How to play Skyjo
Deal 12 cards to each player, replace high cards with lower ones and finish the whole game with the lowest total score.
Set up the table
Deal each player 12 cards face down. Arrange them as four vertical columns with three cards in each column. Put the remaining cards face down as the draw pile and turn one card face up beside it to begin the discard pile. Each player turns over any two cards in their own layout.
What the table looks like
The same setup at three table sizes. With two players, twenty-four cards are dealt and 125 remain in the draw pile. With three players, thirty-six are dealt and 113 remain. With five, sixty are dealt and 89 remain. Every player has twelve cards in four columns of three with two turned face up, and one shared draw pile and discard pile sit between them.
Two players
Twenty-four cards dealt, one turned up to start the discard pile, and the rest stay face down between you.
24 cards dealt · 125 left in the draw pile
Three players
Nothing about your own layout changes. There is simply one more of them, and twelve fewer cards to draw from.
36 cards dealt · 113 left in the draw pile
Five, or up to eight
The layout is the same at every table size. Only the draw pile gets thinner, so the deck runs out sooner and is reshuffled from the discards more often.
60 cards dealt · 89 left in the draw pile
A bigger table does not change your twelve cards. It only thins the draw pile, which is why a full table gets through the deck faster.
Who goes first
In the first round, the player whose two revealed cards add to the highest total starts. Negative and zero cards count normally, so a 12 and a -2 total 10. In every round after that, whoever ended the previous round starts the next one.
Who goes first
In the first round the player with the highest total of their two revealed cards begins. In later rounds the player who ended the previous round begins.
Round one: highest revealed total starts
Add the two cards each player turned face up.
| Player | Round | Counts as |
|---|---|---|
| Sam Ended it | 19 | revealed |
| Pete | 6 | revealed |
| Rachel | -3 | revealed |
Later rounds: the previous ender starts
Whoever ended the last round begins the next one.
| Player | Round | Counts as |
|---|---|---|
| Ended round 1 Ended it | 0 | Pete |
| Starts round 2 | 0 | Pete |
Round one is decided by the cards. Every round after that is decided by who ended the last one.
Take a turn
Choose either the face-up discard or the top card of the draw pile. A discard must be used to replace one card in your layout. A card drawn blind may be used in the same way, or discarded so that you reveal one face-down card instead.
The card placed in your layout stays face up. The card it replaces becomes the new top discard.
The two choices on every turn
A branch diagram. Either take the face-up discard, which must be exchanged for one of your twelve cards; or draw the top face-down card, and then either exchange it or discard it and turn one of your own face-down cards face up.
Take the visible discard
You can see exactly what you are getting. You must exchange it for one of your twelve cards.
Take the visible discard
You can see exactly what you are getting. You must exchange it for one of your twelve cards.
The replaced card goes on the discard pile, face up.
Draw blind, then keep it
Turn the top card of the draw pile. Exchange it for one of your twelve.
Draw blind, then keep it
Turn the top card of the draw pile. Exchange it for one of your twelve.
The replaced card goes on the discard pile, face up.
Draw blind, then reject it
Discard the card you drew. You must then turn one of your own face-down cards face up.
Draw blind, then reject it
Discard the card you drew. You must then turn one of your own face-down cards face up.
Rejecting does not end the turn by itself.
Two ways to start a turn. Taking the discard commits you to an exchange; drawing blind leaves you a choice.
Remove matching columns
Whenever all three cards in a vertical column are face up and equal, remove the full column and place it on the discard pile. A horizontal row does not count in Classic.
When a column disappears
A layout with three face-up 3s in one vertical column. The exchanged card reaches the discard pile first, then the matching column is placed on top and leaves the layout.
Two 3s already showing
One face-down card left in that column.
A third 3 arrives
Exchanged into the bottom of that column.
The column leaves
All three 3s go to the discard pile together. Nine points that will never be counted.
Classic removes vertical columns only.
End and score the round
Revealing every remaining card ends the round. Each other player has one final turn. Reveal all cards and add the values that remain. The round-ending player's positive score doubles unless it is the single lowest score.
Continue until a player reaches at least 100 points. The lowest cumulative score wins.
Counting a hand correctly
A layout with one removed column and nine remaining cards. Only the cards still in the grid are added; the removed column contributes nothing.
Everything face up
Twelve cards, one column already removed.
Count what is left
12 + 5 − 1 + 7 + 2 + 0 + 1 − 2 + 0 = 24. The three removed 7s add nothing.
Add only the cards still in the grid. A removed column is gone, not zeroed out afterwards.
The whole game in two minutes
Four steps: twelve cards each in four columns of three with two revealed; take the discard or draw blind; three matching cards in a column vanish; the lowest score wins.
Twelve cards, reveal two
Four columns of three in front of you.
Take the discard, or draw
One card leaves your grid face up, every turn.
Matching columns vanish
Three identical cards in a column go to the discard pile together.
Lowest score wins
Add what is left. Keep going until someone reaches 100.
Four things to know before your first turn.
Written in our own words and checked against the official rulebook. Skyjo.co.uk is an independent guide, not affiliated with Magilano. Spot an error? Tell us and we fix it.