For those looking for a way to get quality time with their family, why not consider some UNO? It’s a game that kids and adults will have a blast playing. But, even if the game is pretty simple, some rules have been changed over the years since UNO can be competitive.
The Wild Card is a good card to end with as it represents all the colors in UNO, but if it’s a Wild 4 Draw card, then tally the score after the other player draws the penalty number of cards.
Uno is fun to play, and many strategies are involved if we play to win. We can even teach our kids these tricks because UNO is a popular game played in schools and at family parties. It’s essential to be clear with the rules, so family members will know what’s valid and what’s not.
When and Why to End UNO with a Wild Card?
End UNO using a wild card if it’s strategically viable, especially if it’s the only card left in hand. A regular Wild card gives a player freedom from worry, while a Wild Draw 4 penalizes the next player to maximize total points from the hand. Saving a wild card runs the risk of losing points.
Players can end UNO using a Wild Card if it is the only card in their hands. Nothing in the rules says not to finish that way. What is incredible about ending UNO using a Wild Card is that the penalty is still given to the next player, which means there is a good chance to rake in more points.
Those who are really into the game to win everything will want to be the first to reach 500 points after the entire game. They can achieve that goal faster by saving the action cards for when it matters.
For example, if we know we’re going to win a round, it might be a good idea to save the Draw 4 Wild Card until the last turn.
However, if something happens so that you don’t win? Let’s talk about when not to end UNO on a wild card.
When Not to End UNO on a Wild Card?
Don’t end UNO with a wild card if at all concerned that the game could end before playing the wild card, as it will give the winner more points than a number card will.
Saving a Wild Card If a player thinks of saving the Wild Card for last, it is challenging to achieve even though it is tempting. Keeping the Wild Card in hand has its disadvantages. We might not even be able to play it as our last card if we keep trying to protect that card.
Also, some people have been playing UNO wrong by letting the player stack two Wild Cards on the same turn to win the game automatically. Players shouldn’t do this as it is not allowed. According to the rule book, players can only play one card at a time.
However, if a player plays a Wild Card, it’s totally fine for the next player to use another Wild Card. The only condition is that all the players can only use one card to play on each turn.
Can You End UNO on Any Action Card?
Aside from Wild Cards, we can also end UNO using an Action Card, provided the previous card put down is of the same color. Unlike Wild Cards, which we can put down regardless of the last color and number of the last card played, Action Cards usually have a color we must follow.
Can you end UNO on a wild draw 4 card?
Action Cards, including Wild Cards, can be played at the last turn. However, the game has a special rule for the Draw 4 and Draw 2 cards. When either of these cards is being played as the last card, the next player must draw two or four cards before the round is tallied.
This makes a huge difference to the overall score later in the game because those extra cards could be a lot of points.
The Draw 4 Wild Card is probably one of the most feared cards in the game. When it is played, the next player will have to draw four cards at the start of their turn, making UNO hard to reach. However, a Draw 4 Card can also be painful to the next player if played as the last card.
If you want more information about some custom ways to play Uno, read our article Custom UNO Card Ideas (17 Creative Tips and Ideas!).
Can you end UNO on a reverse card?
There is not any rule that says a player cannot end the game with a Reverse Card. As long as it is the last card and the right color, it can be put down, and there should not be an issue with the rules.
Here’s a neat trick to use a reverse or skip card if you’re playing with customized rules. So, if the player plays the last card and it’s a Draw 2 or Draw 4 card, they can whip out either a Reverse Card or Skip Card. Now, this only works if you’re playing with house rules where that kind of thing is allowed.
If you’re playing the standard UNO rules, that won’t work at all.
This means the game will end without them taking the penalty, giving the player a lesser chance of scoring big that round.
Here is another article about Uno: How Do Challenges Work in UNO? (3+ Challenges to Know About!)
Next Steps
If you’re looking to up your game in general on UNO, make sure you read our other articles on UNO strategy.
- How Do Challenges Work in UNO? (3+ Challenges to Know About!)
- Can You Play Doubles in UNO? (Read This First!)
On the other hand, if you’re looking for more card and board games to enjoy with the family, try these other board games that are family-friendly and promote great conversations in a group. In addition, these games aren’t too expensive and are also easy to learn.
- Monopoly DEAL fits well in its small deck-sized box and doesn’t require much time to prep. If we’re off to a family party and the kids hope to play the game with the other children, the game is pretty easy to carry around in a bag.
- Exploding Kittens is also a great card game for the kids to try. The game is pretty simple, kids pick up the game right away, and there’s just enough strategy put into the game to make it fun for adults as well. It’s a tad more complicated than UNO but a great game to consider, especially if our kids already have the hang of reading. If you’re playing with young kids, make sure you get the kid-friendly deck rather than the NSFW (not safe for work) one.
No matter which game you play as a family, make sure you have fun! After all, the best part of being a gamer family – is spending quality time together.
Resources
Learning from your own experience is important, but learning from others is also smart. These are the sources used in this article and our research to be more informed as gamers.
- “In UNO, if Your Last Card Is a Wild Card and You Draw a Card Because You Cannot Go Out on a Wild Card, Can You Play the Wild Card Instead…” Quora, www.quora.com/In-UNO-if-your-last-card-is-a-wild-card-and-you-draw-a-card-because-you-cannot-go-out-on-a-wild-card-can-you-play-the-wild-card-instead-of-the-card-you-drew. Accessed 10 Oct. 2022.