Objective of the Game

Welcome to Skull, a game of bluffing and daring! Your goal is simple yet thrilling: prove your courage and keen eye by successfully completing two challenges, or by being the last player standing with discs. It's a high-stakes game where what you don't say is just as important as what you do!

Preparation (Setup)

Getting ready for a game of Skull is quick and easy:

1. Each player chooses one mat and their corresponding set of discs (which should include three flower discs and one skull disc).
2. Each player then secretly chooses one disc from their hand and places it face down on their mat. This is your initial play!
3. The player who starts the game is designated as the first player.

The Game Turn

A round of Skull unfolds in three exciting steps:

Step 1 - Turn Preparation

As mentioned in setup, each player starts by placing one disc face down on their mat.

Step 2 - Adding a Disc or Challenge

Starting with the first player and moving clockwise, each player must choose one of two actions:

• Add a Disc: Place another one of your discs face down on your mat, on top of any previously placed discs. This builds up your stack and potentially your bluff!
• Challenge: Instead of adding a disc, you can initiate a challenge by making a bid.
  • The player who starts the challenge declares a number of discs they intend to flip. This bid must start with all of their own discs that are currently on their mat.
  • Then, going clockwise, each subsequent player must either:
    • Increase the Bid: Raise the number of discs they are willing to flip.
    • Pass: Slide their mat forward, indicating they are out of the current round.
  • This bidding continues until only one player remains who has not passed. This player is known as the Challenger, and their final bid is the number of discs they must attempt to flip.

Step 3 - The Attempt

Now comes the moment of truth! The Challenger must attempt to flip the number of discs they bid:

• The Challenger begins by revealing all of their own discs that are on their mat.
• They then continue to flip discs from the top of any other player’s stack, one at a time, until one of two things happens:
  • A Skull is revealed: Oh no! The challenge has FAILED.
  • They have successfully flipped over the number of discs they bid without revealing any Skulls: Hooray! The challenge is a SUCCESS.

After the Attempt:

• If the Challenge FAILED (a Skull was flipped):
  • The Challenger loses one of their discs. This disc is chosen at random, unless the Challenger chose to flip their own Skull, in which case they choose which disc to lose.
  • If the Challenger lost their last disc, they are eliminated from the game.
  • All players take back their discs.
  • The owner of the revealed Skull starts the next round.
• If the Challenge SUCCESSFUL (no Skulls were flipped):
  • The Challenger wins the challenge! They flip their mat flower-side up.
  • If their mat is already flower-side up (meaning they've won a challenge before), they win the game immediately!
  • All players take back their discs.
  • The Challenger starts the next round.

End of Game and Scoring

A game of Skull can end in two exciting ways:

• Victory by Challenges: A player wins the game immediately if they successfully complete two challenges. This is indicated by their mat being flipped flower-side up twice.
• Victory by Elimination: If all other players have been eliminated (meaning they have lost all their discs), the last remaining player with discs wins the game!

Tips for Winning

To master Skull, keep these pointers in mind:

• Bluffing is Key: Don't just place flower discs! Sometimes, placing your Skull early can make other players hesitant to challenge your stack, allowing you to build up a strong position for a later bid.
• Read Your Opponents: Pay attention to how many discs other players are adding. A player who only places one disc might be trying to bait others into flipping their hidden Skull.
• Know When to Pass: You don't have to win every bid. Sometimes, passing and letting other players take risks is the smartest move, especially if you suspect a Skull is lurking in a stack.