Prices updated today
%2Fpic8689185.jpg)
Skull King
Grandpa Beck's Games · 2013
2–830 min8+ yrs1.7/5 complexity7.5 BGG#288 BGG34,3 KPartyFamily
⚡ short answer
How do you play Skull King?
Skull King is a trick-taking game played over ten rounds. In each round, players bid by predicting the number of tricks they will win. A correct bid earns points, while an incorrect bid results in a loss of points. The player with the highest score at the end of the game wins.
To find the best price for Skull King, howtoplay.ro compares deals from Romanian shops every day.
FromRON 69
%2Fpic8689185.jpg)
the rules in 60 seconds▶ auto · 1/6
🧩
01
Setup
Remove advanced cards, deal help cards and bid cards, then shuffle and deal main cards based on the round number (1-10 cards).
The rules, step by step
Setup
First, remove the advanced cards from the deck as they are only used in advanced rules. Then, sort and deal the help cards and a set of bid cards to each player around the table. Shuffle the remaining main cards and deal them to each player. The number of cards dealt depends on the round number, starting with one card in the first round and increasing by one each round, up to ten cards in the tenth round. Note that if playing with eight players, a maximum of eight cards are dealt per player in rounds nine and ten.
Objective
Skull King is a trick-taking game played over ten rounds. In each round, players bid by predicting the number of tricks they will win. A correct bid earns points, while an incorrect bid results in a loss of points. The player with the highest score at the end of the game wins.
On your turn
After all players have received their cards, they look at their hand and decide how many tricks they will bid for the round. Players then simultaneously make their bids by extending a number of fingers equal to their bid, or a closed fist for a bid of zero. Players can use the provided bid cards to keep track of their bids. The player to the left of the dealer starts by playing any card from their hand, and play continues clockwise. If the first player plays a suit card, subsequent players must follow suit if they have one, or play a special card. If a player cannot follow suit, they can play any card from their hand.
Scoring
When all cards for a trick have been played, the highest-ranked card wins the trick. The winner takes the cards played in that trick and keeps track of any bonus cards captured, as these will award points at the end of the round. Players who correctly predicted their tricks earn 20 points for each trick they won. Players who made an incorrect bid lose 10 points for each trick they missed their bid by. If a player bids zero and takes zero tricks, they score 10 points multiplied by the number of cards dealt in that round. If a player bids zero but takes one or more tricks, they lose 10 points multiplied by the number of cards dealt in that round.
Game end
After all dealt cards have been played, the round ends, and points are tallied. The player who played first in that round shuffles and deals for the next round, and the player to their left starts the first trick of the new round. At the end of the tenth round, all points are totaled, and a winner is declared. In case of a tie, an additional round is played until a clear winner emerges.
Tips
There are three standard suits (green parrot, yellow treasure chest, purple pirate map) numbered 1-14. The black Jolly Roger is the trump suit and beats all standard suit cards. Special cards include Pirates, which beat all suit cards (including trumps), and Mermaids, which beat Skull King but lose to Pirates. Skull King beats all cards except Mermaids. Escape cards lose to all other cards. If multiple Pirates are played, the first one played wins. If multiple Mermaids are played, the first one played wins. If a Pirate, Skull King, and Mermaid are all played in the same trick, the Mermaid always wins. Bonus points are awarded for capturing specific cards: 10 points for each standard suit 14, 20 points for each trump 14, 20 points for each Mermaid captured by a Pirate, 30 points for each Pirate captured by Skull King, and 40 points for Skull King captured by a Mermaid. These bonus points are only awarded if the player made a correct bid.
game anatomy
Complexity1.7 / 5
BGG rating7.5 / 10
Vibe
PartyFamily
Language dependence
No in-game text needed
Play time
30 min
Players
2–8
Recommended age
8+ yrs
BGG rank
#288
from Trișache · verified
Frequently asked questions
Q1What is the goal of the game?
Skull King is a trick-taking game played over ten rounds. In each round, players bid by predicting the number of tricks they will win. A correct bid earns points, while an incorrect bid results in a loss of points. The player with the highest score at the end of the game wins.
Q2How do you set up the game?
First, remove the advanced cards from the deck as they are only used in advanced rules. Then, sort and deal the help cards and a set of bid cards to each player around the table. Shuffle the remaining main cards and deal them to each player. The number of cards dealt depends on the round number, starting with one card in the first round and increasing by one each round, up to ten cards in the tenth round. Note that if playing with eight players, a maximum of eight cards are dealt per player in rounds nine and ten.
Q3How does a turn work?
After all players have received their cards, they look at their hand and decide how many tricks they will bid for the round. Players then simultaneously make their bids by extending a number of fingers equal to their bid, or a closed fist for a bid of zero. Players can use the provided bid cards to keep track of their bids. The player to the left of the dealer starts by playing any card from their hand, and play continues clockwise. If the first player plays a suit card, subsequent players must follow suit if they have one, or play a special card. If a player cannot follow suit, they can play any card from their hand.
Q4How is scoring calculated?
When all cards for a trick have been played, the highest-ranked card wins the trick. The winner takes the cards played in that trick and keeps track of any bonus cards captured, as these will award points at the end of the round. Players who correctly predicted their tricks earn 20 points for each trick they won. Players who made an incorrect bid lose 10 points for each trick they missed their bid by. If a player bids zero and takes zero tricks, they score 10 points multiplied by the number of cards dealt in that round. If a player bids zero but takes one or more tricks, they lose 10 points multiplied by the number of cards dealt in that round.
Q5When and how does the game end?
After all dealt cards have been played, the round ends, and points are tallied. The player who played first in that round shuffles and deals for the next round, and the player to their left starts the first trick of the new round. At the end of the tenth round, all points are totaled, and a winner is declared. In case of a tie, an additional round is played until a clear winner emerges.
Q6What tips are there for beginners?
There are three standard suits (green parrot, yellow treasure chest, purple pirate map) numbered 1-14. The black Jolly Roger is the trump suit and beats all standard suit cards. Special cards include Pirates, which beat all suit cards (including trumps), and Mermaids, which beat Skull King but lose to Pirates. Skull King beats all cards except Mermaids. Escape cards lose to all other cards. If multiple Pirates are played, the first one played wins. If multiple Mermaids are played, the first one played wins. If a Pirate, Skull King, and Mermaid are all played in the same trick, the Mermaid always wins. Bonus points are awarded for capturing specific cards: 10 points for each standard suit 14, 20 points for each trump 14, 20 points for each Mermaid captured by a Pirate, 30 points for each Pirate captured by Skull King, and 40 points for Skull King captured by a Mermaid. These bonus points are only awarded if the player made a correct bid.
Q7How much does Skull King cost?
Skull King costs around 69 RON in Romania.
Q8Where can I buy Skull King cheapest?
The lowest price for Skull King right now is 69 RON at Dragon Games. The Prices tab lists every store currently tracking it.
Q9How do you play Skull King?
Skull King is a card game game, for 2–8 players, taking ~30 minutes, featuring hand management. Check the Rules tab for setup, gameplay, and scoring, or ask Trișache anything about Skull King — our AI assistant built by howtoplay.ro and trained specifically on board game rulebooks.
Q10How many players does Skull King support?
Skull King is played by 2–8 players.
1 shop
All prices
1 shop · sorted by priceupdated today
Dragon GamesCHEAPESTEN
Skull King: Expansion Pack (Limba Engleza)
free over RON 199
● in stock
RON 69
affiliate links · prices include VAT · independent platform, no hidden sponsorships
🚚 Free shipping over RON 199
Price history
See price by edition
Price trend over the last 90 days: minimum 39 lei, maximum 92 lei, now 92 lei.
Mechanics & categories