Five Crowns is a strategic and addictive rummy-style card game with a unique twist: the game is played with five colors of cards and has multiple rounds in which the number of cards per round increases.

Five Crowns is an accessible yet challenging card game that feels different every round and remains exciting until the very end.

🎯 Objective of the game

The goal is to have as few penalty points as possible after eleven rounds. Players try to make sets (three or more matching cards) and runs (consecutive cards of the same suit) in each round. At the end of each round, the remaining cards count as penalty points. Each round has a different wild card, which makes the game extra tactical.

👥 Target audience

Suitable for families, card enthusiasts, and groups of friends
Recommended age: 8 years and up
Ideal for players who enjoy strategy with a touch of luck
Great for a relaxed game night

👤 Number of players

Minimum: 1 player (solo variant possible)
Maximum: 7 players

Type of game

🍀 Luck: 🔴🔴🔴🔴⚪ The cards you receive are random, so luck plays a role.

💣 Risk: 🔴🔴⚪⚪⚪ There is little direct risk; players mainly try to keep as few points as possible.

🧠 Tactics: 🔴🔴🔴⚪⚪ You have to choose wisely which cards to keep, which to discard, and when to go out.

📖 Rules of the game (summary)

CARDS: The game consists of two decks of 58 cards. Each deck has three jokers and five suits: stars, hearts, clubs, spades, and diamonds. Each suit has eleven cards: 3 through 10, jack, queen, and king.

JOKERS: Jokers are always jokers. There are also changing jokers that change every round. The changing jokers are based on the number of cards dealt in that round. So if 3 cards are dealt, the 3s are jokers, if 4 cards are dealt, the 4s are jokers, and so on, until the last round, when the kings are jokers.

STREAKS: A streak consists of three or more cards of the same value, regardless of suit. Any card in a book can be replaced by a joker. You can have as many jokers in a streak as you want, and they can be placed next to each other.

SERIES: A series consists of a sequence of three or more consecutive cards of the same suit. Each card in a series can be replaced by a joker. You can have as many jokers in a series as you wish, and they may be placed next to each other.

SHARE:
1. Shuffle both decks of cards together.
2. In the first round, deal 3 cards, one at a time, clockwise, to each player. Each round, increase the number of cards dealt by one. In the second round, 4 cards are dealt, in the third round 5 cards, and so on, until the last round, in which each player receives 13 cards.
3. Place the remaining cards in the center of the table to form the draw pile and turn over the top card to start the discard pile.

PLAYING:
1. The player to the left of the dealer starts, and play continues clockwise.
2. Begin your turn by drawing a card from the draw pile OR taking the top card from the discard pile. You can only take the top card.
3. Keep all your runs and/or sequences in your hand until you can go out.
4. End your turn by discarding one card.
5. Going out: Start your turn as usual, then lay your entire hand in books and/or sequences on the table in front of you before discarding your last card. You can only use the cards you were dealt to make your books and/or runs. You must have one card left to discard. The card you discard must be a playable card.
6. Once a player is out, all other players have one more turn. Start your last turn as usual, but lay down all the books and/or runs you can before discarding. All unused cards count towards your score. You may not play on another player's rows and/or series.
7. Cards used in rows and/or series do not count towards the score. Players only add up their unused cards. The scorekeeper records and tallies the scores.
8. Card values: Each number card is worth its face value, jacks are 11 points, queens are 12, kings are 13, jokers are 50, and the current jokers are 20 points.
9. The player to the left of the dealer shuffles all the cards and deals the next round. Don't forget to increase the number of cards dealt by one card and keep track of the changing jokers! The game continues until the 11th round, when each player receives 13 cards and the kings become jokers.
10. At the end of the game, the player with the lowest score wins.

TIPS:
1. Keep your options open. You can even come back in the last round; hence the slogan: The game isn't over until the kings go wild!
2. When you are unsure which card is wild, count the number of cards you have dealt. That number is wild for that round.
3. The rare cases:
• If you have a joker in your hand that you cannot use, you may discard it. This saves you points, but may help the next player.
• When all cards in the draw pile have been used, shuffle the discard pile to replenish the draw pile.
• If there is a tie for the lowest score: you can have multiple winners OR play a deciding round of 6 cards for only the players with a tie.
4. Hosting a party? Combine two games and play with up to 14 people.

📖 Official Rules of the Game

• Dutch
• English