Card game
SKYJO
Swap and flip cards to finish each round with the lowest score
- Set-up
- About 2 min
- Reading
- None
The quick verdict
Full verdict ↓Great for Family evenings where grandparents, parents and children from about 8 play together
Think twice if Your table is small: every player needs room for a grid of 12 cards
How we rate it
Learning curve. Two choices a turn and simple scoring; the only tricky bits are the column and doubling rules.
Luck & skill. Which cards you draw and what lies face down in your grid matter a lot; choosing what to keep and when to end a round is the skill.
Interaction. You mostly work on your own grid, though you can take or deny cards from the shared discard pile.
Set-up. Shuffle, deal 12 cards each into a 3 x 4 grid, start the discard pile and flip two cards each.
Reading. Only numbers 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 SKYJO right for you?
Great if
- Family evenings where grandparents, parents and children from about 8 play together
- Groups of up to 8, since everyone plays their own grid and turns are quick
- Children practising mental maths, including adding negative numbers
- Mixed-language tables: the cards show only numbers
Skip it if
- Your table is small: every player needs room for a grid of 12 cards
- You want bluffing or lots of player interaction; mostly you work on your own grid
- You want a five-minute filler; a full game to 100 points runs over several rounds
How SKYJO plays
Set-up: shuffle the 150 cards (values -2 to 12) and deal 12 face down to each player, laid out in a grid of three rows and four columns. Turn the top card of the deck face up to start the discard pile. Everyone flips two of their own cards, and whoever shows the highest total starts.
- Time to teach: about 5 minutes.
- Reading and language: The cards show only numbers from -2 to 12, so nothing needs reading during play. Magilano's current box has rules in English, Spanish and French; the game is easy to explain in Hindi or any language, and children practise adding up, including negative numbers.
How to play SKYJO CARDGAME (official rules, instructions and gameplay) | SPIELREGELN TV · SPIELREGELN TV
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A turn, step by step
- 1Draw
Take the top card of the discard pile, or draw an unknown card from the deck.
- 2Swap
Swap the card into your grid of 12, or throw a drawn card away and flip one of your face-down cards instead.
- 3Clear
Three identical numbers in a column are discarded, removing their points.
- 4Win
When someone reaches 100 points over several rounds, the lowest total wins.
The full explanation: how a game of SKYJO goes
A turn: take either the top card of the discard pile or the top card of the deck. A card from the discard pile must replace one of your 12 cards, face up or face down, and the card you replace goes onto the discard pile. A card from the deck can be swapped in the same way, or thrown away, in which case you must flip one of your face-down cards.
Columns and the end of a round: if a column shows three identical numbers, the whole column is discarded, which can wipe out a lot of points. When one player has turned over all their cards, everyone else gets one last turn, then all cards are revealed and added up. The player who ended the round must have the lowest total; if not, their score for the round is doubled.
How you win: scores carry over from round to round. When anyone reaches 100 points, the game ends and the player with the fewest points wins.
Tip: -2s, -1s and 0s are precious, so watch the discard pile to see what others are collecting, and don't rush to end a round unless you are sure you are lowest. For younger children, Magilano makes SKYJO Junior with picture cards.
What's in the box
- 150Number cards
five -2s, ten -1s, fifteen 0s and ten each of 1 to 12 - 1Score pad
100 sheets - 1Rules booklet
English, Spanish and French on Magilano's current box
Box: 0.36 kg. Handy to know for gifting and travel.
Magilano's product page lists 150 playing cards, a 100-page score pad and instructions. The split of card values comes from RulesPal's rules page and agrees with the 150-card total; it was not checked against a box. Older or other-language boxes may have rules in different languages.
Where to buy
Paid link · We may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
How to make sure you get a genuine copyEditions and the details worth checking.
What reviewers and players say
Reviewers describe SKYJO as an easy family card game that works from 2 to 8 players and suits several generations at one table. They like the light suspense of the face-down cards, the small, portable box and how children can play on their own once they understand negative numbers. The main drawback mentioned is the table space each player's grid of 12 cards needs, and it is a game of luck and small decisions rather than deep strategy.
What people love
- Simple rules that families learn in a few minutes
- Works with 2 to 8 players without becoming chaotic
- Suspense from the face-down cards in every grid
- Small, portable box
Common complaints
- Each player needs a fair amount of table space
- Luck of the draw matters more than strategy
Based on 4 reviews and discussions
- Review Family Board Game Review: Skyjo (Linda Wrobel, April 2023) · Engaged Family Gaming
- Reference Skyjo Rulebook · RulesPal
- Reference Skyjo rules · GameRules.com
- Reference SKYJO (maker's product page) · Magilano
Summarised in our own words from the sources above. We don't use Amazon reviews or ratings.
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Why consider it | This game Swap and flip cards to finish each round with the lowest score | A different fit Another quick number-card game with a push-your-luck twist | A different fit The family card game most households already know | A different fit A longer family card game played over many rounds |
| Players | 2–8 | 3–18 | 2–10 | 2–6 |
| Best with | 3-6 | 5-8 | 4-6 | 3-5 |
| Play time | 30–45 min | 20–40 min | 10–30 min | 45–90 min |
| Age | 8+ | 8+ | 7+ | 7+ |
| Rules | Easy | Easy | Easy | Easy |
| Indian edition | Imported | Imported | Imported | Available |
| On this page | Explore Flip 7 | Explore UNO | Explore Phase 10 |
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Questions people ask about SKYJO
How many cards are in SKYJO?
There are 150 number cards: five -2s, ten -1s, fifteen 0s and ten each of 1 to 12. The box also has a score pad and the rules; each player uses 12 cards at a time.
What is the difference between SKYJO and SKYJO Action?
SKYJO Action is a separate Magilano game built on the same idea, with 8 action cards and star joker cards added. Our link goes to the original SKYJO, which is the simpler one to start with.
Can two people play SKYJO?
Yes. The box says 2 to 8 players and the rules are the same at every count; with more players there is more happening on the discard pile and each round is a little longer.
What age is SKYJO for?
Magilano says 8 and up, since players add up positive and negative numbers. For children from 4, Magilano makes SKYJO Junior with picture cards.
How long does a game of SKYJO take?
Magilano says about 30 minutes. A game runs over several rounds until someone reaches 100 points, so big groups may take a little longer; you can also agree to play a fixed number of rounds.
Game facts
- Designed by
- Alexander Bernhardt
- Publisher
- Magilano (Germany)
- First published
- 2015
- Players
- 2–8
- Barcode
- 4260470080001
- Language
- No reading – The cards show only numbers from -2 to 12, so nothing needs reading during play. Magilano's current box has rules in English, Spanish and French; the game is easy to explain in Hindi or any language, and children practise adding up, including negative numbers.
- Box size and weight
- 0.36 kg
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.