The game first appeared as Eights in the 1930s,[1] and the name Crazy Eights dates to the 1940s, derived from the United States military designation for discharge of mentally unstable soldiers, Section 8.[2][3] It may have derived from the German game of Mau-Mau.

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.[1]