These type of online multiplayer games have been yearned for by many Windows Phone users as we only have a handful of such titles, though that list is slowly growing in 2013. Combined with the free pricing point, it should ensure that there are plenty of users to challenge.

Looks like our Xbox LIVE gaming drought has come to an end as Microsoft and Gameloft have released UNO & Friends (listed as UNOFriends in the Store) for Windows Phone 8 today. The free online game allows you to challenge your friends and family to a competitive bout of UNO, all from the convenience of your phone.

The feature list and description for the game, just released, is the following:

“Playing UNO with friends, family, and millions of fans worldwide has never been easier! Join one of the largest free online mobile gaming communities and enjoy an all-new free multiplayer experience, competitive leaderboards and fun customization options that let you shout "UNO!" on a whole new level!” Easy to learn, difficult to put down!

Create games and invite your friends to play!

Challenge millions of UNO fans worldwide!

Utilize Boosts & Super Boosts to diversify your strategy!

See how your card skills rank on the leaderboards!

Compete in weekly contests to win rewards!

Customize your UNO game with backgrounds, card deck designs & special effects!

Play online multiplayer matches over 3G or Wi-Fi!

Connect using your free Facebook Connect account!

Overall, it’s not a bad offering and you can see the teaser launch trailer above. When the game is first loaded, it will ask to enable Toast notifications and then connect to your Xbox LIVE account. The graphics are bright and poppy, though it should be clear that this is a Gameloft/iOS type port, meaning the design is not-so Modern.

Still, seeing as the game just launched on iOS and Android back in March, this can still be considered new title, which is a nice change from previous releases. When combined with the Facebook version, it also means that Windows Phone users won’t be alone for gameplay [Edit: actually, it may mean that as this looks to be isolated to just Xbox LIVE users]. Of course, don't let that "free" price fool you, this is technically a freemium game, meaning you have the option for in-app purchases to give you the edge in gameplay.

We’ll play with UNO & Friends over the next few hours and look for our review in the coming weeks. For now, let us know what you think in comments. Thanks, Kevin G., for the tip!

Pick up UNO & Friends for Windows Phone 8 here in the Store. All devices, even 512MB. 51MB, free