The complete FeltSavvy starter rules
Setup
- Use one standard 52-card deck with no jokers.
- Two to four players. In FeltSavvy you play against one, two or three computer opponents.
- With two players, deal seven cards each. With three or four players, deal five cards each.
- The rest form the face-down stock. Turn one card face up to start the discard pile; the starting card is never an eight.
Matching a card
On your turn, play one card that matches the current suit or the rank of the top discard. An eight can be played on anything.
Example: the pile shows the 7 of hearts. You may play any heart, any seven, or any eight.
Wild eights change the suit
When you play an eight, choose the next suit. If you play an eight and choose clubs, the next player must play a club or another eight. Hearts no longer match, even though the card underneath was a heart.
Choose a suit you hold several cards of, so your next turn is easier.
Drawing one card
- Instead of playing, you may draw one card from the stock — even if you already hold a playable card.
- Only the card you just drew may be played on that turn. Play it if it matches, or keep it and end your turn.
- If the drawn card cannot be played, your turn passes automatically. You never keep drawing until you can play.
- When the stock runs out, the discards are shuffled back into a new stock. The top card and current suit stay where they are.
Worked example. The pile shows the 7 of hearts and you choose to draw.
Winning the round
- The first player to empty their hand wins immediately.
- You may finish on an eight. A final eight wins at once with no suit to choose.
- “Last card” is announced automatically when a player has one card left. There is no penalty for forgetting to say it and no timer.
- There are no special skip, reverse, draw-two or stacking cards. Only eights have a power.
Blocked rounds and card penalties
If there is nothing left to draw and you have no match, you pass. When every player passes in a full circuit, the round is blocked. Each player adds up the penalty for the cards still in hand; the lowest total wins, and equal lowest totals share the win.
| Card | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Eight | 50 |
| Jack, Queen or King | 10 |
| Ace | 1 |
| 2 to 10 (except 8) | Face value |
These values only decide a blocked round. They are not XP and there is no target score to reach across rounds.
Example: a hand of 8, King and 3 counts 50 + 10 + 3 = 63.
Simple strategy
These habits help, but the shuffle still matters and nothing guarantees a win.
- Save your eights. An eight can rescue a turn when nothing else matches, so play ordinary matches first when you can.
- Play toward your longest suit. Matching by rank to switch into a suit you hold many of keeps future turns open.
- Watch opponents’ card counts. When someone is close to finishing, changing the suit away from what they just played can slow them down.
- Shed high-penalty cards. If a blocked round looks likely, getting rid of eights and picture cards lowers your total.
Quick questions
- How many cards does each player get?
- Seven each with two players; five each with three or four players.
- Can you finish on an eight?
- Yes. In these rules a final eight wins immediately, with no suit choice.
- Draw until you can play, or draw one?
- Some house rules make you keep drawing. FeltSavvy uses draw one: you draw a single card, then play that card or keep it.
- Can two people play?
- Yes. In FeltSavvy a two-player game is you against one computer opponent, with seven cards each. With a physical deck, two people can play the same way.
- How is it different from UNO?
- Crazy Eights uses an ordinary deck, and in these rules only eights are special. There are no skip, reverse or draw-two cards.