Uuups consists of 30 Uuups cards (containing a letter) and 60 word cards (containing a word). Use thirty random word cards to form the word deck. To start a round, place two word cards face up on the table. (If the two words have fewer than ten letters, add another card to the table.) The start player then begins a clapping rhythm, then all players take turns calling out the letters in the alphabet to the rhythm, e.g. clap-clap-A, clap-clap-B, clap-clap-C, etc.
However, if a letter to be called appears exactly once in the words on the table, then the player should instead say "Uuups". If a player says the wrong thing, speaks out of turn, takes too long, or otherwise goofs, that player collects an Uuups card. Each Uuuups card bears a letter on it, and that letter now counts toward whether a player should say the letter or "Uuups" in the alphabet recital. Players start the round again with "A"; if players run through the entire alphabet or three Uuups cards are handed out, the round ends and two (or three) new word cards are revealed. Once all the Uuups cards have been taken, the game ends and the player with the fewest Uuups cards wins.
The game includes variants to shorten or lengthen the playing time or make the game easier or more difficult. This last change involves players saying "Schwupps" instead of the letter or "Uuups" when a letter appears on the table two or more times.