This glossary defines every term used in Crazy Eights and its major variants. Whether you’re reading the rules for beginners or learning about variants like Mau-Mau and Switch, this reference has you covered.

A

Action card — A card with a special power beyond its suit and rank. In standard Crazy Eights, only eights are action cards (wild). In variants like Switch and Mau-Mau, additional ranks serve as action cards (draw two, skip, reverse). In UNO, action cards are printed directly on the cards.

Active suit — The suit that the next player must match (or override with a wild card). The active suit is determined by the top card of the discard pile, or by the suit declared after a wild card is played.

C

Call — See Suit call.

Card shedding — The act of playing a card from your hand onto the discard pile. The objective of Crazy Eights is to shed all your cards before your opponents. Also called “discarding” or “playing off.”

Challenge (UNO/variant term) — In UNO, the right to challenge a player who uses a Wild Draw Four card. If the challenged player had a matching color they could have played, they draw 4 cards instead. Some Crazy Eights variants incorporate similar challenge mechanics.

D

Dealer — The player who shuffles and distributes cards at the beginning of each round. The dealer typically rotates clockwise after each round.

Declare — To name a suit after playing a wild card (eight). The declared suit becomes the active suit for the next player. Strategically, players declare suits they hold multiple cards in, or suits their opponents are weak in.

Discard — (verb) To play a card from your hand onto the discard pile. (noun) A card that has been played onto the discard pile.

Discard pile — The face-up pile in the center of the table where players place their played cards. The top card of the discard pile determines what can be played next. Also called the “play pile” or “waste pile.”

Draw — To take one or more cards from the draw pile (stock) into your hand. Players draw when they cannot play a card from their hand.

Draw pile — The face-down pile of undealt cards. Players draw from this pile when they have no legal play. Also called the “stock,” “stock pile,” or “talon.”

Draw two (variant rule) — A special card (usually a 2) that forces the next player to draw two cards and forfeit their turn. Standard in Switch, Mau-Mau, and UNO. Not part of basic Crazy Eights rules.

E

Eight (wild) — The designated wild card in standard Crazy Eights. All four eights can be played on any card regardless of suit or rank. After playing an eight, the player declares the active suit.

Endgame — The final phase of a round when one or more players are close to going out (1–3 cards remaining). Strategy shifts during the endgame — see the advanced strategy guide.

F

Face card — A Jack, Queen, or King. Face cards are worth 10 points each in standard Crazy Eights scoring.

Face value — The numeric value printed on a number card. A 7 is worth 7 points, a 3 is worth 3 points, etc.

G

Going out — Playing your last card to win the round. Also called “winning the hand” or simply “going out.” In scored games, going out earns points from all opponents’ remaining hands.

H

Hand — (1) The cards a player currently holds. (2) A single round of play from deal to someone going out.

House rules — Custom rules agreed upon by players before the game starts, modifying the standard rules. Common house rules include draw-two cards, skip cards, reverse cards, and stacking. See the house rules guide.

L

Last card (variant rule) — (1) The announcement required in some variants (Last Card, Mau-Mau, UNO) when a player is down to one card. (2) The New Zealand variant of Crazy Eights. Failure to announce is penalized with a draw.

Legal play — A card that can be played on the current discard pile — matching by suit, matching by rank, or a wild card.

M

Match — To play a card that shares a suit or rank with the top card of the discard pile. “Matching by suit” means playing the same suit; “matching by rank” means playing the same number or face.

Mau-Mau — The German variant of Crazy Eights using a 32-card deck, with Jacks as wild, 7s as draw-two, and an announcement rule (“Mau” at one card, “Mau-Mau” when going out).

P

Pass — To end your turn without playing a card. Not allowed in standard Crazy Eights (you must draw until you can play), but permitted in some house rules after drawing a set number of cards.

Penalty cards — Cards a player must draw as punishment — either for failing to announce “last card,” for failing a challenge, or because an opponent played a draw-two or draw-five card.

R

Rank — The number or face value of a card (Ace, 2, 3, … 10, Jack, Queen, King). Matching by rank means playing a card of the same rank in any suit.

Rank match — Playing a card of the same rank but a different suit than the top discard. Example: playing the 7 of Clubs on the 7 of Hearts. This changes the active suit without using a wild card.

Reverse (variant rule) — A card (usually a Queen or specific rank) that changes the direction of play from clockwise to counterclockwise or vice versa. Standard in UNO and Switch.

Round — A complete game from the deal through one player going out (or a stalemate). A match consists of multiple rounds with cumulative scoring.

S

Shedding game — A card game where the objective is to be the first player to get rid of all your cards. Crazy Eights, UNO, Mau-Mau, and Switch are all shedding games.

Skip (variant rule) — A card (usually a Jack or specific rank) that causes the next player to lose their turn. Standard in UNO and Switch. In two-player games, a skip effectively gives you an extra turn.

Stacking (variant rule) — Playing a penalty card (draw-two) on top of another penalty card to pass and accumulate the penalty to the next player. Example: you play a 2 on top of an opponent’s 2, and the next player must draw 4. Standard in many variants, not part of basic Crazy Eights.

Stalemate — When the draw pile is empty and no player can play. The round ends without anyone going out. Scoring varies by ruleset — see the scoring guide.

Stock pile — See Draw pile.

Suit — One of the four card categories: Hearts (♥), Diamonds (♦), Clubs (♣), Spades (♠). In UNO, suits are replaced by colors.

Suit call — The act of declaring a suit after playing a wild card (eight). The called suit becomes the active suit the next player must match.

Suit match — Playing a card of the same suit as the top discard. Example: playing the 3 of Hearts on the 7 of Hearts.

Switch — The British variant of Crazy Eights with draw-two (2s), skip (Jacks), reverse (Queens), and wild (Aces) cards.

T

Target score — The point total a player must reach to win the match. Common targets are 100, 200, and 500.

Turn — A single player’s opportunity to play a card or draw. Turns proceed clockwise (unless reversed by a variant rule).

W

Wild card — A card that can be played on any other card regardless of suit or rank. In Crazy Eights, the four eights are wild. In Mau-Mau, Jacks are wild. In Switch, Aces are wild. In UNO, Wild and Wild Draw Four cards are wild.

For full rules, see the rules guide. For strategy, see the strategy guide.