Edition: The Skip-Bo card game from Mattel with 162 cards. Last checked October 25, 2026
Skip-Bo Rules: How to Play Skip-Bo
Skip-Bo is a family card game where everyone races to get rid of their own stockpile by building piles from 1 to 12 in the middle of the table. Here are the rules and answers to the questions people most often have.
- Players
- 2 to 6
- Age
- 7 and up
- Playing time
- 30 to 45 minutes
How to win: Be the first player to play every card in your stockpile.
Who is right?
The classic arguments at the table when you play Skip-Bo.
Can you move a card from one discard pile to another?
No.
Cards from your discard piles may only be played onto the building piles in the middle. You also may not move cards from your hand into your stockpile.
No common house rule allows it, but some families go easy on the youngest players.
Do the cards on your discard piles have to be in order?
No.
You may place any card on any of your 4 discard piles. Only the top card can be played.
Some say you must discard in descending order, like 9 on 10. That is not an official rule.
Do you have to end your turn with a discard even if you emptied your hand?
No, you draw 5 more.
If you play every card in your hand, draw 5 new cards and keep going. Your turn only ends when you discard onto a discard pile.
Some end the turn when the hand is empty and refill at the start of their next turn.
Can you choose not to play a card even if you can?
Yes.
You are never forced to play a card, even if it fits. You can always end your turn by discarding.
Some families say you must play the top card of your stockpile if it fits.
What you need
- A Skip-Bo deck with 144 number cards from 1 to 12 and 18 Skip-Bo wild cards
Setup
- 1Shuffle the cards. With 2 to 4 players, each player gets 30 cards in their stockpile. With 5 or more, each gets 20.
- 2Place your stockpile face down in front of you and turn the top card face up.
- 3The rest of the cards form the draw pile in the middle.
- 4Leave room for 4 shared building piles in the middle and 4 discard piles in front of each player.
How to play
- 1Start your turn by drawing cards until you have 5 in your hand.
- 2A building pile can only be started with a 1 or a Skip-Bo card.
- 3Build upward in order, 2 on 1, 3 on 2 and so on up to 12.
- 4You may play cards from your hand, from the top of your stockpile and from the top of your discard piles.
- 5When you play the top card of your stockpile, turn over the next one.
- 6If you play all 5 cards from your hand, draw 5 more and keep going.
- 7When a building pile reaches 12, it is cleared away and a new one can be started.
- 8Your turn ends when you place one card from your hand on one of your discard piles.
- 9The first player to play their whole stockpile wins the round.
Skip-Bo cards
A Skip-Bo card is wild and can be played as any number from 1 to 12. It can be played from your hand, your stockpile or your discard piles.
Scoring over several rounds
If you play several rounds, the winner scores 25 points plus 5 points for every card left in the opponents' stockpiles. The first to 500 points wins.
House rules
Pick the rules you want to play with tonight. Everyone at the table has to agree.
Our Skip-Bo rules for tonight
Everything else follows the official rules.
Frequently asked questions
How many cards go in a Skip-Bo stockpile?
30 cards with 2 to 4 players and 20 cards with 5 or more. For a shorter game you can use fewer.
What happens when the draw pile runs out?
Shuffle the completed building piles from 1 to 12 and use them as a new draw pile.
Can you play Skip-Bo in teams?
Yes. With 5 or more players you can play in pairs, where you may also play from your partner's stockpile and discard piles.
Source: Mattel's Skip-Bo rulebook, explained in our own words. The rules are written in our own words. Ask the referee if you are unsure.