Uno Variation: Hands Down

Cards: 1 or more Uno decks (any variety)

Players: 2+

Time: ~10-15 min/round

Rating: 9/10

This is a simple variation, but it completely changes the strategy of the game. As the name suggests, this variant is played with every person's cards visible on the table.

Advantages: This variation takes away some of the luck inherent in a regular Uno game as it allows players to plan ahead based on others' cards. It is also great for any players who regularly allow other players to inadvertently see their cards. Another advantage is that players can work together to prevent players with one card left from finishing the round.

Disadvantages: While this variation is excellent for advanced players, it is hard for newer players to grasp the strategy and can then become an unbalanced game. Also, the amount of collaboration between players in this version tends to make the game slightly longer than other variations.

Overall: The simplicity of this variation makes it easy to implement and the new strategies make it seem like an entirely different game. This variation works especially well with House Rules (with or without the "No Scoring" rule).

Uno Variation: Three Piles

Cards: 1 or more Uno decks (any variety)
Players: 2+
Time: ~5-10 min/round
Rating: 7/10

1) When starting the game, create three discard piles instead of one. If "Starting Neutral" is not in effect, the starting player is only affected by the first card that is flipped over to create a discard pile.

2) Each discard pile acts independently of the others, but no pile can be played on twice in a row. If a stacking rule is being used, cards can still be stacked, but to do so, the stacked card must be played on a different pile, not on the card it is being stacked on. For example, if a Draw 2 card is played on Pile A, the next player may play another Draw 2 card, but must be able to do so on Pile B or C to stack the effect.

Advantages: This is a very simple variation to implement, but still has the benefit of completely changing the nature and strategy of the game. Because each player has two piles to play on at any time, the games tend to be shorter and more fast paced.

Disadvantages: Although fast paced games can be fun, this variation makes it much more likely that a game will end without a player drawing any cards or ever being unable to play a card on her turn.

Overall: The simplicity of this variation makes it fun to try as well as to experiment with. Feel free to share any thoughts or modifications in the comments.