UNO Flip is Mattel’s twist on classic UNO, released in 2019. Every card has two playable sides: a familiar light side, and a darker side with harsher penalties. The whole game can flip mid-round, which changes the rules instantly. If you already know how to play UNO, the shift is intuitive, but the dark side hits hard.
This guide covers the official UNO Flip rules, how each card works on both sides, and how the Flip card swings the game.
What makes UNO Flip different
A standard UNO deck has one face per card. UNO Flip cards are double-sided: a light side (close to standard UNO) and a dark side (more punishing). Players see only one side at a time. When a Flip card is played, the discard pile, the draw pile, and every player’s hand all flip together.
The mechanics that change between sides:
- Action cards: Skip becomes Skip Everyone, Draw Two becomes Draw Five, Wild becomes Wild Draw Color.
- Color set: red/yellow/green/blue on the light side; pink/orange/teal/purple on the dark side.
- Numbers: 0 through 9 on the light side, 1 through 9 on the dark side.
- Penalty severity: dark side punishes harder, so the round can turn around in two turns.
Setup
UNO Flip uses 112 cards: 76 number cards, 24 action cards (Skip, Reverse, Draw, Flip per color × 2 sides), 8 Wild cards. Deal 7 cards to each player. Place the rest face-down as the draw pile. Flip one card to start the discard pile. That determines which side the game starts on (always the light side at the very beginning).
Light side rules (standard play)
The light side reads like a slightly slowed-down UNO online round.
- Skip: the next player loses their turn.
- Reverse: direction of play flips. With two players, plays like a Skip.
- Draw One: the next player draws one card and loses their turn (yes, only one on UNO Flip light side, not two).
- Wild: choose the next color.
- Wild Draw Two: choose the next color, the next player draws two.
- Flip: everything flips to the dark side.
Match by color, number, or symbol. Standard UNO matching applies. If you already play UNO online, the light side will feel almost identical, just with a softer Draw card.
Dark side rules (chaos mode)
The dark side is where UNO Flip earns its reputation.
- Skip Everyone: every player loses their turn. The player who played it goes again.
- Reverse: same as light side (direction flips).
- Draw Five: the next player draws five cards and loses their turn.
- Wild: choose the next dark-side color (pink, orange, teal, purple).
- Wild Draw Color: choose the next color, the next player draws cards until they pick that color.
- Flip: everything flips back to the light side.
Dark side rounds are unpredictable. A Wild Draw Color can punish a player for 6, 8, even 10 cards depending on what they draw.
Calling UNO
Same as classic UNO: when you play your second-to-last card, call UNO before the next player begins. Forget and any opponent can catch you for a penalty (most groups use four cards).
Scoring
Same scoring framework as classic UNO. Cards left in hand count against losers, the winner scores their total:
- Number cards: face value.
- Skip, Reverse, Draw One, Draw Five: 20 points.
- Skip Everyone, Wild Draw Two, Wild Draw Color: 50 points.
- Flip card, plain Wild: 20 points.
First player to 500 points wins the match.
UNO Flip vs classic UNO
If you’ve played UNO online for years, the differences worth remembering:
| Aspect | Classic UNO | UNO Flip |
|---|---|---|
| Draw penalty (basic) | Draw Two | Light: Draw One / Dark: Draw Five |
| Skip | Single player | Light: single / Dark: all players |
| Wild Draw 4 | Wild Draw Four | Wild Draw Color (uncapped) |
| Sides | 1 face | 2 faces (Flip card swaps) |
| Pace | Steady | Swings hard when flipped |
If you want a refresher on the standard penalties, the UNO card meanings guide covers them in depth.
Can you play UNO Flip online?
The official Mattel UNO Flip is sold as a physical card game. Most online UNO platforms (including Last) implement the standard UNO ruleset rather than UNO Flip. If you want to feel the same swing online, agree on stacking house rules (you can stack +2 and +4 in Last by default), which creates similar dark-side swings without needing a Flip mechanic.
FAQ
How many cards in UNO Flip?
The UNO Flip deck has 112 double-sided cards.
Can you flip on any turn?
Only when you play a Flip card. You cannot manually flip the deck.
Is Wild Draw Color stronger than Wild Draw Four?
Yes, by a large margin. Wild Draw Color forces a player to draw until they pick a specific color: that can be 1 card, that can be 10. It’s the most punishing card in any UNO variant.
Can Last play UNO Flip?
Not directly. Last uses standard UNO rules. For a similar swing, enable stacking and Wild Draw Four play.