Games / Game Reviews

Review: Uno

By Sean Booker
September 7, 2016 - 12:45

Uno is a great version of the card game that only lacks in the social options when online. The game is pretty simple and replicating it once again was a worthwhile task. Various house rules let you play almost any version of Uno while new options add some freshness. The gameplay can get a bit slow and a lack of streamlining is depressing. The biggest issues are the barely existent communications methods when playing online. It doesn’t break the mold but Uno delivers the card game you’re used to.

If you’re looking for a standard version of Uno then this checks the box. The ease of play makes this a relaxing and enjoyable experience. Different decks, online play, and a new 2vs2 mode are present in this version. The house rules you have at your disposal are quite expansive. Instead of the default rules, you can customise how you play and make variations. I was able to put together the rules I grew up with. There are even some new rules I hadn’t experienced before that definitely changed things up a bunch. As far as the core game is concerned, this is a great version.

There are two grievances to have with Uno and the first is how slow it plays. Moving from player to player takes a bit longer than ideal and going through the animations that special cards trigger is tedious. There’s no need to show me the skip-a-turn card, an arrow showing who is getting skipped, followed by an animation about how my turn is being skipped. Along with this, it would have been cool if there was some form of a one handed mode. The right analog stick isn’t used for anything and mapping controls to that would have been a cool feature (a lot of the controller isn't used in fact). These are small annoyances that could have really polished up the product.



The major problem that this version of Uno suffers from is the online social features. There’s a history with this franchise’s video games regarding wacky video interactions. The old Xbox 360 version basically put the Xbox Live Vision Camera on the map. This version only lets you voice chat and use the camera if you’re playing with someone on your friends list. You can’t even chat with the player on your team during a 2vs2 game. I understand the reason to limit it but offering it as a choice would have been more user friendly. It’s a huge letdown that could have easily been rectified with the option to switch it to being more open.



If you have played Uno then you know what this game is. It doesn’t rework the formula but does add some cool, new house rules. These and the addition of a 2vs2 mode bring enough fresh air to the game that it feels like a meaningful update. Speeding up the animations and adding some simple user interface options could have really helped it out. The lack of more social options is the biggest let down since this is a game about messing with your opponents. Uno does what it needs to and no more.

Rating: 8 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12