How to play Crazy Eights: card game rules & interactive tutorial
Crazy Eights is a fast-paced "shedding" card game for 4 players. Fans of quick family games like Old Maid will feel right at home. The goal is to be the first to get rid of all your cards. Players take turns matching the suit or rank of the top card, with 8s serving as wild cards that can change everything in an instant.
Below you'll find a thorough explanation of the rules. Above, you'll find an interactive tutorial to help you learn how to play. The tutorial will guide you through your first game step by step.
Once you're familiar with the rules, you can play Crazy Eights online for free at World of Card Games. You have the option to play against other people online or with friends. We recommend playing a couple of games against our bots before playing against other people.
Get ready for the wildness of Crazy Eights!
Crazy Eights at a glance
A shedding game where 8s are wild and the first empty hand wins.
- Players: 4, everyone for themselves
- Deck: standard 52 cards, the 8s are wild
- Type: shedding (race to empty your hand)
- Objective: be the first to play all your cards each round
- Winning: when someone reaches 100 points, the lowest score wins
The cards
Crazy Eights uses a standard deck of 52 playing cards. No card outranks another here. You only look at a card's suit and rank to see if it matches the discard pile. The 8s are special wild cards that can be played on any card and let you choose the next suit.
Objective
Be the first player to get rid of all your cards. It's a race where quick thinking and strategic use of your wild 8s can make all the difference. The game is played over multiple rounds with scoring that continues between rounds until any player reaches 100 points. At that moment the match ends and the player with the lowest score wins.
Deal
A random player is chosen as the dealer for the first hand. Each player receives 5 cards. The remaining cards form the stock pile, placed face down in the center. The top card of the stock is turned face up beside it to start the discard pile. If this card is an 8, it's buried in the deck and a new card is turned up. Play proceeds clockwise from the dealer.
Gameplay
On your turn, you must play a card from your hand that matches one of these.
- The suit of the top card on the discard pile
- The rank of the top card on the discard pile
- Any 8 (wild card)
When you play an 8, you can choose the suit that the next player must follow. This gives you control over the game flow and can be used strategically to disadvantage opponents.
If you cannot play a card, you must pick one card from the stock pile. If the picked card can be played, you must play it immediately. If it is an 8, you choose the next suit as usual. Otherwise, your turn ends and play passes to the next player.
If the stock pile runs out, the discard pile (except the top card) is shuffled to form a new stock pile.
Winning a round
The first player to play all their cards wins the round. The round ends immediately when a player plays their last card.
Scoring
When a round ends, losers receive points for cards remaining in their hands.
- Each 8: 50 points
- Face cards (J, Q, K): 10 points each
- Aces: 1 point
- Number cards: face value (2=2 points, 3=3 points, etc.)
Scores carry over from round to round and new rounds are dealt until the game ends.
Game end
The game ends when any player reaches 100 points.
The player with the lowest score wins!
If two or more players tie for the lowest score, they share the win.
History
Crazy Eights originated in the 1930s and became popular as a family game due to its simple rules and exciting gameplay. The game is part of the "shedding" family of card games, which includes UNO (a commercial variant of Crazy Eights) and Mau Mau. Its name comes from the special role of the 8s as wild cards, making them the "crazy" cards that can change the game's direction instantly.
The rules in practice
Everything revolves around the top card of the discard pile. Say it's the 5 of Hearts. You can play any heart, any 5, or any 8. If you put down the 5 of Spades, you've matched the rank and switched the suit in one move. The next player now needs a spade, a 5, or an 8.
Now suppose the top card is the King of Clubs and you hold no clubs and no King. If you have an 8, you can play it on top and name any suit you like. Call diamonds when your hand is full of them and you've guaranteed yourself a play next turn. Just remember what an unplayed 8 is worth. If another player goes out while it's still in your hand, it costs you 50 points.
If you can't play at all, you draw exactly one card from the stock. When that card fits, you play it right away. When it doesn't, your turn ends and play moves on. One draw per turn is the limit, so a stretch of bad luck never buries you in cards.
Strategy basics
A few habits separate new players from experienced ones.
- Don't play an 8 just because you can. Save it for a turn where nothing else fits or for the end of a round.
- Don't hold an 8 forever either. It counts 50 points against you if someone else goes out first.
- When you name a suit, pick one you hold plenty of, so your next turn is already covered.
- Watch which suits force opponents to draw and keep the pile on them. An 8 lets you switch to one of those suits.
- Keep track of which cards have been played. It helps you guess what the others hold.
- Keep a mix of suits and ranks when you can, so you have more ways to match the pile.
- Get rid of Kings, Queens and Jacks when it's convenient. At 10 points each, they hurt when a round ends suddenly.
- Keep an eye on how many cards everyone holds. When someone is down to one card, an 8 that switches the suit can stop them cold.
Frequently asked questions
Who goes first in Crazy Eights?
The player to the dealer's left goes first. The dealer is chosen at random for the first hand and play continues clockwise around the table.
What happens if the first card turned up is an 8?
It's buried back in the deck and a new card is turned up. The discard pile never starts on a wild card.
Can I play an 8 even when I could match the suit instead?
Yes. An 8 is always a legal play, no matter what else you're holding. Whether you should spend it is another question, since an 8 caught in your hand at the end of a round costs 50 points.
What happens when the stock pile runs out?
The discard pile is shuffled to form a new stock, all except its top card, which stays in place so play continues without a break.
Does the winner of a round score any points?
No. Only the other players score, based on the cards left in their hands. Each 8 counts 50 points, face cards count 10, Aces count 1, and number cards count their face value. Low is good here, because the game ends when anyone reaches 100 and the lowest total wins.