Welcome to Skyjo: The Lowest Points Wins Card Game!

Imagine playing a card game where the goal is to have the lowest score, even if you don’t know what cards you have. That’s Skyjo! In this strategic game, you’ll trade cards, hide your hand, and try to get the lowest score before the game ends.

Watch out though, because if you reach one hundred points first, you lose! So keep an eye on your score and play carefully to avoid getting caught off guard.

Let’s Get Started!

First, shuffle all the cards in the deck. Then, deal 12 cards to each player, making sure to keep them face down. The remaining cards will form the discard pile, with the top card placed face up in the middle.

Now, each player will arrange their cards in three rows of four, facing them. You’re all set to begin the game!

How to Play Skyjo

When we start the game, each of us will flip over two of our cards. The person with the most points from their cards gets to go first. After that, the person who won the last round goes first in the next round.

When it’s your turn, you have two options. You can either draw a card from the pile of cards that haven’t been played yet, or you can take the top card from the discard pile.

DISCARD PILE

If you choose to take a card from the discard pile, you have to replace one of the cards in your own set. You can replace it with a card that’s already been revealed or one that you haven’t seen yet. But if you choose an unrevealed card, you have to flip it over before you can replace it with the card you drew from the discard pile.

Once you’ve replaced a card, you discard the old one, and then it’s the next player’s turn.

DRAW PILE

If I decide to draw a card from the draw pile, I have two choices. First, I can swap the newly drawn card with a card in my grid, whether it’s already revealed or still hidden. Alternatively, I can simply get rid of the drawn card by discarding it. However, if I choose to discard the card, I must then reveal one of the hidden cards in my grid. Doing so brings my turn to an end.

The game will keep going in a clockwise direction around the board until a player manages to reveal all of their cards. Once someone achieves this, the round is over, and we can add up the points.

In the card game Skyjo, there’s a special rule that can be chosen at the beginning of the game. It’s optional, so players can decide whether or not to use it. If they do decide to play with the special rule, it has an impact on the gameplay. Here’s how it works: If a player ever ends up with a column of cards that all have the same rank, that entire column is removed from the game. Those cards will no longer be counted towards the final score.

End of the Game

Once a player has played all the cards in their deck, the round comes to an end. The other players get one final turn, and then the points are calculated. Each player flips over their remaining cards and adds up their total score. If the first player to finish their grid doesn’t have the lowest score, their score gets doubled.

The game continues until a player reaches one hundred points. The player with the lowest score at the end of the game is the winner!