Skyjo Rules and Scoring
Skyjo is a game about getting rid of points, not collecting them. Your twelve face-down cards are a debt you spend the round trying to shrink.
The deck
| Value | Copies in the deck |
|---|---|
| −2 | 5 |
| −1 | 10 |
| 0 | 15 |
| 1 to 12 | 10 of each |
Clearing a column
Three identical cards in the same column are removed from your grid entirely and score nothing. Three twelves cleared is 36 points erased in one move — it is the single strongest play in the game.
The doubling penalty
The player who ends the round by revealing their last card must have the strictly lowest total. If anyone matches or beats them, their own score is doubled. That rule is what stops players from closing the round the moment they are slightly ahead.
End of the game
Rounds continue until any player reaches 100 points or more. That player has lost; the lowest cumulative total wins. Reaching exactly 100 still ends the game.
Frequently asked questions
You can, but it is usually a mistake: you would be removing −6 from your total, making your score six points worse.
You either swap a drawn card with one in your grid, or discard the drawn card and flip a face-down one. You cannot pass.