Skyjo
The less you score, the better.
Round after round, until someone passes 100. We’ll handle the doubling.
Score a gameOne round, two totals.
Enter each player’s points, negative if need be, and say who ended the round. Try it!
- Game over at 100 points
- Lowest total wins
- Doubling worked out for you
- Pick Skyjo, and name the two players.
- After each round, tap a player and enter their points; check “Ended the round” for whoever ended it.
- Matchito doubles their points when needed. From 100, the game ends.
The rules, in short.
Skyjo has no federation: here are the rules from Magilano, its publisher, and nothing more.
- 100
End of the game
The game ends as soon as a player reaches 100 points or more. The lowest total wins.
Magilano, Skyjo rules, French edition by Blackrock Games (copy from the retailer Play-in, 2023, in French), “But du jeu” (Object of the game) and “Fin de la partie” (End of the game) - 12
Setting up
Each player gets 12 cards face down, laid out in 4 columns of three, and turns two over. The highest total of those two cards goes first.
Magilano, Skyjo rules, French edition by Blackrock Games (copy from the retailer Play-in, 2023, in French), “Préparation d’une manche” (Preparing a round) and “Début d’une manche” (Start of a round) - 3
The column
Three identical cards in a column go to the discard pile, even in the count after the last turn.
Magilano, Skyjo rules, French edition by Blackrock Games (copy from the retailer Play-in, 2023, in French), “Déroulement d’une manche” (Playing a round), special rule - End
The last turn
When a player has turned over all their cards, everyone else plays once more. Then everybody turns over their cards and counts.
Magilano, Skyjo rules, French edition by Blackrock Games (copy from the retailer Play-in, 2023, in French), “Fin d’une manche” (End of a round) and “Décompte des points” (Scoring) - × 2
Doubling
If the player who ended the round doesn’t have the strictly lowest total, their points for the round are doubled. Only if they are positive.
Magilano, Skyjo rules, French edition by Blackrock Games (copy from the retailer Play-in, 2023, in French), “Décompte des points” (Scoring) - −2 to 12
The cards
The deck has 150 cards, from −2 to 12: five −2s, fifteen 0s, and ten of every other value. Each card is worth the number printed on it.
Magilano, Skyjo rules, French edition by Blackrock Games (copy from the retailer Play-in, 2023, in French), “150 cartes de jeu” (150 playing cards)
Every round, in one press.
On your watch or the three buttons on your earbuds: ⏮ for one player, ⏭ for the other. One press opens their round, and the points are entered on the phone; ⏯ undoes the last entry.
The questions people ask.
How do you keep score in Skyjo?
Add up the cards in front of you. A positive total adds to your previous rounds, a negative total comes off them.
Magilano, Skyjo rules, French edition by Blackrock Games (copy from the retailer Play-in, 2023, in French), “Décompte des points” (Scoring)Can a negative score be doubled?
No. Doubling only applies to positive points.
Magilano, Skyjo rules, French edition by Blackrock Games (copy from the retailer Play-in, 2023, in French), “Décompte des points” (Scoring)What if there’s a tie for the lowest score?
The player who ended the round doesn’t have the strictly lowest total: their points are doubled. In the booklet’s example, a tied 10 becomes 20.
Magilano, Skyjo rules, French edition by Blackrock Games (copy from the retailer Play-in, 2023, in French), “Décompte des points” (Scoring)When does a game of Skyjo end?
As soon as a player reaches 100 points or more. The lowest total wins.
Magilano, Skyjo rules, French edition by Blackrock Games (copy from the retailer Play-in, 2023, in French), “Fin de la partie” (End of the game)Who goes first in Skyjo?
The player whose two turned-over cards add up to the highest total. After that, play goes clockwise.
Magilano, Skyjo rules, French edition by Blackrock Games (copy from the retailer Play-in, 2023, in French), “Début d’une manche” (Start of a round) and “Déroulement d’une manche” (Playing a round)How does a turn work in Skyjo?
Take the face-up card from the discard pile and swap it at once for one of yours. Or draw from the pile: keep it in place of one of your cards, or discard it and turn over one of your face-down cards. The card you replace goes on the discard pile, face up.
Magilano, Skyjo rules, French edition by Blackrock Games (copy from the retailer Play-in, 2023, in French), “Déroulement d’une manche” (How a round works), choices 1 and 2