Wild Eights: empty your hand first

Wild Eights is a shedding game: the aim is to be the first to get rid of every card in your hand. You match the card on top of the pile by suit or by number, and eights are wild, so you can play one at any time and call a new suit. In Games by Zaweba you play against three computer players, and the game sits on the Cards shelf.

It is a cheerful, fast game, and an easy one to pick up if you played something similar as a child.

Playing a turn

On your turn, play a card that matches the top of the pile by suit or by rank. A five of clubs can go on any club, or on any five. If you cannot play, draw a card from the deck.

Eights are wild. You can play an eight at any time, whatever is on the pile, and when you do, you call the suit that the next player must follow.

The first player to empty their hand wins the hand.

Counting what is left in other hands

The player who goes out scores the cards left in everyone else's hands. Eights are worth 50, picture cards 10, aces 1, and the other cards their number. Hands continue, and the first player to reach 100 points wins the game.

That scoring has a sting. Being caught with an eight when someone else goes out gives them 50 points in one go, so wild cards are powerful but risky to hoard.

Playing and drawing with the mouse

Click a card to play it, and click the deck to draw. Everything happens with the mouse.

Ways to play smarter

Keep your eights for when you need them, but not for too long. An eight gets you out of trouble when you cannot match the pile, and calling a suit you hold plenty of sets you up for the next few turns. But since an eight left in your hand is worth 50 to whoever goes out, it is wise to use them before the end of a hand is in sight.

When you call a suit, call the one you hold most of. It sounds obvious, but in the moment it is easy to call the suit of the card you happen to be looking at.

Play your high-scoring cards when you can. Picture cards are worth 10 each to an opponent who goes out, so getting rid of them early limits the damage if a hand goes against you.

Watch the computer players. When one of them draws instead of playing, they could not match the pile, which tells you something about the suits they are short of. When one is down to a card or two, think about changing the suit with an eight to make life hard for them.

A good game for company

Wild Eights in Games by Zaweba is quick and easy to follow, which makes it a nice one to play with someone watching over your shoulder. Esc pauses the game, F1 brings back the rules, and your wins and best score are kept on the game's tile in the library. If you enjoy playing against a full table, Broken Hearts on the same shelf also puts you against three computer players, with a very different kind of challenge.