NOTE

Rules and special cards of this variant are preset by default in the app and cannot be changed. To customize the defaults to your liking, select the “Custom” mode in the settings.


Game Setup


At the beginning of the game, each player receives eight cards, while another card is placed as the discard pile. The remaining cards make up the deck from which to draw cards. The game starts clockwise but can later change the direction of play by using reversal cards (Ace). The first card on the discard pile is considered the first card played by the dealer.

 

Players take turns placing one card from their hand on the discard pile or drawing a card from the deck. The discarded card must be the same suit (diamonds, hearts, spades, clubs) or rank (2 to Ace) as the last card played, unless it is a wish card or a Joker. These cards may be played regardless of the suit or rank of the last card played.


Special Cards


If a player plays a wish card (8), they may choose the suit that the next player must serve. Wish cards may be stacked regardless of the chosen suit, and a new suit may be determined by the next player.

 

When a 2 or a Joker is played, the following player must draw two or four cards accordingly. Alternatively, they can play a draw card of the same rank, but regardless of suit, and pass the draw obligation on to the next player. Note: The 2 and the Joker cannot be combined. The sequence continues until a player can no longer play and must pick up the sum of the cards. If a Joker has been played, a card of any suit and rank can be placed on top of it.


If a skip card (Jack) is played, the following player is not allowed to take any action. Their turn is skipped and the player after them continues. Skip cards cannot be stacked, and the effect cannot be passed on.

 

If a player cannot play, they must pick up a card from the deck. In 8 Américain, the player may still play after the draw. However, if they still cannot play, their turn is skipped. Once the deck is empty, the discard pile is reshuffled except for the top card and placed again as drawing deck.



Round End and Winning


When playing the penultimate card, the player must announce that they have only one card left in hand by knocking on the table. If a player fails to do so, they must draw four cards as a penalty.

 

The round ends when someone has played all their cards in hand. However, the last card must not be a special card (e.g., a wish or skip card). The values of all cards remaining in the players' hands are totaled and noted down. For more information on card values, see “Crazy Eights: How does the scoring work for the different rule sets (101, 8 Américain, Crazy Eights, Mau-Mau)?

 

The game ends when a player reaches the target score of 100 points first. The player with the lowest score wins.