Since Mattel‘s acquisition, Uno has exploded in popularity across the globe. That year, toy giant Mattel purchased the rights to Uno and began mass-producing it, taking the game worldwide. By 1992, over 6 million decks of Uno had been sold across the USA. Robbins‘ key innovation with Uno was adding action cards like Skip, Reverse, and Draw Two on top of numeral cards and suits.Īfter being prototyped in Robbins‘ barbershop in Reading, Ohio, the game steadily spread through small-scale production and direct sales by Merle and his sons. The original decks were made by his family with thick 2-inch by 2-inch cards, because that was the size of card stock they had available. In 1971, a humble barbershop owner named Merle Robbins invented Uno based on the late 19th century game Crazy Eights. From Barbershop Origins to Global Domination: The Evolution of Uno But thanks to the 'Uno Reverse' meme‘s popularity online, you may be wondering – does this card actually work the same way in real-life Uno as it does in all the jokes? Let‘s take a hands-on look at the history, rules, and strategy behind one of the game‘s most crucial cards. Chances are you‘ve played the classic card game Uno plenty of times and seen the iconic Reverse card in action.
