Mattel's Skip-BoPhoto: Mattel
Number cards from 1 to 12, plus SKIP-BO wildsPhoto: Mattel
Build shared piles in order from 1 to 12Photo: Cantons-de-l'Est, CC0
Plays well from 2 to 6Photo: Mattel
Calm enough for all agesPhoto: Mattel
Mattel's box says it's made in IndiaPhoto: Mattel
Video

Card game

Skip-Bo

Build shared piles from 1 to 12 and empty your Stockpile first

2–6players · best with 2-4
20–45 minplaying time
7+recommended age
Learning curve
Very easy1 / 5
EasyDemanding
Luck & skill
More luck than skill
LuckSkill
Interaction
Medium
Set-up
About 3 min
Reading
None

The quick verdict

Full verdict ↓

Great for Families who know UNO and want a calmer card game with a bit more planning

Think twice if You want a quick filler: with full 30-card Stockpiles a game can drag on

How we rate it

Learning curve. Play numbers in order from 1 to 12 and use the wilds; the only extra rules are the discard piles and partnership play.

Luck & skill. The cards you draw decide a lot. Choosing which card to discard, and when to hold back rather than help the next player, is where skill comes in.

Interaction. Everyone builds on the same piles, so you can block others by holding back cards or avoid setting up the next player, but no card attacks another player directly.

Set-up. Shuffle, deal a 30-card Stockpile to each player (20 with five or six players) and turn the top card of each face up.

Reading. Only numbers and the SKIP-BO wild on the cards.

Learning curve: 1 = UNO or Connect 4; 3 = Catan; 5 = a heavy strategy game. These describe the experience, not an overall score.

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Is Skip-Bo right for you?

Great if

  • Families who know UNO and want a calmer card game with a bit more planning
  • Mixed ages: anyone who can count to 12 can join in, from a seven-year-old to a grandparent
  • Couples and pairs, since it plays well with two
  • Groups of up to six, or four to six players as partners

Skip it if

  • You want a quick filler: with full 30-card Stockpiles a game can drag on
  • Your group wants deep strategy, because the cards you draw decide a lot
  • You want lots of attacking and shouting; Skip-Bo has no cards that hit other players

How Skip-Bo plays

Set-up: shuffle the 162 cards and deal each player a face-down Stockpile, 30 cards each with 2 to 4 players or 20 each with 5 or 6. Everyone turns the top card of their Stockpile face up. The rest of the cards form the draw pile, and there is space in the middle for up to four shared building piles.

  • Time to teach: about 5 minutes.
  • Reading and language: The cards show only the numbers 1 to 12 and the SKIP-BO wild, so nobody needs to read during play. Only the rule sheet is in English, and the game is easy to explain in Hindi or any language. Each card also carries small symbols so colour-blind players can tell the colours apart.
Build shared piles in order from 1 to 12 · Photo: Cantons-de-l'Est, CC0

Skip-Bo - How To Play · Cardboard Crash Course

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A turn, step by step

  1. 1
    Draw

    Draw from the pile until you hold five cards.

  2. 2
    Build

    Play onto the shared building piles in order from 1 to 12, using your hand, the top of your Stockpile or your discard piles. SKIP-BO cards are wild.

  3. 3
    Discard

    End your turn by placing one card from your hand on one of your own discard piles (up to four).

  4. 4
    Win

    The first player to play the last card of their Stockpile wins the hand.

Read the official rules (PDF)Skip-Bo instruction sheet (Mattel item 42050) · English
The full explanation: how a game of Skip-Bo goes

A turn: draw until you hold five cards. Then play cards onto the building piles in the middle. A pile must start with a 1 or a SKIP-BO wild and goes up one number at a time to 12; when it reaches 12 it is cleared away and a new pile can start. You can play from your hand, from the top of your Stockpile (turning the next card over each time) or from the top of your own discard piles. If you use all five cards in your hand, draw five more and carry on.

End your turn by putting one card from your hand on one of your own discard piles. You can have up to four, stacked in any order, but only the top card of each can be played later, so careful discarding is where most of the skill lies.

How you win: the first player to play the last card of their Stockpile wins the hand. Under Mattel's full rules the winner scores 25 points plus 5 for every card left in the other players' Stockpiles, and the first to 500 points wins, though most families just play single hands.

Variants: for a quicker game, deal Stockpiles of 10 cards each (Mattel's short game). With four or six players you can play in pairs: on your turn you may also play from your partner's Stockpile and discard piles, but your partner must stay quiet. Skip-Bo grew out of the old card game Spite and Malice, which is played with ordinary playing cards.

What's in the box

Number cards from 1 to 12, plus SKIP-BO wilds · Photo: Mattel
  • 144Number cards
    twelve each of 1 to 12
  • 18SKIP-BO wild cards
  • 1Instruction sheet

From Mattel's own listing for item 42050 (162 cards and instructions) and its rule sheet, which gives 144 number cards and 18 SKIP-BO cards. Mattel's international box (item 52370) has the same 162 cards. Older sets from International Games had 24 SKIP-BO cards. The rule sheet says to remove any blank cards before playing; we did not check whether the current box includes any.

Where to buy

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How to make sure you get a genuine copyEditions and the details worth checking.

About the editions

Skip-Bo is made in India: the back of Mattel's current box (item 42050) says 'Made in India', and Mattel's Indian company, Mattel Toys (I) Pvt. Ltd. in Mumbai, sells it here. It's the same 162-card game Mattel sells in North America. We couldn't confirm which box our Amazon.in listing sends, so check that the brand shown is Mattel.

Before you choose

  • Look for the Mattel Games logo and the Skip-Bo name on the box. Indian listings name Mattel Toys (I) Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai, and the current box is item 42050 with barcode 078206020504.
  • Count the cards: 162 in all, made up of twelve each of 1 to 12 (144 cards) and 18 SKIP-BO wild cards.
  • Mattel's current cards carry small symbols next to the colours so colour-blind players can play. A deck without them may be an old set or not Mattel's.
  • Check for the ISI mark and an Indian importer or manufacturer address on the box; toys sold in India must carry the ISI mark.
  • Be careful with listings that use the Skip-Bo name but show no Mattel branding in their photos.

What reviewers and players say

Reviewers describe Skip-Bo as an easy, accessible family card game: anyone who can count to 12 can join in, from children to grandparents, and the big 162-card deck handles up to six players. The main complaints are length and luck. With full 30-card Stockpiles a game can run much longer than such a simple game deserves, and the cards you draw often decide the winner, though careful discarding helps. Geeky Hobbies calls it a very average card game that is fun in short doses, and Mattel's own short game with 10-card Stockpiles is the easy fix for the length.

What people love

  • Anyone who can count to 12 can play, so children and grandparents can sit at the same table
  • Simple, relaxed play that is fun in short bursts
  • The big deck means less shuffling and room for up to six players

Common complaints

  • Games run long, especially with 30-card Stockpiles
  • Luck of the draw often decides the winner
  • Players can hold back cards to avoid helping others, which can stall a game
Based on 5 reviews and discussions

Summarised in our own words from the sources above. We don't use Amazon reviews or ratings.

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Questions people ask about Skip-Bo

How many cards are in Skip-Bo?

There are 162 cards: 144 number cards (twelve each of 1 to 12) and 18 SKIP-BO wild cards. If your deck also has blank cards, Mattel's rules say to set them aside.

How many cards do you deal in Skip-Bo?

Each player gets a face-down Stockpile of 30 cards with 2 to 4 players, or 20 cards with 5 or more. For a shorter game Mattel suggests 10 each. At the start of every turn you also draw up to a hand of five.

Is Skip-Bo the same as UNO?

No. Both are Mattel card games, but in UNO you match colours and numbers to empty your hand, while in Skip-Bo you build shared piles in order from 1 to 12 to empty your Stockpile. Skip-Bo is calmer, with no Draw Two or Skip cards to throw at other players.

Can two people play Skip-Bo?

Yes. It plays 2 to 6, and two-player games work well. With four or six players you can also play as partners, helping each other from your piles.

Who sells Skip-Bo in India, and is it made here?

Mattel's Indian company, Mattel Toys (I) Pvt. Ltd. in Mumbai, sells it as item 42050, and the back of Mattel's current box says 'Made in India'.

Game facts

Designed by
Hazel Bowman
Publisher
Mattel (Mattel Games)
In India
Mattel Toys (I) Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai (named as manufacturer/importer on an Indian store listing)
First published
1967
Players
2–6
Barcode
078206020504
Language
No reading – The cards show only the numbers 1 to 12 and the SKIP-BO wild, so nobody needs to read during play. Only the rule sheet is in English, and the game is easy to explain in Hindi or any language. Each card also carries small symbols so colour-blind players can tell the colours apart.
Sources & photo creditsThe references behind this guide.

Facts on this page come from the publisher, the Indian maker or distributor, and the sources below. Photos are credited under each one.