Skull Queen
The game
Position your crew optimally on your pirate ship to get as many points as possible by skillfully playing your cards without one of your pirates going overboard.
The rules
You can download the complete rules here.
Gameplay
There are as many rounds as there are players in the game.
Game material
50 cards (1 - 12 each in 4 colors and 1x 0 and 13 each)
24 pirate figures (6 each in 4 colors)
6 planks
All cards are dealt evenly - remaining cards are placed in the middle.
For 2 and 3 players, the 1s and 12s are omitted.
Then choose the side of your plank (ascending or descending) and place your 4 pirates on it; several pieces may be placed on the same space.
- Hand cards
- Choosing the plank side
- Confirm plank and pirate placement
- Plank
- Pirates
Whoever starts plays a card - everyone else in turn does the same.
The color played must be used.
If you cannot do this, you can play any other card.
Then the trick (including the cards in the middle of the table) is scored:
a) all single cards ( suits of which there is only 1 card in the trick ) are moved to the middle of the table.
b) Suits with several cards in play:
Whoever has placed the highest card of the respective color moves their corresponding pirate up 1 level on the plank, whoever has placed the lowest moves it down 1 level.
If you have to move a pirate up or down the plank, this pirate falls into the water and is out of the game for this round.
If the highest or lowest card of the color is in the middle of the table, no pirate is moved for these cards.
Special cards
Yes, madam!
This card has a value of 8 and is in play once in each color.
You must follow the usual rules when playing this card.
If this card is in a trick, the person with the highest card of this color must move their corresponding pirate up 2 spaces instead of 1 space.
A quick bite to eat
This card has a value of 5 and is in play once in each color.
You must follow the usual rules when playing this card.
If this card is in a trick, the person with the lowest card of this color must move their corresponding pirate down 2 spaces instead of 1 space.
Monkey
This card has a value of 0 and takes on the color played when it is played.
You can therefore play this card in every trick, regardless of whether you have the played color in your hand or not.
If this card is the first in the trick, the next card played determines the color played.
The monkey is the lowest card of the suit it takes.
You therefore move the pirate of this color down in any case.
First mate
This card has a value of 13 and takes on the color played when it is played.
You can therefore play this card in every trick, regardless of whether you have the played color in your hand or not.
If this card is the first in the trick, the next card played determines the color played.
The first mate is the highest card of the color it takes. You therefore always move the pirate of this color to the top.
Single cards remain in the middle of the table after scoring.
Whoever played the highest card in the last trick plays the first card of the new trick.
In the event of a tie, whoever played the highest card last.
End of a round and end of the game
Repeat this until you have played all the cards in your hand.
Then this round ends and you score points for all the pirates still on your plank.
Accordingly, as many rounds are played as there are people taking part.
Whoever has collected the most points after the last round wins the game.
Special rules for the two-player game
The old pirate king plays as the 3rd player (with a face-down stack):
a)He still thinks he is the king and therefore always plays the first card in the trick.
b)He doesn't understand the game and therefore always turns over the top card of his deck and places it (with a wry grin) in front of him.
The color of this card is the color played.
c)Now each choose a card from your hand and place it face down on the table.
You must use the color played if possible.
Then reveal the cards simultaneously and score the trick as usual.
d)His ship sank long ago, so he no longer has a plank or crew.
This is why he does not move any pieces when he plays the highest or lowest card.