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Tap or drag a card to play it. Keyboard: arrows and Enter to play, U undo, H hint, N new game, F full screen.
Crazy Eights is one of the simplest and most relaxing card games. Match the top card of the discard pile by suit or by rank, and use the wild eights to change the suit when you are stuck. The first player to get rid of all their cards wins.
- Players
- You + 1 to 3 computer players
- Cards
- Standard 52 cards
- Game length
- 5 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
How to play Crazy Eights
- Each player is dealt five cards and one card is turned up to start the discard pile.
- On your turn, play a card that matches the top card's suit or rank.
- Eights are wild: play one at any time and choose the next suit.
- If you cannot play, draw from the draw pile until you can.
- The first player to empty their hand wins the round.
How to win at Crazy Eights: strategy and tips
Crazy Eights looks like a game of pure luck, but good players win far more often. The secret is managing your suits and knowing when to use your eights.
Keep as many suits open as you can
Each card you play either keeps the suit or changes the rank. Play cards that leave you with choices on your next turn. If you hold several cards of one suit, play the others first while you can. That way you are not stuck with a single card of a suit nobody plays.
Use eights at the right moment
An eight is wild, so it is your escape when you cannot play anything else. Playing it too early wastes it; holding it too long risks being caught with 50 points against you if the game is blocked. A good time is when it saves you from drawing several cards, or when it lets you go out.
Choose the new suit carefully
When you play an eight, name the suit you hold most of, but also think about the other players. If the next player has just been drawing cards to find a suit, do not name that suit.
Watch the others' hands
Count how many cards each opponent holds and remember which suits made them draw. When someone is down to one or two cards, change the suit away from what they need, even if it costs you a little.
Go out cleanly
Plan your last few cards so that each one can follow the one before. A hand like a five and an eight is ideal: play the five, and the eight goes out on anything.
Count the eights
There are only four eights. Once three have been played, the last one becomes very powerful, and players who are stuck on a suit can no longer easily change it. Remember who has been drawing cards since the last eight was played.
Mistakes to avoid
- Drawing cards when you could have played a legal card instead.
- Playing an eight when a normal card would have done the job.
- Keeping high cards until the end. If the game is blocked, they count against you.
Crazy Eights questions
Can you play an eight on anything in Crazy Eights?
Yes. An eight can be played on any card, and the player who plays it chooses the suit that must be followed next.
What happens if the draw pile runs out?
The discard pile, except its top card, is shuffled to make a new draw pile.
