Killer Skip-Bo: House Rules Guide

Killer Skip-Bo is a creative and chaotic twist on the classic Skip-Bo game that adds new layers of strategy, unpredictability, and fun! Follow this guide to create your customized “Killer” Skip-Bo deck and learn the rules for gameplay.

Credit for these House rules go to Roxanne Clark

Making Your “Killer” Skip-Bo Deck

What You Need

1. Four Identical Decks of Playing Cards
   • Cheap decks work well, especially if you’re okay with marking them.
   • Card back colors can differ without affecting gameplay.
2. Jokers
   • Ensure each deck has two Jokers that are visually distinct (e.g., different designs or colors).

Deck Preparation

1. First Two Decks
   • Add the entire contents of the first two decks to your stack as they are, including their two Jokers.
2. Third Deck
   • Temporarily remove all 9s and 5s.
   • Mark these cards using a highlighter or pen:
     • Draw a colored box around the numbers or a ring to distinguish them.
   • Add the marked 9s and 5s and the rest of the deck to your stack.
3. Fourth Deck
   • From this deck, only add the following:
     • Jokers
     • Kings
   • Mark the Aces as Bomb Cards:
     • Use a black marker to customize them for their new role.
   • Exclude the rest of this deck from your stack.

Final Stack

Your custom Killer Skip-Bo stack should now have 172 cards:

• Aces (marked as Bomb Cards)
• Kings
• Jokers (two types)
• Specially marked 5s and 9s
• All other unaltered cards from the first three decks.

Thoroughly shuffle the stack before playing.

How to Play Killer Skip-Bo

Killer Skip-Bo follows the same general gameplay as traditional Skip-Bo, with a few key twists. Here’s a breakdown of the rules:

Basic Rules

1. Players use the Ace through Queen cards as numbers 1 through 12.
2. Kings are Wild Cards (similar to Skip-Bo cards in the original game).

New Special Rules

1. Jokers
   • Coloured Joker (REFRESH):
     • When played on a pile, the player must discard their entire hand and immediately draw new cards to refill their hand.
   • Black Joker (ADD):
     • When played, a card is added to the bottom of the opponent’s stockpile.
2. Specially Marked 5s and 9s
   • These cards can start a new building pile, bypassing the usual requirement of starting with a 1 (Ace).
3. Bomb Cards (Aces)
   • Placing a Bomb Card on a building pile clears the entire pile. Remove all cards in the pile from play.

Winning the Game

The goal remains the same as in regular Skip-Bo: be the first player to play all the cards in your stockpile.

Game Tips

• Strategic Bomb Usage: Use Bomb Cards tactically to disrupt your opponents’ progress or reset a pile to your advantage.
• Control Opponents with Black Jokers: Target opponents with large stockpiles to slow them down.
• Leverage Marked 5s and 9s: Starting a pile without needing an Ace gives you flexibility in managing your cards.

Optional House Rule Variations

• Add more Jokers or Bomb Cards for extra chaos.
• Limit the number of Bomb Cards a player can hold at once.
• Adjust hand sizes or stockpile sizes for longer or shorter games.

Enjoy Killer Skip-Bo! It’s a perfect way to spice up your next game night with friends and family. 🎲