How many points in Skyjo? Rules, card values and a free counter
- Cards
- 150, from −2 to 12
- Grid
- 12 cards, 3 rows of 4
- Game end
- 100 points
- Winner
- Lowest total
In short
In Skyjo, each player adds up the cards in their grid at the end of the round (from −2 to 12). The player who ended the round doubles their score if it isn’t strictly the lowest. The game ends when a player reaches 100 points; the lowest total wins.
The aim of the game
Skyjo is a card game where you want as few points as possible. Each player has a grid of 12 face-down cards in front of them, in 3 rows of 4. Over the turns you flip and swap cards to lower the total value of your grid. A round ends when a player has turned over all their cards; the game ends when a player goes past 100 points in total.
The cards and their values
The deck has 150 cards numbered from −2 to 12. Negative values and zeros are rare, high values are plentiful: that imbalance is what makes the swaps interesting.
| Value | Number of cards |
|---|---|
| −2 | 5 |
| −1 | 10 |
| 0 | 15 |
| 1 to 12 | 10 of each |
How a round goes
- Each player receives 12 face-down cards laid out in 3 rows of 4. The rest forms the draw pile; its top card is turned over to start the discard pile.
- Everyone turns over 2 cards of their grid. The player with the highest visible total starts.
- On your turn, either take the face-up discard and swap it with a card of your grid (face-up or not); or draw a card, then either swap it in or discard it and turn over one hidden card of your grid.
- When a column holds 3 identical face-up cards, it is removed from the grid and discarded: those cards won’t count.
- As soon as a player has all their cards face up, the others play one last turn, then everyone counts.
How to score
At the end of the round, each player turns over their remaining hidden cards and adds up the 12 cards (or what is left after removed columns). Negative cards subtract. A player’s total can therefore be negative.
The rule that changes everything: the player who ended the round must have strictly the lowest score. If another player’s total is lower or equal, the ending player’s round score is doubled. The doubling doesn’t apply if that score is negative or zero.
| Situation at the end of the round | Score of the player who ended it |
|---|---|
| They have strictly the lowest total | Their total, as is |
| Another player scores less, or the same | Their total × 2 |
| Their total is negative or zero | Their total, never doubled |
Round scores add up from round to round. As soon as a player reaches or passes 100 points in total at the end of a round, the game is over and the lowest total wins.
Worked example
Emma ends the round with 12 points. Nico has 8, Pat also has 12. Emma is not strictly the lowest (Nico has less, and Pat has the same): she scores 24. Nico scores 8, Pat 12. Had Emma finished on −3, she would have scored −3 without doubling, even without being the lowest.
Variants
- Short game: end at 50 points instead of 100, handy with two players or on an evening when you chain several games.
- Skyjo Action: the version with action cards scores the same way; only the turns change.
- No doubling: some tables ignore the doubling rule for children. In the counter, simply don’t tick “Ended the round”.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting the doubling on a tie: when the player who ended is level with someone else: a tie isn’t enough, you must be strictly lowest.
- Doubling a negative score: a −4 stays −4.
- Counting a removed column: the three identical cards of a column are out of the game and worth nothing.
- Stopping the game mid-round: you always finish the round; it is the total at the end of the round that counts for the 100 points.
Frequently asked questions
How many points to win in Skyjo?
You don’t win by reaching a score: the game ends as soon as a player reaches 100 points in total, and the player with the lowest total wins.
What happens if the player who ends the round doesn’t have the lowest score?
Their round score is doubled, unless it is negative or zero. On a tie with another player it is doubled too: you must be strictly the lowest.
How many cards are there in Skyjo?
150 cards, from −2 to 12: five −2s, ten −1s, fifteen 0s, then ten cards of each value from 1 to 12.
Can you have a negative score in Skyjo?
Yes. A grid full of −2s, −1s and 0s gives a negative total, which is subtracted from your running total.
What about a tie at the end of the game?
The official rules don’t settle it; most tables play one more round between the tied players, or share the win.
Score with the app
The Skyjo counter on How many points? applies these rules for you: enter each player’s score at the end of the round and it handles totals, ranking, game end and the winner. Players are saved with their photo, game history is kept, and everything works offline, with no account.
Skyjo is a game by Alexander Bernhardt, published by Magilano (2015) and sold with English rules. This page describes the usual scoring rules; the rulebook in the box prevails.
Published on 13 October 2026.