Skip-Bo Rules | Official Game Rules (2024)

Contents

144 numbered cards and 18 SKIP-BO cards. 162 cards total.

Beginning Play

Shuffle the deck. Each player draws a card. The person with the highest card is the dealer. The dealer deals 30 cards to each player if there are two to four players. In five to six player games, each player is dealt 20 cards.

These cards are dealt face down and form each player’s Stock pile. Once all Stock piles have been dealt, each player flips the top card of their Stock pile right side up and places it on top of the pile. The remaining cards not dealt are placed face down on the table to form the draw pile.

Playing Area: Each player is going to need room for four Discard piles near their Stock pile. You will also need room for four Building piles in the center of the table near the draw pile. These piles are formed as the game progresses—so make sure you leave space for them.

Stock Pile

The top card is always face up. Each player has a Stock pile.

Draw Pile

This is the pile in the center of the playing area created with all cards remaining after Stock piles are dealt.

Building Piles: Building piles are where players build the 1-12 sequences and can only be started with a 1 or a SKIP-BO (SKIP-BO cards are wild, so it would represent a 1 if used to start a sequence). Once a pile has the complete 1-12 sequence, remove it from the playing area and start a new building pile.

Discard Pile

Each player may form sequences an any of their four discard piles. There is no limit to the number of cards in the pile, nor is there a restriction on the order. The top card of your discard piles is available for forming sequences (can be played).

Playing Skip-Bo

Play begins to the left of the dealer. Draw five cards at the beginning of your first turn (and back up to five on subsequent turns). You can use a Skip-Bo (wild card) or a 1 to begin one of the four building piles in the center of the playing area. You may continue to play cards from your hand onto the building area (1-12 in sequence only).

If you play all five cards in this manner, draw back up to five (this process can repeat if needed). You may also play the top card from your Stock pile onto a building piles, and can continue to play from the Stock pile as long as the play is legal. Remember, you win by running out of your Stock pile, so play from there when you can. Your turn ends when you can’t or refuse to make a play. Discard one card from your hand onto one of your four discard piles. You may play the top card of any of your discard piles on any turn after the first. Play continues clockwise.

Winning the Game: Choose a point total to play to (500 is recommended to start). The winner of each round scores 25 points for winning the round and five additional points per card remaining in each other player Stock pile.

Team Skip-Bo

You can play with partners. In team situations, you can legally play from your Stock and Discard piles as well as your partners. One catch—your partner can’t talk during your turn, and you can’t talk during theirs. Instead, you have to give verbal commands for any necessary actions involving their cards. If the other players catch you breaking this rule, you must take two cards from the draw pile(without looking at them) and place them on your stock pile. The round ends when all of the players on a team reach the end of their stock pile.

Special Rules

If you draw too many cards, shuffle the extra cards into your Stock pile.

If a player draws and plays out of turn and they are caught, undo any action and play continues as normal until it reaches that players turn. On their actual turn, a penalty is enforced—they must make their play without drawing from the draw pile. If no one notices that the player played out of turn, the play is legal and no penalty in enforced.

In team play, anyone on the team can continue to play from the remaining Discard and Building piles, even if a Stock pile has been depleted.

Skip-Bo Rules | Official Game Rules (2024)

FAQs

What is the best strategy for Skip-Bo? ›

Here are some winning strategies for Skip-Bo:
  • Make an order in your discard pile. ...
  • Clean out discard piles if you can. ...
  • Make use of the cards in your hand. ...
  • Skip-Bo cards are assets. ...
  • Place the same cards together on the discard pile. ...
  • Practice! ...
  • Practice with a Skip-Bo app.

Do colors matter in Skip-Bo? ›

Skip-bo is a card game for 2-6 players where runs of 1-12 are made, and Skip-bo cards are wild. The object is to be the first person to play all of the cards in your stock pile. The cards are color coded to show tiers of value; 1-4 are indigo, 5-8 are green, and 9-12 are pink.

Do you have to get rid of all your cards to win Skip-Bo? ›

3. Remember: The object of the game is to get rid of the cards from your (and your partner's, if playing partnerships) STOCK piles. For players wishing to play a short version of SKIP-BO, the dealer deals a STOCK pile of 10 cards to each player. All other rules remain the same.

How many building piles can you have in Skip-Bo? ›

Building Piles: During play up to four BUILDING piles can be started. Only a 1 or a SKIP-BO® card can start a BUILDING pile. Each pile is then built up numerically in sequence, 1 through 12. Since SKIP-BO® cards are wild, they can start a BUILDING pile, and can be played as any other number, too.

Can you put two Skip-Bo in a row? ›

SKIP-BO cards

A SKIP-BO card may be played brown town on top of a numbered card, or as the 1 card to start a new build pile, but you can't play 2 in a row and you always have to cover it up with a number card, so you can't use it as a 12 card. You may also discard SKIP-BO's into your discard piles.

Is Skip-Bo luck or skill? ›

Skip-Bo game is the ultimate sequence card game that combines skill, strategy and fun.

How many of each number should be in a Skip-Bo deck? ›

Card and deck styles

The deck consists of 162 cards, twelve each of the numbers 1 through 12 and eighteen "SKIP-BO" wild cards which may be played as any number.

How many cars do you deal in Skip-Bo? ›

If you're playing with 2-4 players, deal 30 cards to each player, starting with the person on your left and continuing counter-clockwise. If you're playing with 5-6 people, deal each player 20 cards. Tell everyone to keep their cards face-down. No peeking in Skip-Bo!

What is the blank card in Skip-Bo? ›

The blank cards are there so you can get creative and make your own encounters, etc. So unless you've done that, they're removed from the game.

What is the dice for in Skip-Bo? ›

Roll the dice and place them on the gameboard to score the most points. Place the gameboard in the center of the play area. Note that the gameboard has 12 spaces numbered 1thru 12. The dice correspond to these spaces in color and number.

How to win at Skip-Bo every time? ›

Understanding the sequence-building aspect, managing your hand and stockpile, and making strategic use of “Skip-Bo” wild cards are essential to achieving victory. Successful players anticipate opponents' moves, aim to clear their stockpile swiftly, and adapt to changing circumstances.

What to do if no one can go in Skip-Bo? ›

If you can't make a play or just don't want to, end your turn by discarding one of the cards from your hand onto one of your four discard piles. On your second and succeeding turns, first draw enough cards to bring your hand back up to 5…

How does skip work in phase 10? ›

SKIP CARDS: Skip cards have only one purpose: to cause another player to lose a turn. To use, simply discard the “Skip” card on your turn, then choose the player who will lose a turn. When you draw a “Skip” card, you may discard it immediately or save it for a later turn.

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