Some card games are built to be picked up in minutes yet stay fun round after round. DOS, the number-matching game Mattel released in 2018 as a follow-up to UNO, is one of them. It uses the same idea of coloured, numbered cards and a race to empty your hand, but swaps in two central piles and a heavy focus on matching numbers. The result plays quite differently from UNO once you get going. Learn more about NZ agencies.
What Is the DOS Card Game?
DOS is a shedding-type card game, which simply means the goal is to be the first player to get rid of every card in your hand. Where UNO uses a single discard pile, DOS keeps a Centre Row of at least two face-up cards, so on each turn you choose which pile to play against. The game’s name is a nod to that idea: two piles, and you shout “DOS!” (Spanish for “two”) the moment you are down to two cards in hand. Points are scored by the player who empties their hand first, based on the cards their opponents are still holding.
Quick Facts
| Game | DOS |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Mattel |
| First released | 2018 (DOS Second Edition, 2022) |
| Players | 2–4 |
| Recommended age | 7+ |
| Deck size | 108 cards |
| Game type | Shedding / number-matching card game |
| Winning score | First to 200 points |
DOS vs. UNO: Key Differences
At a glance DOS and UNO look like siblings, but a few rules change the feel of play. UNO builds on a single pile and lets you match by colour, number or symbol. DOS builds on two (or more) piles and rewards matching by number, either with a single card or by combining two cards from your hand that add up to a Centre Row number. DOS also drops UNO’s aggressive “Draw Two” and “Skip” attacks; instead, it hands out bonuses when the colours of your cards line up too. If you already know UNO’s official rules, the table below shows where DOS diverges.
DOS vs UNO
| Feature | DOS | UNO |
|---|---|---|
| Central piles | Centre Row of two or more cards | Single discard pile |
| Main way to match | By number (single or two cards summed) | By colour, number or symbol |
| Colour role | Triggers bonus cards and forced draws | A primary way to match |
| Attack cards | None (no Skip / Draw Two / Reverse) | Skip, Reverse, Draw Two, Wild Draw Four |
| Call-out | Say “DOS” at two cards | Say “UNO” at one card |
| Special cards | Wild DOS (counts as 2), Wild # | Wild, Wild Draw Four |
Components & Setup
A DOS deck contains 108 cards in four colours (blue, green, red and yellow). It is worth knowing that DOS does not print a number 2 on any coloured card. Each colour has:
- Three cards each of the numbers 1, 3, 4 and 5;
- Two cards each of the numbers 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10;
- Two Wild # cards (a wild-number card, explained below).
On top of those coloured cards, the deck adds 12 Wild DOS cards, which is where the value 2 lives. To set up, shuffle and deal seven cards to each player. Place the rest face down as the draw pile, then flip the top two cards face up between the players to start the Centre Row. Play then moves clockwise around the table.
Turn Order and Matching Rules
On your turn you try to match at least one Centre Row card. You can match by number and ignore colour for a basic play. There are two ways to do it:
- Single match: play one card equal in number to a Centre Row card — a 7 on a 7, for example.
- Double match: play two cards from your hand that add up to a Centre Row card — a 5 and a 3 together onto an 8.
After playing, refill the Centre Row from the draw pile so it always shows at least two cards. If you cannot or choose not to make any match, you draw one card and then add one card from your hand face up to the Centre Row, which can make the row grow beyond two piles for the next player.
Scoring and How to Win
When a player empties their hand, the round ends and that player scores the value of every card left in the other players’ hands. Values are:
- Number cards: face value (a 7 is worth 7 points);
- Wild DOS: 20 points each;
- Wild #: 40 points each.
The first player to reach 200 points or more across rounds wins the game. Groups who want a shorter session sometimes agree to play a fixed number of rounds and count round wins instead, in the same spirit as tracking how scoring works in UNO.
Wilds and Special Cards Explained
DOS has just two special cards, and both are easy to misread, so here is what each one actually does:
- Wild DOS card: always counts as the number 2. When you play it, you choose its colour — you do not choose a different number. It is worth 20 points if caught in your hand at the end of a round.
- Wild # card: keeps its printed colour but lets you choose its number. You must announce that number as you play it so everyone can match against it. It is worth 40 points.
Unlike UNO, there are no “Draw Two,” “Skip” or “Reverse” cards in DOS. The pressure comes from the colour-match bonuses instead.
Colour-Match Bonuses
Matching only by number is the baseline. DOS rewards you for lining up the colour as well, and this is where the real strategy sits:
- Single colour match: if your single card matches a Centre Row card in both number and colour, you get to add one extra card from your hand face up to the Centre Row — effectively shedding a bonus card.
- Double colour match: if both cards in a two-card match share the colour of the Centre Row card, you add a bonus card and every other player must draw a card from the pile.
Chasing colour matches lets you dump cards faster and pile pressure on opponents, so strong players plan their hands around them rather than around raw number matching.
Player Counts, Editions and Variants
DOS is designed for 2 to 4 players and recommended for ages 7 and up. With two players the game is quick and tactical but has less of the multi-way tension you get with a full table. Team play (partners sitting opposite each other) adds a cooperative layer, letting partners set up matches for one another. Mattel also sells a DOS Second Edition (2022) with a refreshed, colour-blind-accessible deck, but the core rules are the same. As with UNO, many households layer on their own different house rules — and you can adapt ideas from a good set of UNO house rules for casual games at home.
Beginner Strategies
New players do best by prioritising colour matches whenever they can, since the bonus cards and forced draws add up quickly. Try to keep a balance of colours and numbers in hand so you are not left holding only high cards that are hard to place. Watching the Centre Row and thinking about which numbers are likely to appear next also helps you hold the right combinations.
Advanced Tactics
Experienced players plan two or three turns ahead, holding specific numbers so they can complete double matches and shed several cards at once. Because DOS has no “take that” attack cards, the edge comes from precision and timing rather than punishment. Casual table talk can nudge opponents into leaving the numbers you need in the Centre Row, adding a light social-bluffing element.
Playing DOS Digitally
DOS is sold primarily as a physical card game. Unlike UNO, which has official mobile apps such as UNO! and UNO Wonder from Mattel163, there is no widely available official standalone DOS app, so the most reliable way to play remains a physical deck at the table. If you enjoy the two-pile, number-matching style, similar shedding games worth a look include Skip-Bo and, for smaller groups, other card games for two players.
Sources
Vanliga frågor (FAQ)
Is DOS the official sequel to UNO?
Yes. Mattel released DOS as a direct follow-up to UNO, marketed as being “from the makers of UNO.” It is designed as a companion game rather than a replacement, so the two sit side by side.
Can I play DOS with a regular UNO deck?
Not properly. DOS relies on its own deck, including the Wild DOS and Wild # cards and a number spread that has no printed 2, so a standard UNO deck cannot reproduce the rules. You need an actual DOS deck to play the game as intended.
How many players can play DOS, and what age is it for?
DOS is built for 2 to 4 players and recommended for ages 7 and up, which keeps it accessible for families and casual groups. Some households house-rule larger tables, but the printed rules cap it at four.
What number is the Wild DOS card?
The Wild DOS card always counts as the number 2. When you play it you pick its colour, not its number, and it is worth 20 points if it is still in your hand when a round ends.
Is there an official DOS app or online version?
There is no widely available official standalone DOS app. Mattel’s digital efforts focus on UNO, so DOS is best played with a physical deck at the table.
