There are many variations of the basic game, under names including Craits, Last Card, Switch, and Black Jack.

Bartok, Mao, Taki, and Uno add further elements to the game.

David Parlett describes Crazy Eights as "not so much a game as a basic pattern of play on which a wide variety of changes can be rung," noting that players can easily invent and explore new rules.

[4] The remaining cards of the deck are placed face down at the center of the table as the stock pile.

A player may draw from the stock pile at any time, even when holding one or more playable cards.

[1] The winner of the game is the first player to reach a specific number of points.

[4] A popular variant of the game in the United States is Crazy Eights Countdown, where players start with a score of 8.