Overview
Skip-Bo Deluxe is a card game in which you attempt to defeat up to 5 other players by being the first player to play all of their cards from their “card stock” pile.

Game type: Cards, vs, teams possible
Number of players: 2-6
Suggested age: 7+

Game Pieces
1 Deluxe Storage tin, 162 cards (144 cards numbered 1 through 12 and 18 skip-bo cards), 1 scoring pad, and 1 pencil.

Pregame Setup
To determine who is dealer first, shuffle the deck, and then each player draws a single card from the deck. If a player draws a skip-bo card, then that player must draw again until a number card is drawn. Higher number goes first. All cards that were drawn are then shuffled back into the deck. Play moves to the left of the dealer.

After the deck is shuffled, then deal 30 cards to each player if there are 2 to 4 players in the game or deal 20 cards to each player if there are 5 to 6 players in the game. These cards are dealt face down and will form each players “STOCK pile”. Players may not look at these cards or rearrange them in any way.

Each player then turns the top card on each of their own stock pile face up and leaves it at the top of the pile. The stock pile will always have the top card face up.

The rest of the deck is placed at the center of the play area and forms the “DRAW pile”. Near the draw pile up to 4 “BUILDING piles” may be created during play by the players. Each player may also have up to 4 “DISCARD piles” near their stockpile. There will be no cards in the building or discard piles until play is started.

Playing the Game
The player to the left of the dealer draws 5 cards from the draw pile. That player may play cards from their hand or from the top of their stockpile until they have no further plays to make or until they no longer wish to make any further plays. That player will then discard 1 card from their hand into the discard pile which signals the end of their turn. If a player uses all 5 cards that they drew, then they may draw another 5 cards and continue playing.

Skip-bo cards are wild and can be used in place of any other card.

Players play cards into the building piles by starting at 1, from there they count forward in sequential order to 12, and then the pile is discarded and then the pile can start again from 1.

At the beginning of your turn, you will always draw enough cards to bring your hand back up to 5.

You may play cards (in any acceptable order) from the top any of your four discards, your hand, or from your stockpiles during your turn.

If the draw pile is depleted, then the discard pile is shuffled and then used as the draw pile.

Winning the Game
The objective is to deplete your “stock pile” first. You should try to use cards from your stockpile first or use cards from your hand/discard to get to cards in your stockpile.

When a player successfully uses every card in their stockpile then the game is ended and they are awarded 5 points for each card left in every other player’s stockpile and 25 points for winning the game. The first person to 500 points wins the game

Special Rules
If you draw too many cards on accident, then any of the extra cards you draw must be shuffled into your own stockpile

If a player plays out of turn and the error is noticed, then that turn is ended immediately and the turn will revert to the proper player. The player that played out of turn is then penalized by not being allowed to draw on their next actual turn. However. If that player manages to complete their turn before anyone notices, then that turn is considered valid and players will adopt the new turn order (player to the left of the “out of turn” player will play next)

Teams may continue to play from each others discard or stockpiles even if one of the players’ stockpiles is already finished.

Teams are set up as 2v2 or 3v3 and the players on each team alternate turns until all of their teams stockpiles are depleted; players may use the discard or stockpiles of their own team (shared resources).

You can shorten the length of game rounds by only dealing out fewer stock cards to each player, and shorten the game length by reducing the total number of points required to win.