UNO

Match the color or number and empty your hand. One card left? You'd better yell "UNO" before somebody notices.

One card left. You better yell “UNO” before somebody else notices you forgot.

Match the color or number on the discard pile and try to empty your hand. Skips, Reverses, and draw cards can be used to disrupt somebody else’s plan, while a Wild card lets you choose the next color. The rules are easy to pick up, and the games are fast and fun.

UNO started in 1971 with barber Merle Robbins and his family’s interest in Crazy Eights. Putting the special actions directly on the cards helped make the rules easier to follow. UNO is a great travel game - basically just a deck of cards to bring with you - and everyone knows how to play (and if not, it’s easy to learn). We always have an UNO deck around the house, and another UNO deck is permanently in our travel bag (along with a regular deck of cards) - you never know when there’s going to be an unexpected delay in your trip and it’s always a good idea to have stuff along to keep the kids (and you) entertained.

While there have been a handful of variations over the years, the classic UNO Card Game is all you need. If you want the full nostalgic experience, you should take a look at the UNO Retro Edition which brings back 1970s card colors and designs.