Crazy Eights is a popular and easy-to-learn card game that’s enjoyed by people of all ages. Here’s an overview of the game:
Players: 2-7 players (best with 3-5)
Deck: Standard 52-card deck
Objective: Be the first player to get rid of all your cards
Setup:
- Deal 5 cards to each player (7 cards in a 2-player game)
- Place the remaining cards face-down as a draw pile
- Turn the top card of the draw pile face-up to start the discard pile
Gameplay:
- Players take turns clockwise
- On your turn, you must play a card that matches the top card of the discard pile in either suit or rank
- If you can’t play, draw cards until you can play one
- Eights are wild and can be played on any card. When playing an eight, you choose the suit for the next player
- If the draw pile runs out, shuffle the discard pile (except the top card) to create a new draw pile
Special cards:
- 8: Wild card, player chooses the next suit
- 2: Next player draws two cards (unless they can play another 2)
- Queen: Reverses direction of play
Winning: The first player to discard all their cards wins the round. You can play multiple rounds and keep score based on the cards left in other players’ hands.
Variations: Many variations exist, including different special card effects or scoring systems.
Crazy Eights is known for its simplicity and fast-paced nature, making it a great family game or icebreaker.
