--- title: Tough Choice in Uno Game Has People Dying of Laughter description: Uno gets really personal in this card game blowing up on the internet. canonical: https://time.com/5760499/text-your-ex-uno-meme/ author: Ashley Hoffman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2020-01-07T14:57:12.000Z article:modified_time: 2023-12-12T20:04:48.000Z og:title: The Tough Choice in This Extreme Uno Game Has People Nervous, But Also Dying of Laughter og:description: This is a tough one og:url: https://time.com/5760499/text-your-ex-uno-meme/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The Tough Choice in This Extreme Uno Game Has People Nervous, But Also Dying of Laughter twitter:description: This is a tough one twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # The Tough Choice in This Extreme Uno Game Has People Nervous, But Also Dying of Laughter > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME The Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition The Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors. The Brief brings TIME's perspective to the day's most important stories, helping readers understand not just what is happening, but why it matters. It combines original reporting and analysis with the best of TIME, spanning politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=15478115-4aec-4bd4-840d-9310cb61f790&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Daily | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Richard Hall, Editor | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership The informed consumer. A scaled audience of readers who turn to TIME to stay informed and make sense of the world, with meaningful reach across education and research, nonprofits and civic life, media and communications, government and public institutions, and business and professional services. ### TIME The Brief: key statements * The Brief is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * The Brief is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=15478115-4aec-4bd4-840d-9310cb61f790&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/subscribe?i=15478115-4aec-4bd4-840d-9310cb61f790&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is TIME's daily news newsletter? The Brief is TIME's daily newsletter, edited by Richard Hall. It curates the day's top headlines with TIME's reporting and analysis across politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is free to join at time.com/newsletters. #### How do I sign up for The Brief? The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ## Video: This is the Meanest Reason to Break Up with Someone [Watch (HLS stream): This is the Meanest Reason to Break Up with Someone](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Os3J2sLq.m3u8) (1:30)  _Published 2017-09-08. Rejection hurts. But it stings even more when you're turned down for another person_ by [Ashley Hoffman](https://time.com/author/ashley-hoffman/) ## Ashley Hoffman Updated: Dec 12, 2023 8:04 PM UTCPublished: Jan 7, 2020 2:57 PM UTC by [Ashley Hoffman](https://time.com/author/ashley-hoffman/) ## Ashley Hoffman Updated: Dec 12, 2023 8:04 PM UTCPublished: Jan 7, 2020 2:57 PM UTC In some games, phoning an old friend in the middle of a round can be a helpful strategy (or an actual “lifeline”), but an ex? Not so preferable. That cold hard truth is now on full display thanks to a viral image sweeping Reddit and Twitter, hitting that sweet spot (or sour spot) between one’s competitive spirit and their relationship history just so. Because what starts as a fast-paced, friendly game of Uno turns serious when this card shows up: > [](https://twitter.com/Fujyno/status/1213848943630651397) “Call/text your recent ex or draw 25,” the clearly adapted Wild-style Uno card asks of the [player](https://time.com/5752663/best-video-games-2010s-decade/) who’s drawn it from the deck in a photo of the intense version of the original game. Shared by a Twitter user with the username “Goose,” the stunt has received more than 330,000 likes as of Tuesday morning. Even if you did split with your ex amicably, it’s a big move to make on impulse mid-game. But on the other hand, it’s a lot of cards. The decision to make, then, is whether winning at Uno is more important than winning the breakup. Priorities! For most, it’s a no-brainer. “I will lose every game of uno for the rest of my life before even thinking of communicating with my ex,” one person replied to the tweet. But for others, perhaps the emotional high that is screaming Uno! and winning a card game with friends would beat out a moment of awkward reminiscing? Regardless, if you’re playing a game of Uno with someone aware of this now-classic Internet joke, just know the game may be raised. Start strategizing now. For many it was not an option. > [](https://twitter.com/Disgusted%5FDDD/status/1213927457478397958) > [](https://twitter.com/brinnie%5Fbb/status/1214658216480661506) > [](https://twitter.com/Official%5FG24/status/1214322769187528710) One user put forth a solution a player could tuck up their sleeve. > [](https://twitter.com/iamDAYVO/status/1214242586975776770) _The Office_ was invoked. Don’t sleep on fancy Uno either. > [](https://twitter.com/2%5Fjeasy/status/1215859883691663361) ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5760499/text-your-ex-uno-meme/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5760499/text-your-ex-uno-meme/"},"headline":"The Tough Choice in This Extreme Uno Game Has People Nervous, But Also Dying of Laughter","datePublished":"2020-01-07T14:57:12.000Z","dateModified":"2023-12-12T20:04:48.000Z","description":"Uno gets really personal in this card game blowing up on the internet.","url":"https://time.com/5760499/text-your-ex-uno-meme/","keywords":["Newsfeed","viral","onetime","clickmonsters"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Ashley Hoffman","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/ashley-hoffman/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5760499/text-your-ex-uno-meme/","name":"The Tough Choice in This Extreme Uno Game Has People Nervous, But Also Dying of Laughter"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"This is the Meanest Reason to Break Up with Someone","description":"Rejection hurts. But it stings even more when you're turned down for another person","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/Os3J2sLq/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2017-09-08T15:09:23.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Os3J2sLq.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/5760499/text-your-ex-uno-meme/","duration":"PT1M30S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/5760499/text-your-ex-uno-meme/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```