I like the option for playing on teams. Two or people can each be on a team, and it is encouraged for each team to have the same number of people. Their teammates are allies rather than opponents. If anyone wins in a team, then the team wins. If anyone loses on a team, the team loses. I still haven’t tested out this idea as much as I would like. One deck of cards is enough for four people (two teams of two people each). Two decks of cards is enough for eight people (four teams of two or two teams of four).

Additionally, cooperation can speed the game up, and that is doubly so if you share turns with all your teammates. If everyone on a team can play and discard during the same turn, that can also save time. Each teammate draws cards during their draw phase together, going clockwise. The players on a team can sit next to one another, and whoever is on the right hand side actually draws first, even though they all do it at roughly the same time. (The same issue can occur when a card makes multiple players draw cards at the same time. They will actually draw cards going clockwise.)

The main rules issue that sharing a turn on a team can present is what to do if one or more players on a team has to skip their next turn or gets an extra turn. If there are people on the team who don’t have to skip their turn, those players still take a turn. Only players on a team who have to skip their turn will skip their turn. Moreover, if anyone on a team gets an extra turn, only that player will get an extra turn.
I encourage you to try playing on teams with some friends and letting me know how it goes for you.

Related

• Crazier Eights Caption Contest (you can win a prototype of the game)
• Crazier Eights: Second Edition Print & Play
• The Spoiler (image gallery) for Crazier Eights: Second Edition.
• Information about the upcoming Kickstarter campaign for the Second Edition