Crazy Eights is the classic shedding card game, free to play online against a computer opponent called Otto — no download, no account, no waiting for a fourth player. You each start with seven cards. On your turn, play a card that matches the suit or the rank of the top of the discard pile, or drop any eight as a wild card and name the suit everyone must follow next. Stuck? Draw from the stock until something fits. The first player to run out of cards ends the hand and scores whatever the other player is still holding — 50 for an eight, 10 for a face card, 1 for an ace. Matches run to a target score that grows from 50 up to 300 across 12 levels while Otto learns to hoard his eights and steer the suit away from you.
How to play Crazy Eights
- You and Otto are each dealt seven cards, and one card is turned face up to start the discard pile.
- On your turn, tap any card in your hand that matches the suit or the rank of the top discard — a red seven can follow any other seven, or any other heart.
- Any eight is wild and can be played on anything. After you play one, pick the suit that the next card must follow.
- If nothing in your hand fits, tap the stock pile to draw. Keep drawing until you get a playable card; if the stock runs out and you still cannot play, tapping it passes the turn.
- The first player to play their last card ends the hand and scores the cards still in the loser's hand: 50 for an eight, 10 for a king, queen or jack, 1 for an ace, and face value for everything else.
- Hands keep dealing until one player reaches the level target — 50 points on level 1, up to 300 on level 12. Win a match to unlock the next level.
Tips
- Do not spend an eight just because you can. It is the only card that always plays, so it is worth far more as an escape hatch later — and it costs you 50 points if you are still holding it when the hand ends.
- Watch the suit Otto keeps steering back to. If he names hearts every time he plays an eight, he is loaded with hearts, and dumping your own hearts early stops him from stranding you.
- When Otto is down to one or two cards, break the suit he is following even if it costs you a good card. Handing him one more turn on his favourite suit usually ends the hand.
- Shed kings, queens and jacks before low cards. If the hand ends badly, ten-point cards are what actually swing the score.
- Holding two cards of the same rank is a free suit change without burning an eight — play one, and next turn the other lets you switch suit on top of it.
FAQ
Is Crazy Eights free to play online?
Yes. Crazy Eights runs entirely in your browser with no download, no account, and no in-game purchases. Your level progress is saved on your own device.
How many cards do you deal in two-player Crazy Eights?
Seven each. That is the standard deal for a two-handed game; tables of three or more usually deal five. The rest of the deck becomes the stock, with one card turned up to start the discard pile.
What happens when the draw pile runs out?
You simply stop drawing. If you cannot play and the stock is empty, your turn passes. If neither player can move, the hand is blocked — whoever holds the lower total scores the difference.
Why is an eight worth 50 points?
Because it is the most powerful card in the game. Eights play on anything and let you rename the suit, so the scoring penalty is what stops players from simply sitting on all four of them until the end of the hand.
Can I play Crazy Eights on my phone?
Yes. The whole game is tap-driven — tap a card to play it, tap the stock to draw — and the layout reflows for portrait phone screens as well as desktop.