Buy Skip-Bo if you mostly play with two people. Buy Phase 10 if you want one game for a mixed-age family table. Buy Uno if you need to seat seven to ten or want rounds that end in minutes. We rate Skip-Bo 5/5 Pandas, Phase 10 4/5 and Uno 2/5.
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All three are Mattel card games built on numbered cards, and all three are rated for ages 7 and up. They play nothing alike. Skip-Bo is the oldest of the three: it has been sold since 1967, according to Wikipedia’s Skip-Bo entry.
| Skip-Bo | Phase 10 | Uno | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Created | 1967, Hazel “Skip” Bowman | 1982, Kenneth Johnson | 1971, Merle Robbins |
| Cards | 162 | 108 | 112 |
| Players | 2–6 | 2–6 | 2–10 |
| Age | 7+ | 7+ | 7+ |
| Goal | Empty your stock pile | Complete 10 phases in order | Empty your hand; first to 500 points |
| Hand size | 5 cards | 10 cards | 7 cards |
| Type of game | Sequencing race | Rummy | Matching |
| Play time on BoardGameGeek | 20 min | 45 min | 30 min |
| Our Bamboo rating (easy to learn) | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| Our Pandas rating (fun) | 5/5 | 4/5 | 2/5 |
Card counts and player counts come from Mattel’s rule sheets for Skip-Bo, Phase 10 and Uno.
How the Three Games Actually Differ
Each game asks you to do a different thing with your cards. In Uno you get rid of them. In Phase 10 you collect them. In Skip-Bo you put them in order.
An Uno turn is a match: play a card that shares a color or number with the top of the pile, or draw. A Phase 10 turn is rummy: draw, keep what builds your sets and runs, discard the rest.
A Skip-Bo turn is a chain. You draw up to five cards, then play as many as you can onto shared piles that count from 1 to 12. The goal is to reach the face-up card on your own stock pile and play it.
Skip-Bo is the only one of the three where colors mean nothing. The rule sheet never mentions them. Only the number counts.
Check Skip-Bo price on Amazon →
Which Is Easiest to Learn?
“Is Skip-Bo harder than Uno?” A little. Uno is the easiest of the three, Phase 10 is next, and Skip-Bo takes the longest to explain.
Uno has one pile and one rule: match the color or the number. Most people already know it. Phase 10 adds sets and runs, and the ten phases are printed on a reference card.
Skip-Bo has four kinds of piles: your stock pile, the draw pile, the shared building piles and your own discard piles. That’s why we give it 4/5 Bamboo and the other two 5/5. Each pile has one simple rule, so it isn’t much to learn.
Which Is Best for Two Players?
Skip-Bo. We think it’s at its best with four, and it’s still a great two-person game. It’s easy as a two-person game, and it’s our cheap date night: get some ice cream and play Skip-Bo.
What changes at two in the other games: Uno’s Skip and Reverse cards both just give you another turn, and Phase 10’s Skip always hits the same person.
What changes at two in Skip-Bo: nothing in the rules. Each player still gets a 30-card stock pile, the same as at three or four, and every block lands on the one player you’re racing.
Our Skip-Bo 2-player guide has the setup. If you play as a pair most nights, our best 2-player games list has more options.
Which Is Best for Big Groups?
Uno wins on player count. Uno seats 2 to 10. Skip-Bo and Phase 10 both stop at 6.
Skip-Bo does have one thing the others don’t: an official partnership variant. Teammates can play from each other’s stock and discard piles, and a team wins when both of its stock piles are gone.
For a party of eight, Uno is the only one of the three that works out of the box.
Which Takes Longest?
Phase 10 is the longest. A full game is at least ten rounds, and players repeat any phase they miss.
Skip-Bo sits in the middle. BoardGameGeek lists it at 20 minutes, but a full game with 30-card stock piles can run longer. The rule sheet’s short game deals 10-card stock piles, and that version is quick.
A single Uno round is the shortest of the three. So if you have ten minutes, play Uno or short-game Skip-Bo. If you have an evening, play Phase 10.
Check Phase 10 price on Amazon →
So Which Should You Buy?
- Two players, most of the time: Skip-Bo.
- A family of three to six with mixed ages: Phase 10.
- Groups of seven to ten: Uno.
- Something small to pack for a trip: Skip-Bo or Phase 10. Both are just a deck of cards.
- Kids who are still learning numbers: Uno first, then Skip-Bo.
These three don’t replace each other, so owning more than one is reasonable.
For the full picture on each, read our Skip-Bo review, our Phase 10 review and our Uno review. We also compare the other two head to head in Phase 10 vs Uno.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Skip-Bo better than Phase 10?
For two players, yes. We rate Skip-Bo 5/5 Pandas and Phase 10 4/5. For a family table of four to six with mixed ages, Phase 10 is slightly easier to teach and just as good a buy.
Is Skip-Bo better than Uno?
We think so. We rate Skip-Bo 5/5 Pandas and Uno 2/5. Skip-Bo gives you more to decide each turn. Uno is the better choice only when you need to seat more than six players.
Are Skip-Bo and Uno made by the same company?
Yes. Mattel publishes Skip-Bo, Uno and Phase 10. Skip-Bo was created in 1967 by Hazel “Skip” Bowman, and Mattel has owned it since buying International Games in 1992.
Which has more cards, Skip-Bo or Uno?
Skip-Bo. It has 162 cards, against 112 for Uno and 108 for Phase 10. Skip-Bo needs the bigger deck because each player starts with a stock pile of 20 or 30 cards.
Can you play Skip-Bo with Uno cards?
Not well. Skip-Bo needs twelve copies each of the numbers 1 to 12 plus 18 wilds. An Uno deck only runs from 0 to 9 and has far fewer of each number.
Which is easiest for young kids?
Uno. Matching a color or a number is simpler than keeping track of Skip-Bo’s four kinds of piles. All three games are rated for ages 7 and up.