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Playing Uno this weekend, one of the players played a Wild+4 but chose the same color that was in play (this led to a successful challenge). I had thought that, regardless of what's in the player's hand, the player could not choose the same color after playing a Wild+4 - it had to change to one of the other 3 colors. A player could choose the same color after playing a regular Wild, though.

Looking at the rules, though, I did not see this restriction; only that the player playing the Wild+4 must not have any cards of the same color in play. Given that my Uno deck is a fairly recent version, I'm wondering if older versions did have that rule? Or maybe it was just a house rule. If so, is that a common house rule? Or maybe it just stemmed from the need to not have the current color in your hand...

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These rules appear to be from 2001, and these rules appear to be from 2003. Both sets of rules do not indicate any restrictions on the choice of colour after either wild.

The points from both rules about Wild Draw 4 are:

  • You play it and choose the colour to continue.
  • The next player draws 4 and misses their turn.
  • You can only play this if you don't have a card of the matching colour.
  • You can break the above rule.
  • The person drawing 4 may challenge you. If they win, the you draw 4 instead. If they lose, they draw an additional 2. (Note that they still miss their next turn)

Neither set of rules have any limitation on the colour choice.

For further reference, there's this question regarding the history of UNO rules. The 1983 rules found there follow the same draw 4 rules as the more recent rules printings.

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    The linked question, which has a link to the original rules (or at least, the rules from 1983) indicates no restriction on color choice either - and in fact, explicitly lists choosing the same color as an option. That's my answer! Guess I played wrong back in the day, or just remembered wrong!
    – mmathis
    Oct 11, 2016 at 18:37
  • @mmathis Right you are, I'll add that as a note to the answer :)
    – Samthere
    Oct 12, 2016 at 8:19
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The rule is you must not have any of the current color to be able to play the wild draw 4. If you chose the current color as the color for the wild, this implies you are choosing a color you don't have any cards in. You can do it, but it's very rarely a good idea unless you are trying to draw a challenge.

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    As far as I have seen in the rules, your second point is incorrect - you do not have to have a card of that color in your hand to choose it after a wild
    – mmathis
    Oct 11, 2016 at 15:19
  • @mmathis Good point. Updated
    – Zags
    Oct 11, 2016 at 18:29
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    I can see that strategy (choosing the same color) being used to prevent a player from playing his/her last card, while at the same time getting rid of 50 points from your own hand. It does beg a challenge though
    – mmathis
    Oct 11, 2016 at 18:32
  • It seems like deliberately drawing a challenge might be a strategy itself, for instance, to try to trick a player on the edge of going out into having to draw more cards. Of course once you've done that you might have opened up a levelling game where you know they know you know they know you are trying to draw a challenge...
    – Michael
    Feb 24, 2018 at 23:29
  • In a many player game it can be a very sensible tactic. If I'm down to my last two cards, a Wild Draw 4 and a card that can't be played, then by playing the Wild Draw 4 everyone knows my last card isn't the colour currently displayed. By choosing the colour that's currently down, I give no information away about the colour of my final card.
    – AndyT
    Aug 15, 2018 at 8:58
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As far as I know, the Wild+4 card has always had the restriction that you cannot play it if you could have played another card of the same color.

However, when I learned Uno, this restriction was true for both Wild and Wild+4, not just Wild+4.

They may have lifted the restriction on the normal Wild card at some point or we may have always played it wrong. In any case, you aren't alone in feeling like you learned it one way only to find the rules say something else.

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  • Doesn't answer the question.
    – AndyT
    Aug 15, 2018 at 8:55
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I think that you can place a wild card or wild+4 if u want to but have to change the colour. Otherwise the wild card is Just a pointless card.

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    This answer contradicts other answers and has no sources backing it up. Can you add something to back up this answer?
    – Joe W
    Aug 13, 2018 at 17:07

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