Four Colours is a fast, easy-to-learn card game that has become a favourite for family nights, road trips and social get-togethers across New Zealand. It borrows its look and feel from UNO: a colourful deck, quick turns and a handful of special cards that let you disrupt the player next to you. Because it is a generic, unbranded version of that formula, you will find it sold under many names and bundled into countless free apps.
The aim could not be simpler: be the first player to get rid of every card in your hand. Below you will find a plain-English walkthrough of the setup, the cards, the turn order and a few tactics that give experienced players the edge, plus an honest look at how Four Colours compares with UNO and other shedding games.
Quick Facts
| Game type | Colour-and-number matching (shedding) card game |
| Players | 2–4 (more with combined decks) |
| Deck size | ~108–112 cards in four colours |
| Colours | Red, green, blue, yellow |
| Goal | Be first to discard all your cards |
| Age range | Roughly 7+ (easy for beginners) |
| Average round | About 10–20 minutes |
| Similar to | UNO, Crazy Eights, Dos |
What Is the Four Colours Card Game?
Four Colours is a “shedding” card game, meaning your only objective is to empty your hand before anyone else. It is usually played by 2 to 4 players, though you can combine two decks to seat larger groups. Play uses a deck of roughly 108 to 112 cards split into four colours — red, green, blue and yellow — plus a set of action and wild cards.
On each turn you play a card that matches either the colour or the number of the card on top of the discard pile. If you cannot (or choose not to) match, you draw from the pile instead. The rules are simple enough for children to pick up in a couple of rounds, but the timing of your special cards adds genuine tactical depth.
It is worth being clear about one thing: “Four Colours” is not an official branded product. It is a common label for UNO-style knock-off decks and browser games. The wording on the box, the exact card mix and the scoring can differ from one edition to the next, so always read the leaflet that comes with your particular set.
How to Play Four Colours
Getting a game going takes less than a minute, and everything you need is in the box.
Setting Up the Game
Shuffle the deck and deal seven cards to each player. Place the rest face down in the centre to form the draw pile, then turn the top card over beside it to start the discard pile. The player to the dealer’s left normally goes first, and play usually moves clockwise — but check the rules that came with your deck, as house variations are common.
Taking a Turn
- Match a card: Look for a card in your hand that matches the colour or the number of the top discard. For example, on a red 6 you could play any red card or any colour’s 6.
- Or play a wild: A wild card can be played at any time and lets you name the colour that must be matched next.
- Or draw: If you have no legal play, draw one card from the pile. If it can be played, you may play it straight away; otherwise your turn ends.
- Call your last card: When you are down to a single card, announce it out loud (many editions use the same “one card left” call as UNO). Forget, and you typically draw two penalty cards.
Play continues around the table until one person sheds their final card and wins the round. If you enjoy the way turn order can be flipped and skipped, our guide to the UNO Reverse card explains the same mechanic in more detail.
The Cards in a Four Colours Deck
A Four Colours deck is built to balance steady, tactical play with sudden swings of momentum. Knowing what each group of cards does is the first step to winning.
Number Cards
Number cards are the bulk of the deck. Each of the four colours runs from 0 to 9, and these are the cards you will play most often to keep matching the discard pile. Holding a spread of numbers across different colours keeps your options open when the active colour changes.
Action Cards
Action cards are what give the game its bite. The exact set varies by edition, but most decks include familiar effects:
- Skip: the next player misses their turn.
- Reverse: the direction of play flips.
- Draw Two: the next player picks up two cards and forfeits their turn.
Each action card must still match the colour it is played on (or be played on top of the same action), so they double as ordinary matching cards when you need them to.
Wild Cards
Wild cards are the most powerful in the deck. A plain Wild lets you choose the next colour, while a Wild Draw Four both changes the colour and forces the next player to draw four cards. Because a wild can be played on any turn, it is your escape hatch when you are stuck with the wrong colours — but it is often smarter to save it for a decisive moment rather than spend it early.
Strategy Tips for Winning
Success in Four Colours is less about the cards you are dealt and more about when you play them.
Timing Your Action Cards
Beginners tend to dump their Skip, Reverse and Draw cards as soon as they can. A stronger approach is to hold them until an opponent is close to going out, then use them to stall that player and buy yourself the turns you need to finish first.
Managing Your Hand
Try to keep at least two or three colours live in your hand. If you are down to a single colour, one wild card from an opponent can leave you unable to play at all. Balance matters too: too many action cards and you may struggle to match plain numbers; too many numbers and you have no way to fight back when the game turns against you. For deeper reading on that decision-making, sites such as casino-apps.nz cover strategic card play more broadly.
Four Colours vs UNO and Similar Card Games
Four Colours sits in a large family of colour-and-number matching games. The premise is close to UNO, but there are small differences in the card mix and scoring from one edition to the next, and each relative below has its own twist. The table compares the essentials at a glance.
Comparison
| Game | Players | Deck | Core goal | Extra twist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four Colours | 2–4 | ~108–112 cards | Empty your hand | Generic UNO-style deck; rules vary by edition |
| UNO | 2–10 | 108–112 cards | Empty your hand | Official branded rules and scoring |
| Crazy Eights | 2–7 | Standard 52-card deck | Empty your hand | Eights are wild; no printed action cards |
| Phase 10 | 2–6 | 108 cards | Complete 10 set phases | Rummy-style sets and runs over many rounds |
| Skip-Bo | 2–6 | 162 cards | Clear your stock pile | Build sequential 1–12 stacks |
Playing Four Colours Online
You do not need a physical deck to play. Several browser games recreate the format for free — the well-known “4 Colors” and “Four Colors” titles on sites such as CrazyGames and FreeGames.org let you play against the computer or other players with no download or sign-up. If you would rather stick with the original, you can also play a UNO-style game online. These digital versions are a handy way to learn the flow before you sit down at the table.
A Brief History of the UNO-Style Format
Games like Four Colours all trace back to UNO, which was invented by barber Merle Robbins in Ohio in 1971 after an argument with his son over the rules of Crazy Eights. Robbins and his family funded the first 5,000 decks themselves, and the game went on to become one of the best-selling card games in the world. A standard UNO deck holds 108 cards, split across the same four colours plus Skip, Reverse, Draw Two and wild cards; sets made since 2018 add a few extra wilds for 112 cards in total. That runaway success is exactly why so many affordable, UNO-inspired decks — Four Colours among them — exist today.
Sources
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How many cards are in a Four Colours deck?
Most Four Colours decks contain around 108 to 112 cards: the four colour-coded number sets plus a mix of action and wild cards. The exact count varies by edition, so check the deck you own.
How many people can play Four Colours?
The game is built for 2 to 4 players. Combine two decks and you can comfortably seat larger groups for parties or family gatherings.
Are the rules the same as UNO?
They are very close. Both are shedding games where you match colour or number and race to empty your hand. Minor differences can appear in the number of action cards or how wild cards are scored, so read the rules included with your set.
What is the goal of Four Colours?
The goal is to be the first player to get rid of every card in your hand. Some editions also add a points system across several rounds, with the lowest total winning overall.
Can I play Four Colours online?
Yes. Free browser versions such as “4 Colors” and “Four Colors” let you play against the computer or other players in real time, with no download required.
