Card game guide
Color Matching Card Game: Points and Rules Explained
Key takeaways
- Everyone starts with seven cards; you match the top card by color or number.
- Number cards score their digit; Draw Two, Skip and Reverse score 20; Wild and Wild Draw Three score 50.
- A match is won at 250 points, and forgetting the 1 button with one card left costs two penalty cards.
- In one two-player test round the computer finished first and scored 84 points from our cards.
The most useful color matching card game tip is to know what each card costs you: in Cardatlas number cards are worth their digit, Draw Two, Skip and Reverse are worth 20 points each, and Wild cards are worth 50. When someone empties their hand, they score the value of everything left in the other hands.
How a round works
You pick a table of two, three or four players and everyone gets seven cards. On your turn you play a card that matches the top card by color or by number, or you draw from the pile when you cannot. The player who plays out their hand wins the round. A match is won at 250 points.
What each card is worth
The tutorial screens of the game list the values. We stepped through all of them.
| Card | What it does | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Number card | Matches by color or number | its digit (0 to 9) |
| Draw Two | The next player picks two cards and loses the turn | 20 |
| Skip | Stops the next player | 20 |
| Reverse | Switches the direction of play | 20 |
| Wild | Goes on any card; you choose the color | 50 |
| Wild Draw Three | You choose the color and the next player picks three cards; only when you have no other card to play | 50 |
One test round
In a two-player round we played cards with a simple script that tried the cards in our hand and the draw pile. The computer played out its hand first, and the summary screen showed Player 2 at 84 of 250 (+84) and Player 1 at 0 of 250. That +84 is the value of the cards still in our hand when the round ended, one round from one test browser.
Do not forget the 1 button
When only one card is left in your hand, press the 1 button on the table. The tutorial says that if you forget, you pick up 2 penalty cards.
4 tips that follow from the numbers
- Play high cards early. Action cards are worth 20 and wild cards 50 if you are caught holding them.
- Save a Wild for a bad hand. It goes on any card and lets you choose the color.
- Watch the draw rules. Wild Draw Three can only be used when you have no other card to play.
- Press 1 in time. Two penalty cards can turn a round around.
Where to try it
Try it yourself in Cardatlas. For a different kind of matching, Cubeclear is a block puzzle game.
Frequently asked questions
How many cards do you start with in Cardatlas?
Seven each. Our hand showed seven face-up cards and the computer’s hand seven face-down cards.
How many points does a Skip card score?
20 points, the same as Draw Two and Reverse, according to the tutorial screens.
What is a Wild card worth?
50 points. The Wild Draw Three is worth 50 as well and makes the next player pick 3 cards.
How do you win the match?
By reaching 250 points over several rounds; each round winner scores the value of the cards in the other hands.
What does the 1 button do?
You press it when only one card is left in your hand; if you forget, you pick up two penalty cards.
Does Cardatlas work on a phone?
See the game page: we only claim what we tested on a phone-sized screen.