UNO was invented by Merle Robbins in 1971. Robbins, a barber from Ohio, created the game as a way to entertain his family. He originally came up with the idea to modify the rules of Crazy Eights, a classic card game, and turned it into a more exciting and strategic game by using different colored cards and special action cards like Skip, Reverse, and Draw Two.
Robbins created the first set of UNO cards and began selling the game to friends and family. After seeing its popularity, he and his family decided to produce and sell the game commercially. The game’s first production was in Robbins’ home, but soon, it caught the attention of larger toy companies.
In 1972, Robbins sold the rights to UNO to International Games, a company that later became part of Mattel in 1992. Since then, UNO has become one of the most popular card games in the world, with millions of copies sold in various versions and languages.
The simple, yet fun, mechanics of UNO—combined with its colorful design and engaging gameplay—have made it a classic family game for over five decades.