2013 · Card Game
Skull King
A nautical-themed trick-taking card game in which players simultaneously bid how many tricks they expect to win each round and then play cards to meet that exact bid. Rounds increase in size over ten rounds, with each player dealt a number of cards equal to the round number. Players lead and others follow suit when possible; special unnumbered cards (Escapes, Pirates, Mermaids, Tigress and the Skull King) interact with suit cards and with each other to override normal trick resolution. Scoring rewards exact bids and penalizes over- or under-taking tricks, with special bonuses and penalties for zero bids and for interactions between pirates, mermaids and the Skull King.
- Players
- 2–8 best 5
- Playing time
- 30 min
- Age
- 8+
- Complexity
- 1.7 / 5
About the game
- Design
- Publisher
Expansions
See them in Ludoya
Photos from Ludoya tables
All photos in Ludoya
Where to buy it
Shop prices and second-hand copies, checked every day.
On Ludoya's tables
Full stats in Ludoya- 2,826
- Plays logged
- 2,134
- Players
- 43m 42s
- Average play
- 443
- In collections
- 34
- On wishlists
- 1
- Pre-ordered
7.5/10
from 151 Ludoya reviews
Garfield8.0 #14 Wie Jasse, nur spannender :D [c] Theme: :star::nostar::nostar::nostar::nostar: <!-- size 7]None --> Gameplay: :star::star::star::nostar::nostar: <!-- size 7]Funny --> Interaction: :star::star::star::nostar::nostar: <!-- size 7]Stich --> Artwork: :star::star::star::nostar::nostar: <!-- size 7]Nice illustrations --> Luck: :star::star::star::star::nostar: <!-- size 7]A lot of luck involved --> Strategy: :star::star::nostar::nostar::nostar: <!-- size 7]A little bit --> Components: :star::star::nostar::nostar::nostar: <!-- size 7]Normal cards --> Play duration: :star::star::star::nostar::nostar: <!-- size 7]Ok --> Easy to teach: :star::star::star::star::nostar: <!-- size 7]Very easy --> Rules quality: :star::star::star::star::star: <!-- size 7]Very good --> Setup time: :star::star::star::star::star: <!-- size 7]Ready to play... --> No downtime: :star::star::star::star::star: <!-- size 7]Very fast --> Replay value: :star::nostar::nostar::nostar::nostar: <!-- size 7]Not much I can think of --> [/c]
el mejor puto juego de bazas que he jugado nunca!! Brutal!!
Mestremuten9.0 Rating: 5/5 Production value: 3/4 Is the game in my collection/Love to have?: 1/1
Rules questions
Answered from the rulebook by Ludoya's rules assistant.
Do I have to follow suit, or can I play a special card instead?
You must normally follow the suit led, but special cards (Escape, Pirate, Mermaid, Scary Mary, Skull King) may be played at any time — even if you could follow suit (see pages 1 and 8).
How does Scary Mary work — can I play it as a Pirate or an Escape?
Scary Mary may be played either as a Pirate or as an Escape, and the player must announce which function they are using when they play it (see pages 2 and 8).
If both the Skull King and a Mermaid are played in the same trick, who wins?
If the Mermaid and Skull King are in the same trick the Mermaid always wins the trick, and capturing the Skull King with a Mermaid yields a 50‑point bonus (see pages 1 and 2).
Does the Skull King give bonus points when he wins tricks that contain Pirate cards, and does Scary Mary count as a Pirate?
Yes — if the Skull King wins a trick that contains one or more Pirate cards, the Skull King’s player gets +30 points per Pirate, and Scary Mary always counts as a Pirate for that bonus regardless of how she was played (see pages 2 and 8).
What happens if everyone plays an Escape card in the same trick?
If every player plays an Escape in a trick, the trick is won by the player who played the first Escape card (see pages 1 and 8).
How are bids scored, and what special rule applies to a "no tricks" (zero) bid?
A correct bid scores 20 points per trick; an incorrect non‑zero bid is penalized −10 points per trick difference; a successful zero bid scores the current round number ×10 points, while a failed zero bid is penalized by that same round×10 amount (see pages 2 and 8).
Score sheets and play helpers
- Hoja de Puntuación
- Fulla de Puntuació
- Kit de jeu
Free, on web, Android and iOS
Play Skull King with Ludoya
- Keep it in your collectionTrack your copy and its expansions, lend it to friends, or put it on your wishlist and get told when the price drops.Add it to your collection
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Game facts (players, playing time, age, credits) from BoardGameGeek.