Skull King

Material

1

The box contains 66 cards

2

52 Number Cards

13 number cards in 4 colors

3

14 Special Cards

5 Escape

5 Pirates

2 Mermaids

1 Scary Mary

1 Skull King

Setup

1

Choose a starting player

2

They shuffle and deal the cards

In the first round, deal one card, in the second round, deal two cards, and so on

Until the tenth round, where each player gets ten cards

Place the remaining cards aside as a stack

Goal

1

Predict how many tricks you will take

Your goal is to collect exactly as many tricks as you predicted

Otherwise, you get penalty points

2

The player with the most points after 10 rounds wins

Gameplay

1

Play 10 rounds as follows

2

Predict tricks

Look at your cards and decide wisely how many tricks you will take

In the first round, you have only one card, so predict 0 or 1

Ready? Fist on the table!

Everyone together: Knock three times and shout "YO-HO-HO"!

On the third knock, show your predicted tricks with your fingers

If you predict more than 5, show 5 fingers and shout the number

Write down the predictions on the scorepad

3

Play cards and take tricks until you have no cards left

Play a card

The player to the dealer's left starts and plays a card

Each player plays one card in turn

Special cards are always allowed

If not, you must play a card of the same color

No matching color? You can play any card

Who wins the trick?

The highest trump or the highest card wins the trick

The player who played the highest card wins the trick

Card values explained here

The winner of the trick...

places it in their own stack

and starts the next trick

No cards left?

Count your tricks

Record the points on the scorepad

Scoring details here

Watch for bonus points with Mermaid and Skull King

4

Next round

The dealer role moves to the left

Shuffle and deal again

This time, deal one more card than the previous round

Scoring

1

Incorrect prediction? Lose points

Each missed or extra trick costs you 10 points

Don’t take too many tricks

This does not apply if you predicted 0 tricks!

2

Correct prediction

You get the current round number times 10 points

Plus 20 points for each trick you won

Example in round 3

Two tricks x 20 points = 40 points

Plus 30 points for the round = 70 points

3

Predicted 0?

Multiply the current round number by 10

In the first round 10 points, in the second 20 points, and so on

If you predicted 0 tricks correctly, you get the points

Example in round 3: 30 points

If you took tricks, you lose the points

Example in round 3

Predicted 0 tricks and took 2 tricks

4

Bonus points: only if your prediction is correct

Did you beat Skull King with a Mermaid?

You get 50 points

Did you take a trick with Skull King?

You get 30 points for each Pirate in that trick

5

The game ends after ten rounds, and the player with the most points wins

Infos

1

All about the cards

Number cards

The first number card determines the trump color

Highest card in that color wins

Black cards are always higher than the trump color

Special cards beat all number cards

If the same cards are played, the first card wins

2

Special cards

Escape

Value 0 and always loses

Played to avoid taking tricks

Wins only if it is the first card and only Escape cards are played

Mermaid

Beats all colors

Loses to Pirates

Highest card if Skull King is in the trick

Bonus points if you win the trick and your prediction is correct

50 points if she beats Skull King

Scary Mary

Choose what she will be when you play her

Escape or Pirate - Treated accordingly in the trick

Pirate

Only beaten by Skull King

Or by Mermaid if with Skull King in the trick

The first Pirate in the trick beats all other Pirates

Skull King

Only Mermaid can beat him

Bonus points if you win the trick and your prediction is correct

30 points for each Pirate in the trick with Skull King