The UNO drinking game is a simple adult twist on the classic card game: you play UNO by the normal rules, but certain cards and moments make someone take a sip. It is an unofficial house rule rather than an official Mattel product, so the version below is the one most groups actually use — along with the popular add-ons and a clear way to agree on fair penalties before you deal. Everything here is written for players who are of legal drinking age and want a relaxed, social game night.
Key Points
- The UNO drinking game is an unofficial house rule, not an official Mattel edition.
- You play standard UNO; the action cards (Draw Two, Wild Draw Four, Skip, Reverse and Wild) decide who drinks and how much.
- Agree every penalty out loud before the first deal so the rules are equal and clear for everyone.
- It works best with a standard 108-card deck and about 3 to 6 players.
- Only players of legal drinking age should take part, and everyone should stay within Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health.
What is the UNO drinking game?
The UNO drinking game keeps every standard UNO rule and simply attaches a drink to the cards that already change whose turn it is. You still match the top of the discard pile by colour, number or symbol, you still call UNO on your last card, and the first player to empty their hand still wins the round. The only new layer is a short list of ‘when this card is played, this person drinks’ penalties that the table agrees on in advance.
Because nothing about the deck or the core rules changes, anyone who already knows how to play UNO can pick up the drinking version in seconds. That is a big part of its appeal: there is almost no learning curve, so it suits a party where not everyone is a card-game expert.
Is there an official UNO drinking game?
No. Mattel, the maker of UNO, has never released an official drinking edition, and the standard rulebook contains no alcohol rules at all. Every drinking rule you will find online is a fan-made house rule, which is why the details vary so much from one group to the next.
Mattel does sell UNO Dare, which replaces some penalties with dares rather than drinks, but that is a family party product and not a drinking game. Treat the rules in this guide the way you would any other unofficial variant — closer to our wider collection of UNO house rules than to the official instructions. The upside of being unofficial is flexibility: you can scale the penalties up or down to match the group.
What you need to set up
Setup is almost identical to a normal game, with a few party-friendly adjustments. Here is the short checklist before you start:
- A standard UNO deck — the usual 108-card deck works perfectly; no special edition is required.
- 3 to 6 players is the sweet spot. UNO supports 2 to 10, but drinking rounds slow down and hit harder with very large groups, so split big parties into two tables.
- Drinks everyone has chosen for themselves — beer, wine, a mixed drink, or a non-alcoholic option. One ‘sip’ should mean roughly the same small amount for each player.
- Water on the table so everyone can pace themselves between rounds.
- A flat surface and enough room for the discard and draw piles.
Deal seven cards to each player as usual, turn one card face up to start the discard pile, and agree your drink rules out loud before the first turn.
Which cards make you drink?
In the UNO drinking game the action cards carry the penalties, because they already decide who is affected on each turn. The cheat sheet below lists the most common triggers; treat every number as a starting point your group can dial up or down.
Drink Trigger Cheat Sheet
| Card played | What it does in UNO | Suggested drink trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Draw Two (+2) | Next player draws 2 cards and misses a turn | That player takes 2 sips (one per card) |
| Wild Draw Four (+4) | Next player draws 4 cards; player who laid it picks the colour | That player takes 4 sips |
| Skip | Next player loses their turn | The skipped player takes 1 sip |
| Reverse | Direction of play switches | The player skipped by the switch takes 1 sip |
| Wild | Player chooses the next colour | Player names someone to take 1 sip |
| Draw from the pile | You have no playable card and must draw | Take 1 sip for each card you draw |
| Forgot to say UNO | Caught with one card and silent | 2-sip penalty (with or instead of the draw-2 penalty) |
| Lose the round | Another player empties their hand first | Optional: 1 sip per 10 points left in your hand |
Draw Two and Wild Draw Four
The draw cards are the heaviest penalties, which keeps the game tense. When a Draw Two is played, the next player draws two cards and misses their turn, and in the drinking version they also take one sip per card — two sips. A Wild Draw Four is four cards and four sips, and the player who played it still chooses the next colour. If your group uses the official rule, remember that stacking a Draw Two onto a Draw Two is a house rule, not standard play.
Skip and Reverse
Skip and Reverse are the mid-weight penalties. A Skip knocks out the next player’s turn, so that skipped player takes one sip. A Reverse flips the direction of play; the simplest fair rule is that whoever gets skipped by the switch takes a sip. In a two-player game Reverse acts like a Skip, so the opponent drinks and you play again.
Wild
A plain Wild lets the player choose the next colour, so it works as a ‘giver’ card: the player who lays it names any opponent to take one sip. This adds a little social strategy without a heavy penalty. For a full breakdown of what each symbol does, see our guide to UNO action cards.
Drawing and forgetting to call UNO
Two everyday moments round out the rules. If you cannot play and have to draw from the pile, take one sip for each card you draw. And if you are caught with a single card and forget to say UNO before the next player goes, a two-sip penalty is the usual add-on — either instead of, or alongside, the standard draw-two penalty. These two rules keep the drinks flowing even on turns without a big action card.
Popular variations and add-ons
Groups love to customise the UNO drinking game, and a few add-ons show up again and again. Pick the ones that suit your crowd rather than using all of them at once.
- 7-0 swap drink: if you already use the 7-0 rule, the person who hands over their cards (or everyone, on a 0) takes a sip as the hands change.
- Stacking: allow Draw Two on Draw Two or Draw Four on Draw Four, and the player who finally gets stuck drinks for the whole pile. This can escalate quickly, so cap the total.
- Jump-in: if someone plays an exact-match card out of turn, the player they interrupt takes a sip.
- Colour change caution: when a Wild changes to a colour you cannot follow, you draw and sip — a gentler version of the draw rule.
- Round loser: whoever is left with the most points when someone goes out takes an agreed finishing sip, scaled to the cards still in their hand.
How to set fair house rules
Clear, agreed rules are what separate a fun night from an argument. Because these are all house rules, write them down or say them out loud before you deal, and keep them equal for everyone.
- Decide the sip size. Agree what one ‘sip’ means so a light drinker and a heavy drinker take the same small amount.
- Confirm which cards trigger drinks. Use the cheat sheet as a menu and cut anything the group finds too much.
- Allow substitutions. Anyone can take the same penalty with water or a soft drink, no questions asked.
- Set a stop point. Agree a number of rounds or a time limit so the game has a natural end.
- Never pressure anyone. A drink is always optional; the social fun matters more than the penalty.
Common mistakes to avoid
Most problems with the UNO drinking game come from setup, not the cards. Watch out for these:
- Unequal penalties: changing the rules mid-game, or applying them to some players and not others, kills the fun fast.
- Stacking without a cap: open-ended stacking can turn a single round into far too many drinks at once.
- Playing with too many people: huge tables mean long waits and big draw penalties; smaller groups keep it balanced. For big parties, split up or look at UNO Party rules and run drinks as a lighter side rule.
- No water or food: drinking games speed up consumption, so snacks and water are essential.
- Forgetting it is unofficial: do not argue that a drinking rule is ‘the real UNO rule’ — none of them are.
Can you play without alcohol?
Yes, and it works just as well. Swap every sip for a forfeit instead: a silly dare, a point penalty, a push-up, or a draw-an-extra-card punishment. This sober version keeps all the tension and social back-and-forth and makes the game suitable for mixed-age or alcohol-free gatherings. If you simply want more party-friendly card games to rotate through the evening, our comparison of card games like UNO lists several that scale well to groups.
Who is the UNO drinking game for?
The UNO drinking game suits adults of legal drinking age who want a low-effort, social party game that almost everyone already knows. It is a poor fit for competitive card players chasing a ‘proper’ game, for anyone who would rather not drink (use the sober forfeits instead), and of course for minors. Kept light and consensual, it is an easy way to add some energy to a casual get-together.
Responsible drinking and disclaimer
This article describes an unofficial, fan-made variant for informational purposes only; it is not affiliated with or endorsed by Mattel, and it is not medical or legal advice. Drinking games encourage faster-than-normal consumption, so take the following seriously.
- Legal age: you must be of legal drinking age to take part. In Canada that is 18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec, and 19 in every other province and territory.
- Know a standard drink: about 341 ml (12 oz) of 5% beer, 142 ml (5 oz) of 12% wine, or 43 ml (1.5 oz) of 40% spirits.
- Drink within the guidance: Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health from the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction notes that low risk is no more than two standard drinks per week, and that risk rises with every additional drink. Read it in full at the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction.
- Never drink and drive, and always plan a safe way home.
- Keep it consensual: substitution with water or a soft drink is always allowed, and no one should ever be pressured to drink.
If you are worried about your own or someone else’s drinking, contact a local health line or a provincial substance-use support service.
Sources
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is the UNO drinking game official?
No. Mattel has never released an official UNO drinking edition and the standard rulebook has no alcohol rules. Every drinking rule is a house rule, which is why versions differ from group to group.
Which UNO card makes you drink the most?
The Wild Draw Four is usually the heaviest, because the player who receives it draws four cards and takes four sips. The Draw Two is the next biggest at two cards and two sips.
How many players do you need?
Three to six works best. UNO itself supports 2 to 10 players, but drinking rounds get slow and heavy with very large groups, so bigger parties are better split into two tables.
Can you play the UNO drinking game without alcohol?
Yes. Replace each sip with a forfeit such as a dare, a push-up or an extra drawn card. The sober version keeps the same tension and suits mixed-age or alcohol-free gatherings.
Do you still call UNO in the drinking version?
Yes. You still say UNO on your last card, and most groups add a two-sip penalty if you are caught staying silent, on top of or instead of the normal draw-two penalty.
