Designed by: Hervé Marly
To claim victory at Skull (also known as Skull and Roses) you only need to win two rounds, but that’s easier said than done, as many rounds end in defeat!
Each player begins with one square cardboard mat and four circular ones. The round mats are used during play and the square mat to score. Three of the round mats have flowers on them, and one has a skull. At the start of each round everyone plays a circular mat face down on top of their square mat. They may play either a flower or a skull. Then the starting player has two choices – they can add another mat on top of their original one, or they can bid; which means a guess as to how many flower mats they can flip over without encountering a skull. If they add another mat, the choice of adding or bidding moves to the next player.
As soon as a bid is made the other players – working clockwise – have the option of upping the bid. Once everyone but one player has passed, the player who bid highest begins turning over mats – starting with their own. If they flip their bid amount of flowers (the roses of the title) without encountering a skull, they win the round and get to flip their square mat over.
If they encounter a skull, they lose the round and also lose one of their round mats – potentially their skull.
As soon as someone wins a second round, they have won and the game is over.
There's no reason to feel got at in Skull - while there may be hidden skulls - and someone may bid knowing they have a skull themselves, trusting someone will outbid them - nobody is forced to make a bid. (Exception - when all mats have been played; though this rarely happens)
Almost none.
The only thing you'll truly know is what's on your own mat, so it's a game of hunches.
Very simple to play and if you like a bit of tension in your games, very re-playable.
3-6
Players
8+
Years
30-60
Mins
Sam says
Oooof! Skull can be so brutal when you get it wrong - and you will - and almost euphoric when you get it right. It's a game that demands nerves of steel - are you going bluff, and bid when you've put down a skull hoping like crazy someone else will outbid you? Will you double-bluff and bid low, trying to give the impression you're hoping to be outbid? Or triple-bluff? Or just go completely random??? Because of the way the game is structured, it's easy just to keep playing skulls and trying to knock other people out. But the danger in that strategy is someone will win before you even get around to making a bid!