uno versions, there are 112 cards in a deck, divided equally between the four colors (blue/green/yellow/red) and then there are the Wild cards, plus 4 unique Action cards special to Uno Harry Potter. 2-10 players can take part in the game and the goal is to get rid of all your cards before the others, while scoring 500 points.
Starting the game
Select a dealer by having each person draw a card from the deck and the one with the highest number will be the dealer (all Action cards count as zero). The dealer shuffles the deck and gives out 7 cards to each player and then the deck remainder is turned facedown to form the Draw pile. The first card is then turned over to form the Discard pile. If it is an Action card, refer below on what to do.
Gameplay
Now the game begins following a clockwise direction, starting with the player on the dealer’s left. The player whose turn it is must try to match the topmost card on the Discard pile, either by color, number, or symbol (for Action cards). For example, if the Discard pile card is a Blue 5, then match that card with either a blue card of any number, or a number 5 card of any color. If you have a Wild card, you can also play it to represent the needed color.
Otherwise, you must draw a card from the Draw pile, and if it matches the Discard pile card, then you can either play it, or choose not to play anything. Play then proceeds to the next player in turn.
Action Cards
The Action or symbol cards have specific uses depending on their symbols:
Left to Right: Wild card, Wild Draw 4 card, Skip, Reverse, Draw Two.
Reverse
This card may only be played on a matching color card or another Reverse. When played, the direction of play gets reversed (clockwise or vice versa). If it is the first card turned up at the start of play, the dealer goes first followed by the player to the dealer’s right.
Skip
This card may only be played on a matching color card or another Skip. When you play it, the next player must miss their turn. If this is the first card turned up at the start of play, the first players is skipped, and play moves on to the next player in turn.
Draw Two
When you play this card, the next player has to draw 2 cards and miss their turn as well. This card may only be played on a matching color card or another Draw Two. If it is the first card turned up at the start of play, the first player unfortunately has to draw 2 cards and miss their turn.
Wild card
This card can be played on any turn of yours, and can represent any color you choose. So you can change or maintain the color in play with a Wild card simply by announcing what color you want. If turned up at the start of play, the first player chooses what color to start the game.
Wild Draw 4
When you play this card, the next player must draw 4 cards and miss their turn. Also, you get to choose what color to continue play. Unlike the normal Wild card though, you should only play this if you don’t have a matching color card in hand. But there is a catch. You can still play it though, BUT the next player is allowed to challenge you to reveal your hand to them and prove you really don’t have a matching color card. If guilty, you have to draw 4 cards instead. But if innocent, the challenger must draw 6 cards instead! If turned up at the start of the game, put the card back and draw another one.
Wild Sorting Hat card
Wild Sorting Hat card
This is the unique card of Uno Harry Potter. When you play this card, the next player has to draw cards from the Draw pile until they get a Gryffindor card. A Gryffindor card is a card showing students from the Gryffindor house in the Harry Potter movies, and represented by card numbers 1-4 (of any color). Being a Wild card, you also get to choose what color to continue play. If turned up at the start of play, just treat it like a normal Wild card; the first player chooses what color to start the game with.
Going Out
When you are about to play your second to last card, you must announce “Uno” aloud to the others. If you fail to do so, and someone catches you before the next player has played their turn, you have to draw 2 cards as penalty. If you get rid of all your cards first, you are the round winner. If your last card is a Draw Two or Wild Draw 4, the next player still has to draw those cards. Points are then tallied as below, with the goal to win the game being 500 points.
Scoring
Points are awarded to the round winner based on the cards left in each player’s hands at the end of the round, which are all tallied up. If no one has hit 500 points, a new round begins. However, this 500 points rule is not exactly a hard and fast rule. Feel free to set the winning point threshold to something everyone agrees on.
- Numbered cards – Their face value
- Draw Two/Skip/Reverse – 20 points each
- Wild/Wild Draw Four/Wild Sorting Hat – 50 points each
Alternative Scoring Method
An alternative way to win the game (as suggested by Mattel) is to keep a running tally of the points at the end of each round, and if someone hits 500 points, the player with the least points is the winner instead.
