What makes it so much fun? Skip-Bo is actually a very simple game that it easy to learn and easy to play. Winning the game is a result of a unique combination of skill and luck of the draw.
The Skip-Bo deck of cards consist of 144 cards numbered 1 through 12 and 18Skip-Bo cards. The Skip-Bo cards in the deck are actually wild cards which can be used in the place of any of the numbers.
There are three main areas of play:
Stock Pile.
The key to winning is to get rid of all of the cards in your stock pile. At the beginning of the game, after the cards are shuffled, each player is dealt thirty cards for their stock pile. The topmost card of the stock pile is turned over to begin play. The remaining cards are part of the draw pile.
Build Piles.
Up to four build piles may be going at one time next to the remainder of the deck. These piles must be started with a #1 card or a Skip-Bo card and go through #12. When a build pile reaches #12, it is then taken aside to be shuffled when there are more cards needed for the draw pile.
Discard Piles.
Each player may have up to four discard piles next to his stock pile. To end a turn, a player must place a card in one of his discard piles.
The first player to go draws five cards from the draw pile. If there is a #1 or Skip-Bo on your stock pile, you may use that. If you have a #2 on your stock pile, you would have to play a #1 or Skip-Bo, then put out your card from the stock pile.
Once you have played the card on the stock pile, you turn over the card underneath it. The object of the game is to continue to build on the build piles until you can again play a card from your stock pile.
When you cannot (or will not) play another card, you must take one card out of your hand and put it in one of up to four discard piles. You may use these cards at any time that you can play them into the build piles. However, you turn must end with a card being put into one of the four discard piles. One part of the strategy is to construct your discard piles in such a way that you know what is in each pile and can use them when needed.
If a player manages to play all of the cards in his hand before placing a card in one of his discard piles, he may draw a new hand of five cards from the draw pile.
Another part of the strategy in Skip-Bo is trying to block your opponents from being able to play the cards that are in their own stock piles. That means that at times you cannot put down cards in the build piles which you would like to.
As I said, we play this game just about every night. At times, the games get heated, so if you or a family member are very competitive, you may have problems here.
My oldest daughter started playing when she was about seven, and has become a really good player now as she is about to turn eleven. My six year old is looking forward to learning herself if she is able to next summer. It is a somewhat simple game to learn, since the basic premise involves counting numbers.
At seven they can understand the basic game, but the necessary strategy escapes them. It is a good time to introduce the game to them, and gradually as they are used to it they will figure out the strategy for themselves and improve their play.
A variation of the game is to play with partners. In that case, your strategy changes as each set of partners tries to work together to get rid of each other's stock piles. There is also a greater temptation to cheat here and signal your partners with what you want them to do.
We have gone through at least five sets of cards already since the cards seem to wear very quickly. The game is fairly inexpensive, though. I'd definitely say we get our money's worth!
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