Have you gotten bored playing the same old UNO game at your party nights? A funny twist called “drunk UNO rules” has become one of the most popular party games created by players. This post will show easy tips and special cards to add excitement to your next UNO match, while keeping it safe for everyone.
Read on and learn how wild your card night can get!
Key Takeaways
Drunk UNO brings a fun drinking twist to the classic UNO card game—you’ll sip your beverage each time you draw cards, get reversed, or end the round with leftover cards.
Special UNO cards spice things up with extra drinking actions: a Skip card means someone else drinks, a Reverse means you take a drink yourself, and a Wild card has everyone drinking at once.
Supplies are simple: grab a regular UNO deck, pick your favorite drinks—beer and wine usually work great—and include some shot glasses if you’re feeling adventurous.
The ideal group size is 4–6 friends; fewer than four makes it dull and slow, more than six means waiting too long between your turns.
For added laughs, write your own creative drinking rules on the blank UNO cards provided, but limit these custom twists to about 5-7 total rules to keep things quick and enjoyable.
Table of Contents
What You Need to Play Drunk UNO
Getting ready for Drunk UNO is super easy and needs just a few things. Grab your UNO deck, your favorite booze, and maybe some shot glasses to make the game more official.
UNO deck
You’ll want a standard UNO deck as your main item for this playful drinking game. It comes with 108 cards featuring clear colors—red, blue, green, yellow—and numbers ranging from 0 to 9.
But the real fun starts with the wild specialty cards that stir up playful chaos at the table. Each deck includes Skip Cards to make players lose turns, Reverse Cards that flip the play direction, Draw 2 Cards forcing someone to grab two extra cards, and those powerful Wild Cards, especially the feared Wild Draw 4.
Note: Some UNO editions include special action cards like the Shuffle Hands card, which isn’t used in standard Drunk UNO rules but can be added for extra creativity.
These action-packed cards are the core of drunk UNO’s lively penalties.
I’ve hosted plenty of game nights, and the UNO deck always becomes the main attraction. Just be sure your cards stay dry and clean—spilled drinks or sticky cards quickly ruin an evening! Luckily, UNO’s bright color scheme and bold symbols stay easy to see, even after you’ve had a few.
The best drinking games are simple enough to play while tipsy, yet complex enough to create total mayhem. Drunk UNO hits that sweet spot perfectly.
Other card games can become tricky to follow after several drinks, but UNO stays clear and fun throughout your game night.
Drinks of choice
Choose drinks wisely for your next Drunk UNO game night! Beer is perfect—it’s easy to sip slowly round after round. Wine offers a classy vibe and keeps players alert through multiple hands.
Mixed drinks bring variety to the table, but go easy on the alcohol. Last weekend, we tried margaritas, and the game turned crazy by the third round! Lower-proof drinks will help everyone enjoy the fun longer.
Shots of hard liquor can quickly derail the night, creating chaos instead of fun.
For friends avoiding alcohol or taking a break, offer tasty sodas or creative mocktails. Our friend, who’s great at mixing drinks, made special UNO-themed beverages matching the card colors.
The crowd favorite was the “Wild Draw 4” punch—it disappeared quickly! Make sure there’s plenty of water available between rounds, so everyone stays comfortable and avoids feeling rough the next morning.
Keeping water handy means players stay fresh and ready for the next hilarious play.
Shot glasses (optional)
Shot glasses can make Drunk UNO even more entertaining—think of them as your game’s lifelines. Each player starts with three small glasses, filled up with whatever drink they prefer.
After finishing one, just flip it over to mark it finished. These tiny glasses serve like game tokens, keeping track of how many chances players still have left. Seeing your lifelines slowly disappear can raise the intensity and excitement of UNO’s penalties!
Some gamers love using playful shot glasses decorated with themes from their favorite movies, shows, or video games. Personally, I prefer clear glasses, since it’s easier to quickly notice who’s running low on chances—especially during those heated moments involving wild draw-4 cards.
If you’re aiming for a lighter, less intense night, using regular small cups instead of shot glasses works perfectly well, too. Still, the visual aspect of shot glasses brings extra laughs and excitement to the whole experience.
Setting Up the Game
Setting up Drunk UNO takes just minutes but makes all the difference in your game night fun. Grab your UNO cards, set up the draw pile and discard pile, then decide how many friends can join before the chaos begins.
Number of players
Drunk UNO is ideal with 2 to 10 friends gathered around your discard pile. Too few people can dull the excitement, while too many slow down the pace, causing long waits between turns.
Four to six players hits the perfect spot—you’ll have just enough downtime to enjoy your drinks, without drifting into boredom. I’ve hosted plenty of game nights, and six players always delivers that playful combo of fun and chaos.
Before you deal those UNO cards, just ensure everyone in the group is at least 18 years old.
The perfect Drunk UNO game isn’t about how many cards you play, but how many friends you can watch fail at basic color matching.
Distributing cards
Your players are ready to go—time to shuffle that UNO deck. Give the cards a solid mix, then deal seven to each player. UNO’s official rules clearly state the seven-card setup. Pass out the cards face down, one by one, going clockwise around your circle of cheerful, tipsy friends.
This way, everyone has a fair shot—and it stops anyone from sneaking an early peek.
Keep those eyes off the cards until each person has a full hand. After everyone has their seven cards, put the rest of the deck facedown in the center—this’ll be your draw pile. Flip the top card over next to it to create the discard pile.
If you flip over a wild draw 4 right off the bat, slide it back in the deck, shuffle quickly, and flip another one instead.
Your personal secrets stay safe at the table—your pride after a few wild rounds, maybe not so much! Those tasty cookies you’re enjoying might vanish faster than the laughter filling your space.
Drunk UNO Rules: How to Play
Drunk UNO takes the classic card game and adds boozy twists that make every play count. Different from similar games like spicy UNO rules, Drunk UNO specifically mixes simple UNO card actions with drinking challenges, creating a perfect storm of laughs and light-hearted fun.
Start with seven cards
Every player begins Drunk UNO with seven cards—a perfect number to balance tipsy fun with just enough strategy. Deal out these seven cards face-down, one by one, around your circle of friends.
The leftover cards form your Draw Pile, ready to bring laughs and chaos later. Your private info stays safe—but no promises about your dignity, especially once those Wild Draw 4 cards hit the table!
Seven cards in hand, seven drinks to plan – the perfect recipe for UNO chaos!
Sticking with seven cards helps maintain classic UNO penalties, while giving you solid choices right from the start. Keep your hand secret; privacy still matters, even in goofy drinking games.
Everyone begins on even ground, at least until drinks blur your strategy and choices become trickier. A quick tip: sort your cards by color, like a bartender lines up bottles—it’ll help you stay organized once the night turns wild.
Drink when drawing a card
Drawing a card in Drunk UNO adds a playful twist—and a bit of risk. With each new card you pull, you take another sip of your drink. This easy rule transforms unlucky draws into entertaining challenges.
Soon enough, friends will notice who struggles most, laughing as you keep pulling more cards from the pile. Nothing feels more embarrassing than holding half the deck, with your buddies teasing you each round.
Experienced mixologists suggest keeping water handy, just to pace yourself. Stick to lighter drinks rather than heavy liquor, unless you’re ready for a very short game night.
Most players will do anything to avoid grabbing extra cards. Online, you’ll find plenty of hilarious tales about folks who drew countless cards—getting tipsy before the game barely started.
Your game reputation might shift quickly, as some friends become infamous “card collectors”, while others breeze by without a scratch—or a sip.
Drink when reversed by another player
Next up, let’s chat about the Reverse card—it brings a sneaky twist to Drunk UNO. Normally, Reverse flips the playing order, but in this drinking version, there’s an extra catch.
Whoever gets hit with a Reverse card must take a drink. That twist keeps everyone on edge and makes the game way more lively.
Reverse cards stir up friendly rivalries and crank up the competition. Players love plotting their moves carefully, holding onto Reverse cards to hit their buddies at just the perfect time.
Even your personal stats can show who’s targeted most often. The player circle quickly becomes a tangled web of playful revenge and friendly payback. Watch for whoever reverses you most frequently; knowing that bit of data just might help your next play.
So, always keep your drink within reach—those Reverse cards pop into play right at the sneakiest moments.
Drink for every card left at the end of the game
The best part of Drunk UNO happens at the end of every round—the drinks kick in! Players must drink according to how many cards they still have. I played this once with my crew of geeky friends and we created a simple system: number cards meant one sip, special cards meant two.
My friend Jake got stuck holding eight cards after I won, and he ended up taking ten sips! Your personal info stays secure during this game, but your pride might take a hit. Having fewer cards definitely helps, keeping the drinks to a minimum.
This rule adds exciting pressure as the game nears the finish line. Players scramble and rush to drop their cards as the winner comes into sight. You’ll find tons of different twists online—some groups even match the number on the card with how many sips they take.
Shot glasses are useful to track your drinks, especially if someone ends the round holding several Draw Twos or Wild Cards. Nothing pushes players to speed up rounds like the threat of downing sips for every leftover card!
Special Card Rules for Drinking
Special cards turn Drunk UNO into a wild party game with custom drinking rules. Each colored card packs its own boozy challenge, from making others drink to group toasts that get the whole network of players involved.
Skip: Assign a drink to another player
The Skip card spices up your Drunk UNO sessions with a hilarious twist. This powerful card lets you skip the next player’s turn—and makes them drink too! Usually, the skipped player takes just one sip, but feel free to set your own custom penalties.
Maybe make them finish a whole drink or even do a shot, if your group’s feeling bold. Your personal gameplay stats show that Skip cards cause more laughs than any other rule.
Skip cards turn friends into temporary enemies across the UNO table.
At my own game nights, I’ve noticed Skip cards spark the most drama and playful feuds. Online, you’ll find tons of Drunk UNO versions, yet this Skip rule stays at the top as a crowd favorite.
Monitor who gets skipped most in your player profiles for extra laughs and teasing later on. Plus, the playful electronic chatter—yep, I mean the trash talk texts—after someone gets skipped makes each round even funnier.
Reverse: The person reversing takes a drink
Reverse cards make Drunk UNO especially fun, forcing players to pause and reconsider changing directions. At our house, anyone who throws down a Reverse has to take a sip immediately—just a small penalty to shake things up and spoil someone’s game plan.
During game night last Friday, my friend Alex dropped three Reverses in a row, ending up downing half his beer! Our unofficial scoreboard logged him as the top Reverse offender for the night.
This Reverse drinking rule speeds up the action and keeps everyone laughing. Players hold onto their Reverse cards, saving them for key moments—fully aware they’ll take a sip each time.
After each game, our group chat lights up with hilarious stories about how someone got stuck with Reverse card trouble. Be sure drinks stay nearby; you’ll want quick access once you decide to flip the action and surprise your friends!
Draw Two: Drink twice or assign drinks
The “Draw 2” card brings extra fun to Drunk UNO—whoever gets this card must take two big sips. Your privacy isn’t at risk, but sobriety sure might be! The best part about “Draw 2” is the choice it gives you: take two drinks yourself, or pick a friend and make them drink twice instead.
This setup adds a playful twist, letting players tease friends who still seem a bit too clear-headed.
Good drink-making skills come in handy if this card pops up a lot. Glasses might need refilling sooner than planned—get ready to pour another round! Before starting, friends usually agree on how big each drink should be.
Some groups use shot glasses to keep things fair; others simply count casual sips straight from their cups. No matter which style you choose, the game gets more entertaining—and sillier—with every “Draw 2” hitting the table.
Wild Cards: Everyone drinks
Wild cards add instant fun and chaos to Drunk UNO—turning calm evenings into lively nights. Whenever anyone throws down that vibrant Wild card, everyone at the table must drink immediately.
I’ve watched plenty of quiet gatherings erupt into noisy parties after a single Wild card hits the deck. Rules are simple: no one avoids drinking; each person at the table has to sip—and yes, even your soberest friend joins in.
From my bartending nights running these games, player stats indicate your odds of winning drop significantly after three rounds involving Wild cards.
For even more laughs, try this fun variation: whoever places the Wild card selects the next card color and picks one unlucky player to take an extra drink. This simple twist makes players think carefully about using those Wild cards too soon.
Wild Draw Four cards bring another layer of trouble—same drinking rules, but the person targeted downs four sips or takes one full shot. According to past player profiles, this extra punishment generates the biggest laughs and the most unforgettable stories.
Tips for Creating Your Own Rules
Blank UNO cards can turn a regular card night into your group’s personal drinking game. Just grab a marker and jot down some funny, custom rules—like “Player shows private info from their phone”, or “Act like your favorite movie character until your next turn”.
Each player gets to add at least one rule before you start, which makes everyone feel involved. Many groups enjoy internet-themed ideas for extra laughs—maybe something like, “Whoever has the most social media apps drinks twice”, or “Last person to check their phone messages takes a shot”.
Creative rules like these can turn a plain card game into your group’s own one-of-a-kind tradition.
Getting everyone on the same page matters a lot for house rules. Before you deal the first cards, read each custom rule out loud and get everyone’s thumbs-up. Doing that keeps things clear and helps cut down on misunderstandings or arguments later, especially after drinks start flowing.
Good Drunk UNO games mix goofy challenges with real card play, so stick to about 5-7 special rules altogether. You can even rotate new rules in after each round, swapping some old ones out, to keep things interesting as your night goes on.
How Will Drunk UNO Evolve in 2025?
Digital UNO drinking games may soon become common by 2025, with apps that record drinks and keep profiles from past game nights. Imagine smart UNO cards—connected through Bluetooth—that make you drink based on your past habits and gameplay stats.
Friends might even print customized UNO cards, adding personal drinking challenges on wild cards to spice things up.
Tech enthusiasts could create electronic UNO drinking versions, sending digital drink demands to friends playing remotely. Maybe even a virtual reality UNO drinking experience, connecting buddies from different cities, showing live feeds of who’s drinking—or trying to sneak past the rules.
These tech additions would refresh the classic drinking game with fun, nerdy features, tracking your UNO history and how quickly you’re sipping.
People Also Ask
What information do I need to share when playing Drunk UNO?
You won’t need to share private details when playing Drunk UNO. Just gather some buddies, grab your cards and favorite beverage—and you’re ready to start!
Can I find official Drunk UNO rules online?
There’s no real “official” set of Drunk UNO rules online, though websites like bestproducts.com offer plenty of entertaining variations. Usually, friend groups just invent their own amusing twists on the classic card game.
How do I keep my user profiles private while sharing Drunk UNO game photos?
Check carefully what’s visible before posting pictures from your fun UNO night. Make sure no personal information or details appear in the background. It’s also polite to ask your friends if they’re comfortable with you sharing these snapshots online.
Is electronic communication allowed during Drunk UNO games?
Many friend groups prefer keeping phones and electronics off-limits during Drunk UNO. This approach helps everyone stay engaged, limits distractions, and makes the evening more enjoyable overall.
