Phase 10 is a well known card game. If you are looking to know about its rules, how to play, FAQs about the game, you will find them in detail in this guide.
Let’s get started!
What is Phase 10, and the Game’s Objective?
Phase 10 is a popular card game. Usually, it is played by 2-6 players. The ideal objective of the game is to complete 10 game phases. Each round is played at a time.
The player’s score at the end of each game round is added up at the end to give a cumulative score. It also depends on the type and number of cards left with the player at the end. The player with the lowest score at the end of the game wins.
If a player does not complete the phase in any one round, they must repeat it in the next round. It is a card game from the makers of Uno – Mattel.
Phase 10 resembles Uno in some perspectives. Unlike Uno, the target is to get rid of all the cards at the earliest and complete all 10 phases. The secondary objective of each phase is to discard the cards at hand. To know more about Official UNO Rules, you can check these guides.
Things to Know Before Playing Phase 10
What Does Phase Mean?
Phase means a typical card combination in the Phase 10 game. In every round of the game, the player is dealt 10 cards. When the player completes their phase, their objective is to discard their cards.
The first player to complete the discarding of cards wins the game. There are 10 phases in this particular card game.
What are the Phase 10 Phases?
The Phases are as follows:
- Phase 1: 2 sets of 3
- Phase 2: 1 set of 3 + 1 run of 4
- Phase 3: 1 set of 4 + 1 run of 4
- Phase 4: 1 run of 7
- Phase 5: 1 run of 8
- Phase 6: 1 run of 9
- Phase 7: 2 sets of 4
- Phase 8: 7 cards of one color
- Phase 9: 1 set of 5 + 1 set of 2
- Phase 10: 1 run of 5 + 1 set of 3
How many Cards are there in the Phase 10 Deck?
There are a total of 108 cards in the Phase 10 Card Deck.
How many Players can play the Game?
2-6 Players can play the Phase 10 Card Game.
How many cards does each player get Playing Phase 10?
At the start of the game, each player gets 10 cards of Phase 10.
Age Group that can play Phase 10
Phase 10 games can be played by ages 7 and above, as Mattel recommends.
Phase 10 Cards
| Card Type | Number of Cards |
| Red Cards | 24 |
| Yellow Cards | 24 |
| Green Cards | 24 |
| Blue Cards | 24 |
| Skip Cards | 4 |
| Wild Cards | 8 |
| Total Cards | 108 |
Phase 10 Rules
Wild Cards
Wild card is truly a lifesaver. This one is one of the most powerful cards that can influence the Phase 10 game.
Wild cards can replace any card in the phase 10 game, even if it is not of the same color or number. You can play down as many wild cards as you want on your turn.
But the rule is that with wild cards, you must have a single standard (nonwild) card to lay down while forming the phase.
Skip Cards
Skip card enables the player to force someone to lose their turn or skip their turn for one round. When you discord the skip card or play it down, you can choose a player to lose their turn.
Skip cards can only be drawn from the draw pile and never from the discard pile. If the skip card is turned up at the game’s beginning, the first player to start the game will lose their turn.
Set
A set in the phase 10 game is defined as a combination of two or more cards with the same number.
Runs
A run in this game is defined as four or more sequentially numbered cards
All One Color
This is also called a group of one color. It is simply defined as a deck of cards where all the cards are of the same color, as the term describes.
Making a Phase
Making a phase means forming a combination of cards with the ones in your hand to form a sequential phase that you can lay down. If you can form the right set,
Hitting
Hitting is the process of getting rid of all the leftover cards at hand after you have formed the phases.
Hitting can also be done by putting the card over the already laid down phase.
How to Play Phase 10?
Setting Up the Game
The deck of cards for phase 10 consists of cards in the numeric order 1 – 12.
The deck has four colors – Red, Yellow, Green, and Blue.
There are 2 cards of each number in the deck.
There are 4 skip cards and 8 wild cards. The game consists of a total of 10 phases in order. The game will be initiated when you have the players settled in one place.
At the beginning of the game, players can order their cards in any way they like according to convenience. After choosing, the remaining cards will be in the face-down position.
Playing The Game
During their turn, each player will draw one card. Players can either draw any one of the face-down cards or draw any face-up card. When the turn ends, they must discard a card to the draw pile. This is the usual way in which the game will continue.
Phase 10 Rules Points
Any card with a numeric value of 1-9 will be worth 5 points each. Any card with a numeric value of 10 – 12 is worth 10 points each. Wild cards and skip cards are worth 25 points each. The card color has zero impact on the card points.
Finishing Phase 10
Each player’s target must be to have the lowest score at the end of the game. Once any player has completed all 10 phases, one final scoring round is noted. The scores from all the previous game rounds are now added up, and the person with the lowest score wins.
How to Play Phase 10 Online?
There are several interfaces where you can play the Phase 10 cards online. Click and drag the cards in the middle of the screen. Then keep on completing the phases.
For any help or clue, you can always click on the question mark at the corner of the screen to get help regarding what you should do. When the player completes all the cards, they will win the game.
Frequently asked Questions on Phase 10
Can you pick up the whole discard pile in Phase 10?
Yes. You can pick up the whole discard pile with relevant rules. You must understand the Hitting rules before picking up from the discard pile.
Can you Play Phase 10 Online?
Yes. You can play phase 10 online.
Can you Play the Phase 10 Game With Dice?
Yes. Sometimes the players can also use dice instead of cards. It is not a very popular version, but you can play the game with dice.
Is Phase 10 a Skill or Luck Game?
Yes. It is a skill game. The more you practice, the better you get at it, also the more you explore
Is Phase 10 the same as Uno?
No. Phase 10 and Uno are from the same manufacturers but not the same. There are significant differences between both games.
Conclusion With Tips to Play Phase 10
Let’s conclude the post on Phase 10 rules!
Here are few Tips to Play Phase 10:
- Know the rules well. Rules with skip cards or wild cards are not conventional ones. So, you have to understand the rules well.
- Don’t rush. Unnecessary haste can get you into bad situations.
- Always have an eye on how the others are playing.
I hope you got a good detailed insight on the game reading this post. Thanks for reading.
Reference: Official Mattel Documentation, https://service.mattel.com//instruction_sheets/FBN53-Eng.pdf
