DOS Card Game Review And Rules - Geeky Hobbies

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Looking for a specific DOS rule?: | Setup | Playing Cards | Color Match | Drawing a Card | End of Turn | Card Meanings | End of Round | Winning the Game | FAQ | Components |

These rules are for the first edition of DOS. This version was released between 2017 and 2020. A version was released in 2021 (has a white Mattel logo in the top right corner) that slightly changed a couple rules. I will note these changes in the corresponding sections below. The rules significantly changed in 2022 with the second edition. The second edition of the game plays much more like the original UNO. Check out our how to play guide for the rules of DOS Second Edition.

Objective of DOS

The objective of DOS is to be the first player to get rid of all of the cards from your hand.

Setup

  • Each player draws a card. Whoever draws the highest number will be the first dealer. Wild DOS and Wild # cards count as zeroes.
  • The dealer shuffles the cards and deals seven cards to each player.
  • The dealer then places the top two cards face up on the table. These two cards are the start of the Center Row.
  • Place the rest of the cards face down on the table to form the Draw Pile. Leave space next to the Draw Pile for a Discard Pile.
  • The player to the left of the dealer starts the round.

Playing the Game

On your turn you will perform one of two actions:

  • Play a card(s)
  • Draw a card

Playing Cards

On your turn you will try to play cards from your hand to one of the piles in the Center Row. To play a card it has to match the number on one of the piles. You can ignore the colors of cards when playing them.

There are two ways you can match the number on top of a pile in the Center Row.

First you can play a card that exactly matches the number on one of the face up cards. This is called a Single Number Match.

Single Number Match in DOS
One of the cards in the middle of the table was a yellow six. This player has decided to play a red six on top of it. This is a Single Number Match.

Your other option is to play two cards that add up to one of the face up cards. This is called a Double Number Match.

Double Number Match in DOS
To match the red seven card one of the players decided to play a blue four and a green three card. This is a Double Number Match.

You are able to play a number match to any or all of the face up cards in the middle of the table. You can use any combination of Single Number Matches and/or Double Number Matches when playing cards. A player may not play two matches on the same face up card though.

Color Match

While you don’t have to match color when playing cards, you will receive a bonus if you are able to match the color. The bonus the player receives depends on if they make a Single or Double Number Match.

If you play a single card that matches the number and color of one of the face up Center Row cards, you have created a Single Color Match. At the end of your turn you will get to lay one of the cards from your hand face up on the table. After laying down this card there will be three cards face up on the table.

Single Color Match in DOS
The current player had a green four in their hand which matches the green four in the middle of the table. When they play their green four, they create a Single Color Match.

If you play two cards that add up to one of the face up cards and both cards also match the face up card’s color, you have created a Double Color Match. At the end of your turn you will get to lay one of the cards from your hand face up on the table creating another pile to play to. All of the other players must also draw one card from the draw pile.

Double Color Match in DOS
The current player decided to play two blue five cards to match the blue ten card. Since both cards match the color of the ten card, this player has created a Double Color Match.

Draw A Card

If you are unable or don’t want to match the face up cards, you will draw a card from the Draw Pile.

After drawing you may use the card you just drew to make a match with one of the face up cards. You may choose not to play a card even if you can use it to play a match.

If a player does not match any of the cards on the table, they will get to play one of the cards from their hand face up on the table. This will create another Center Row pile to play on.

End of Turn

After you play a card(s) or draw a card, your turn ends.

All of the cards from the matched pairs are removed from the table and placed into the Discard Pile.

If there are less than two face up cards in the Center Row, take a card(s) from the top of the Draw Pile and place it face up on the table. If you get to lay down a card(s) due to a Single and/or Double Color Match, you will lay it face up after cards from the Draw Pile have been added.

Placing a new card in the middle of the table.
There is only one card in the Center Row. The top card from the draw pile is flipped over and placed next to the red seven.

Play then passes to the next player clockwise.

Cards of DOS

Number Cards

Number

Number cards have no special action. You may only play a number card if it matches the number of a Center Row card when played in a Single or Double Number/Color Match.

Wild DOS Card

Wild DOS

A Wild DOS card will count as a two of any color. When you play the card you get to decide what color it is. You can choose the color of the Wild DOS card in order to create a Single or Double Color Match.

Playing a Wild DOS card
The current player decides to play a red five and a Wild DOS card to a red seven card. They will make the Wild DOS card red in order to create a Double Color Match.

If a Wild DOS card is face up in the Center Row, you get to determine what color it is when you match it.

Wild # card in DOS

Wild #

A Wild # card acts as any number between 1-10 of the color shown on the card. When a player plays the card they determine what number it will act as.

Playing a Wild # card
This player decided to play a yellow three and a Wild # card to a yellow ten. The Wild # will act as a yellow seven in order to create a Double Color Match.

If a Wild # card is face up in the Center Row, a player chooses what number it is when they match it.

DOS

When you only have two cards left in your hand you must say DOS. If another player catches you not saying it, you will have to add two cards from the Draw Pile to your hand. You will do this at the end of your turn.

Calling DOS
This player only has two cards left in their hand. They should say DOS as quickly as possible.

End of Round

The round ends when one player gets rid of the last card from their hand. The player who got rid of all of their cards will score points based on the cards remaining in the other players’ hands. If the player was able to create a Double Color Match on their last turn, all of the other players will draw one card which will be added to the winner’s score.

Cards are worth the following points:

  • Number Cards: Face Value
  • Wild DOS: 20 points
  • Wild #: 40 points (The Wild # card is worth 50 points in the 2021 version of the game.)
Scoring in DOS
At the end of the game four cards were left in the other players’ hands. The winner of the round scores 12 points for the two number cards (4 + 8). They will score 40 points for the Wild # card and 20 points for the Wild DOS card. They will score a total of 72 points.

Winning the Game

The first player to score 200 points wins the game.

In the 2021 version of the game, the main way of playing the game is to just play one hand at a time. Whichever player gets rid of all of their cards first, wins the game.

Scoring is a variant rule in the 2021 version of DOS. The first player to score 500 points wins the game.

DOS FAQ

If you have any questions about how to play the game, leave a comment below on this post. I will try to answer any questions asked as best and as quickly as possible.

There is a Wild # card in the Center Row. Can I combine two cards of the same color from my hand and play them on the Wild # card in order to create a Double Color Match?

The rules say that a Wild # card in the Center Row can be treated as any number. You get to choose its number when you match it. Therefore I think you should be able to combine two cards from your hand and play them to the Wild # card. You will then make the Wild # card whatever the two cards you play add up to. The Wild # card only can go up to ten though. Therefore the two cards can only add up to number ten or lower.

For example say there is a blue Wild # card in the Center Row. You have a blue five and blue three card in your hand. You should be able to play these two cards together by making the Wild # card a blue eight. Since you played two cards of the same color that match the color of the card you matched, you have played a Double Color Match.

Components for DOS

Components

  • 24 Blue Cards
    • 3 each of 1, 3, 4, 5
    • 2 each of 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
    • 2 Wild #
  • 24 Green Cards
    • 3 each of 1, 3, 4, 5
    • 2 each of 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
    • 2 Wild #
  • 24 Red Cards
    • 3 each of 1, 3, 4, 5
    • 2 each of 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
    • 2 Wild #
  • 24 Yellow Cards
    • 3 each of 1, 3, 4, 5
    • 2 each of 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
    • 2 Wild #
  • 12 Wild DOS Cards
  • Instructions

Year: 2018 | Publisher: Mattel | Designer: Nick Hayes

Genres: Card, Family

Ages: 7+ | Number of Players: 2-4 | Length of Game: 20-30 minutes

Difficulty: Light | Strategy: Light | Luck: High

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For more board and card game how to plays/rules and reviews, check out our complete alphabetical list of board game posts.

Written By:

Eric Mortensen

Eric Mortensen is an owner and head writer on Geeky Hobbies since 2014. He is an avid board game player and collector with over 3,000 board and card games in his collection. Since 2014 he has written more than 1,100 board game how to play guides.

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