How about having a blast playing UNO Blast? Discover this original take on the popular UNO game. Learn complete UNO Blast rules from my step-by-step guide.
UNO Blast is yet another version of UNO (see our classic UNO rules), a popular card-matching game for the entire family.
As the name suggests, UNO Blast is dynamic – almost explosive, thanks to the included “blasting” device blowing the cards up in the air without warning.
Thanks to this feature, the game reminds me of UNO Attack (check our UNO Attack rules to see what I mean). It makes the original game faster, funnier, and full of twists.
This UNO Blast rules guide will cover the following:
- What is UNO Blast?
- What you’ll need to play UNO Blast
- UNO Blast rules
- How to play UNO Blast (video tutorial)
- FAQs
- Other similar games to UNO Blast (our guides)
If you want to know how to play UNO Blast, read on for complete step-by-step instructions.
What is UNO Blast?
Match your cards to discard them, and don’t forget the “magic word” when you’re holding your last. But be aware of the card-blasting monster that can get in your way!
UNO Blast is a simple, dynamic, and unpredictable game for all ages.
Number of Players: 2 – 6 players
Ages: 7+
Difficulty: Easy
Length of Play: 20 – 60 minutes
Category: Matching card game
Similar to: UNO classic, UNO Attack, UNO Showdown
Main Objective: Get rid of all your cards and earn 500 points before your opponents.
Why We Love It: UNO Blast improves the original UNO game with the element of unpredictability that can turn the course of the game around at any moment.
What You’ll Need to Play UNO Blast
You will need the original UNO Blast game set to play this game. The set contains:
- 110 UNO Cards
- 1 Card Blaster
Note that the Card Blaster is powered by 3 AA alkaline batteries which are not included in the package. You will also need a screwdriver to open the battery compartment.
UNO Blast Rules and Gameplay
UNO Blast is very similar to classic UNO, so if you’re already familiar with this game, you will undoubtedly master Blast quickly.
Let’s first focus on the main differences between the Classic and Blast games:
Special Cards
Like all UNO games, Blast contains a range of special cards with various functions. Some of them are identical to the classic game; others are new.
Draw One – When you play this card, the next player must draw a single card from the down-facing Draw pile and put it into the Blaster.
Discard Color – When you play this card, you can immediately discard all your cards of the same color. Place them on top of the Discard pile.
Reverse – You probably know this card from the classic UNO already. It reverses the direction of the gameplay.
Skip – The next player loses their turn.
Wild – Change the color of the play to a color of your choice.
Wild Blast – The next player must draw as many cards as needed to trigger the Card Blaster’s “explosion.” Then they pick them up and keep them in their hands.
Related: What does shuffle hands mean in UNO
Card Blaster
The most important element of the UNO Blast game set is the Card Blaster, a colorful plastic device you will use whenever someone has to draw a card.
How does it work? The device has four identical card slots. When you can’t (or choose not to) play during your turn, you draw a card from the draw pile and insert it into one of them.
You can choose any of the empty slots. One of them triggers the ejection of all the cards, but the trick is that you never know which one it is.
- Did the card stay in its place? Great! The next player is on a turn, and you are spared from taking the card.
- Did you trigger the card blast? Ouch! Now you must pick all the ejected cards and keep them in your hand.
Starting the Game
Now that you’re familiar with the game’s most important elements, let’s focus on the gameplay.
First, choose a dealer (we usually start with the oldest player, and then the role passes from player to player in a clockwise direction).
The dealer shuffles the entire deck and deals seven cards to each player.
Place the remaining deck face down on the table as your draw pile. Flip the top card and place it next to it as your discard pile.
If you flip some of the special cards first (see the list above), return them to the deck and draw a new card.
How to Play UNO Blast
This is how you proceed with the game:
- Players take turns starting with the one to the left of the dealer.
- Their task is to match one of their cards (by color, number, or symbol in the case of special cards) with the top card on the discard pile.
- If you don’t have a matching card to play (or an action card that could be used), draw one card from the draw pile and use the Card Blaster (see above).
- Each player aims to get rid of their cards as fast as possible.
- Once they’re down to one last card, they cannot forget to call “UNO!” aloud. Otherwise, they must draw two more cards and continue playing.
- If you run out of your draw pile, shuffle your discard pile and use it instead.
UNO Blast Scoring
The round ends when one of the players discards their last card. Then you will count their score by adding up all the cards still in the hands of their opponents:
- Any numbered card: Face value
- Draw One/Discard Color/Reverse/Skip: 20 points
- Wild/Wild Blast: 50 points
Continue playing until one of the players collects 500 points and becomes a winner.
How to Play UNO Blast – Video Tutorial
UNO Blast Frequently Asked Questions
When did UNO Blast come out?
UNO Blast was first introduced in 2012.
Does the UNO Blast unit beep when it blasts the cards out?
If you’re asking if there’s any sound indicating that you’ve triggered the Blaster, the answer is no. Still, the device is a bit noisy and even vibrates when it shoots out the cards.
Why does the UNO Blast unit turn off on its own?
To save energy, UNO Card Blaster goes into sleep mode after three minutes of inactivity. When this happens, press the Reset button to activate the device again.
Other Similar Games to UNO Blast (Our Guides)
Do you enjoy this original card game? Before you go, check out our guides to the following UNO Blast alternatives:
- Classic UNO rules
- UNO Spin rules
- UNO Attack rules
- Spicy UNO rules
- UNO Showdown rules
- UNO Stacko rules
- UNO Triple Play rules (guide coming soon)
- UNO Power Grab (guide coming soon)
