Overview
Crazy Eights, also searched as Crazy 8s, is a shedding card game: play cards onto a discard pile until your hand is empty. Match the active suit or the top card's rank, or use an eight to choose a new suit.
This guide covers Cardems' four-player version, with one draw per turn and no skip or draw-two cards. Crazy Eights is playable in the app; this website currently provides the guide.
Objective
Be the first to play your final card. Each player competes individually, and cards left in opponents' hands determine the winner's round points.
Setup
Use a standard 52-card deck without Jokers. Deal five cards to each of four players. Put the remaining cards face down as the stock and turn one non-eight card face up to start the discard pile. The player left of the dealer goes first; play moves clockwise.
How to Play
- Play one card matching the active suit or the rank of the top discard.
- Alternatively, play any eight and choose the suit the next player must follow.
- If you cannot play, draw one card. You may also choose to draw even when holding a legal card.
- After drawing, only the newly drawn card may be played that turn. Play it if legal or pass; an unplayable draw ends the turn automatically.
- Continue until a player empties their hand.
Important Rules
- Eights are wild, worth 50 penalty points if left in hand. You can finish with an eight.
- There are no draw-two, reverse, skip or stacking effects in this Cardems version.
- Draw once rather than repeatedly drawing until a legal card appears.
- When the stock runs out, reshuffle the discards while keeping the top card and active suit.
- If no cards can be drawn and four consecutive players pass, the round ends without a winner.
Scoring and Winning
| Card left in hand | Penalty points |
|---|---|
| Eight | 50 |
| 10, Jack, Queen, King | 10 |
| Ace | 1 |
| 2–7 and 9 | Face value |
The winner receives the sum of opponents' penalties. For example, an opponent holding an eight, a Queen and a three contributes 63 points. A blocked round has no winner and awards no winner points.
Strategy
Keep an eight as an escape while you have several suits, but use it before an opponent goes out: its 50-point penalty is costly. Choose a suit you hold in quantity and watch which suits opponents have had to draw on. Reduce high-value cards when the round is close to ending.
For other ways to empty a hand, compare President and Vändtia, or explore shedding and climbing games.
FAQ
How many cards do you deal in Crazy Eights?
Cardems deals five cards to each of four players from a 52-card deck. Two-player house versions sometimes use a different starting hand.
Can an eight be played on any card?
Yes. An eight is wild and lets you choose the active suit. The next player must follow that suit or play another eight.
Do I draw until I can play?
Not in Cardems. Draw one card per turn. Only that card may then be played; otherwise your turn ends or you pass.
Can I finish with an eight?
Yes. Playing your last card wins the round, including when it is an eight.
Is Crazy Eights the same as UNO?
Both involve shedding cards by matching, but Crazy Eights uses a standard deck. Cardems does not include UNO-style action cards such as skip, reverse or draw two.
Can I play Crazy Eights in my browser here?
This page currently explains the rules, scoring and strategy. Play Crazy Eights in the Cardems app; no browser table is embedded here yet.
