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Best games like Skull King (2026): Skull King is the pirate trick-taking game where you bet on exactly how many tricks you will win. Bid too high or too low and you lose points, hit it exactly and you score big, and special cards like the Skull King, pirates, mermaids and the Kraken make every hand dramatic. If your table loves that blend of bidding and card play, these four games keep the fun going.
Our top pick for Skull King fans: The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine
The Crew keeps the trick-taking but makes everyone teammates. Each mission tells certain players to win certain cards, and you cannot talk about your hand. It costs about $15.
Price band: $10–$20 (about $15) · Check today’s price on Amazon
Games like Skull King at a glance
Card games built on tricks, bids and clever timing.
- Best co-op trick-taker: The Crew — 50 cooperative missions (about $15)
- Best for two: The Fox in the Forest — a two-player trick-taker (about $16)
- Best family card game: Five Crowns — rummy with rotating wilds for 1 to 7 (about $10)
- The original: Skull King — pirate bidding for 2 to 8 (about $20)
How Skull King plays
A game lasts ten rounds. In round one everyone gets one card, in round two two cards and so on up to ten. After looking at their hand, everyone bids at the same time with a fist pound and a shout of “Yo ho ho!” Four suits run from 1 to 14, and the black Jolly Roger suit is trump. Escape cards always lose, pirates beat suit cards, the Skull King beats pirates and mermaids beat the Skull King. Hit your bid exactly and you score 20 points per trick, miss and you lose 10 per trick you were off. A bid of zero is worth 10 points times the round number. The games below each share part of that formula.
1. The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine — groups who want to play together instead of against each other
Players: 2 to 5 · Price band: $10–$20 (about $15) · Pick for: Groups who want to play together instead of against each other · See The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine on Amazon
Players use four colored suits and rocket trump cards. Task cards say which player must win which card, and the whole team wins or loses the mission together. Communication is limited to one card per mission with a radio token.
It feels like Skull King’s trick-taking turned into a puzzle. Learn it in our Crew rules guide.
Skip it if: you love betting against your friends.
2. The Fox in the Forest — couples who love trick-taking
Players: 2 · Price band: $10–$20 (about $16) · Pick for: Couples who love trick-taking · See The Fox in the Forest on Amazon
The deck has 33 cards in three suits from 1 to 11, and odd-numbered cards have special powers, such as swapping the trump card or leading the next trick even after losing. Scoring rewards winning a modest number of tricks or almost all of them, but grabbing too many leaves you with nothing.
It has Skull King’s idea of aiming for the right number of tricks, built for two.
Skip it if: you have more than two players.
3. Five Crowns — families who want an easy card game with a twist
Players: 1 to 7 · Price band: Under $10 (about $10) · Pick for: Families who want an easy card game with a twist · See Five Crowns on Amazon
Five Crowns has five suits and eleven rounds, starting with three cards and ending with thirteen. The wild card changes every round, from threes in the first round to kings in the last. You try to form books and runs and go out with the lowest score.
It is not a trick-taker, but its growing rounds feel very much like Skull King’s. Our Five Crowns guide explains scoring, and our Five Crowns vs Phase 10 comparison helps you choose.
Skip it if: you want tricks and trumps.
4. Skull King — anyone who has not played it
Players: 2 to 8 · Price band: $10–$20 (about $20) · Pick for: Anyone who has not played it · See Skull King on Amazon
If you are new to Skull King, it is one of the best card games for groups of four to six. Our Skull King rules guide covers every special card and bonus.
Skip it if: you want a two-player game.
Skull King alternatives compared
| Game | Players | Trick-taking? | Bidding? | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skull King | 2 to 8 | Yes | Yes, exact | About 30 min |
| The Crew | 2 to 5 | Yes, co-op | No | 5 to 20 min a mission |
| The Fox in the Forest | 2 | Yes | Target ranges | About 30 min |
| Five Crowns | 1 to 7 | No | No | About 45 min |
Which game should you play next?
- Want teamwork? The Crew.
- Play as a couple? The Fox in the Forest.
- Want an easy family game? Five Crowns.
See more card games in our best cooperative card games or the best 2-player board games.
Games like Skull King FAQ
What card game is like Skull King?
The Crew shares the trick-taking core, and The Fox in the Forest shares the idea of aiming for the right number of tricks.
Is Skull King like Spades?
Yes. Both are trick-taking games with bids, but Skull King adds special cards and a growing hand size.
What is a good two-player game like Skull King?
The Fox in the Forest is a two-player trick-taker with special card powers.
