Crazy Eights is a shedding card game for 2 to 4 players and one 52-card deck: match the top card of the discard pile by suit or rank, and be the first to get rid of every card. Eights are wild. Lay one on anything and you name the suit the next player must follow, which makes an eight the closest thing a deck of cards has to the TV remote. Press Play now above and you are dealt in against bots straight away, with no account. A free account lets you pick 2, 3 or 4 players and sit at online tables, where bots fill any empty seat. The game was known as plain Eights in the 1930s and only went crazy in the 1940s. For scoring, two-player tips and house rules, see the full rules guide.
Mobile gameplay: Crazy Eights
See the game board, controls and moves on a mobile screen.
How to play
- Deal 7 cards each with 2 players, or 5 each with 3 or 4. Turn the next card up as the starter; the rest is the stock.
- Play a card that matches the top card by suit or rank: on the 9♥, any heart or any 9.
- Eights are wild. Play an 8 on anything and name the suit the next player must follow.
- Can’t play, or would rather not? Draw 1 card. If it fits you may play it at once; otherwise your turn passes.
- When the stock runs out, the played cards under the top one are shuffled into a new stock.
- The first player out wins the hand. The others take penalty points: 50 for an 8, 10 for a picture card, face value for the rest (ace 1). The game ends when someone reaches 100; the lowest total wins.
Example
The top card is the 9♥ and you hold 9♣, 4♥, K♠ and 8♦. You can play the 4♥ (same suit) or the 9♣ (same rank) and keep the 8♦ up your sleeve. Holding only K♠ and 8♦, you would play the 8♦ and name spades, so the king can follow on your next turn.
Playing tip
An eight is your emergency exit, so save it for the turn when nothing else fits; just remember it costs 50 points if someone else goes out while it is still in your hand. Shed picture cards early, at 10 points each, and when you do play an eight, name the suit you hold most of.
Guides and tools
Frequently asked questions
Is Crazy Eights free to play here?
Yes, and you do not need an account to try it: press Play now at the top of this page and you are dealt in against bots. A free account adds the choice of 2, 3 or 4 players and online tables against people, and it keeps your XP and leaderboard results, which guest games do not.
How many players can play Crazy Eights online?
From 2 to 4. Against bots you pick 2, 3 or 4 players; at an online table, bots take any seat that no person fills.
Do you draw until you can play?
Not here. You draw 1 card a turn, as in Pagat’s basic rules: play it at once if it fits, otherwise your turn passes. Drawing until you can play is a common house rule, and the one that turns a single unlucky turn into a fistful of cards.
What happens if the starter card is an 8?
The dealer is treated as having played it and names the suit. The first player must then follow that suit or play another 8.