What Are the Best Alternative Card Games Similar to UNO?

UNO has been part of family game nights for more than five decades. Created in 1971, it has lasted across generations because it is simple, fast, and fun. Children and adults can play together, and nobody needs to read a complicated rulebook before the game begins.

But even when you love a classic, sometimes you want to shake up the tradition.

You may want to try something new without committing to a long setup, lots of moving pieces, or twenty minutes of instructions. You still want the matching, the competition, and the satisfaction of getting rid of your final card—you just want to experience it in a different way.

Here are several card games that give you some of what you love about UNO while adding something of their own.

Players: 2–7
Playing time: 5–10 minutes
Ages: 7+
Best for: Families and groups who want a familiar matching game with new powers

Let’s begin with Mask Off. Full disclosure: this is our game.

Instead of matching numbers, you match masks. Each mask has its own color, so you can think of it a little like matching colors in UNO.

Most cards have two different masks—one on each side. If either side matches a mask on the card in play, you can put your card down. The first player to get rid of all their cards wins.

That is why Mask Off feels familiar from the first round. You look at the card on the table, find a match in your hand, and try to empty your hand before everyone else.

The difference is what the masks can do.

Mask Off has ten different single-mask power cards, and each mask has a different ability. Power cards can change the flow of the game, affect another player, or help you move closer to winning.

There is also an optional way to play in which some cards invite players to share something about themselves. You can play Mask Off as a straightforward family matching game, or add the personal rules when your group wants to talk and get to know one another better.

We recorded a group immediately after their first game. They did not know that the person asking the questions was the creator of Mask Off. The group then explained that it was like UNO, but with masks.

One player remembered cards that invited people to share something revealing about themselves, allowing the group to learn a little more about one another. Another said the game had a unique twist because the different mask cards have different abilities that are interesting to use.

Watch what they said after playing Mask Off for the first time.

Their reaction explains Mask Off better than we could: it feels familiar when you begin, but the masks give it an identity of its own.

At the time this article was written, the physical Mask Off deck was not yet available to purchase. Visit MaskOffGame.com for the latest updates and subscribe to find out when the physical deck is ready to back on Kickstarter.

In the meantime, you can play the online version now through the link on MaskOffGame.com. No download is required.

Crazy Eights is one of the closest classic relatives of UNO. Players match the card on the table by suit or rank, and eights work as wild cards. The first person to empty their hand wins.

The main difference is that Crazy Eights uses a regular deck of playing cards and has fewer special powers. It feels simpler and more traditional than UNO.

Choose Crazy Eights when you want a familiar matching game that you can play immediately without buying a separate deck.

Skip-Bo also gives you the satisfaction of getting rid of your cards, but it does not use UNO-style color matching. Players build shared piles in numerical order while trying to clear their own stockpile.

Compared with UNO, Skip-Bo feels more organized and gives players more room to plan. Most of the competition comes from managing your cards and deciding when to play them rather than directly punishing the next player.

Choose Skip-Bo if your family enjoys simple rules but wants more sequencing, planning, and patience.

Phase 10 uses familiar card combinations such as sets, runs, and groups of the same color. During each round, players try to complete a particular objective before moving on to the next phase.

Like UNO, it is approachable enough for a casual family game night. However, Phase 10 is much longer and gives players a series of ten different challenges instead of repeating the same matching objective.

Choose Phase 10 when you want the card game to become the main activity of the evening rather than a quick round between other plans.

Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza is quick to learn and easy to bring anywhere, but its gameplay is very different from UNO.

Players say a repeating sequence of words while turning over cards. When the spoken word matches the card, everyone races to slap the pile.

Instead of managing a hand of cards, you are testing your attention and reaction speed. Choose this one if your family likes loud games, sudden mistakes, and watching someone confidently slap the wrong card.

Spot It! shares one of UNO’s greatest strengths: people understand what they are trying to do almost immediately.

Every pair of cards has one symbol in common. Players race to identify that matching symbol before everyone else.

Unlike UNO, Spot It! is mainly a test of visual attention and speed rather than deciding which card to play from your hand. Choose it for mixed-age groups, younger players, and quick rounds that can be played almost anywhere.

The right choice depends on what your group enjoys most:

UNO does not need to disappear from your family game night. A classic can remain a classic while you make room at the table for something new.

Visit MaskOffGame.com to follow the development of Mask Off and join the launch list for the physical deck.