Skull published by Asmodee is an unassuming fast-play bluffing game for 3-6 players with super simple mechanics and a large dollop of deception.
Players take turns placing a circular cardboard disc face down from their hand of four.
Each is essentially an exquisitely illustrated coaster or beer mat (remember those?)– decorated with eye-catching motifs and colours akin to something from a Mexican Day of the dead celebration.
4 disc wonder
Each player’s hand consists of three discs with a flower design and a fourth depicting a skull. In addition, each player has a square mat in their chosen colour placed in front of them to track their score. A flipped mat denotes that they’ve won one round, win a second round and they’ve won the game.
Play continues clockwise until everyone has placed down a mat.
For subsequent loops of the table players continue placing mats down or start the bidding. Once bidding starts, players must bid a higher number or pass until only one player’s bid remains.
Whomever bids the highest must then demonstrate their confidence by flipping over the staked number of mats, flipping all their own mats first.
Revealing a skull means they lose a random mat from their hand.
bluff-bait
And so begins a series of finely balanced rounds of cat and mouse, with some players luring in the others with bluff bids fully aware their own mat pile contains a skull, but hoping to tempt someone else to outbid them whilst simultaneously encouraging themselves to be selected “Why would they have bid if they knew they had a skull? Oh it was a complete bluff!”
“eh, is this it?”
Inevitably, mutual feelings of “eh, is this it?” will overshadow everyones very first game, but the silent, psychological power game that follows is thoroughly intoxicating.
Subtle duplicitous strategies begin to coalesce in everyone’s minds, and invariably paired with a stifled broad grin. “Oh, I geddit now, heh heh.”
Skull is a thread bare game mechanically, relying on the unseen and the unconfirmed to fester in players’ minds. Sowing the seed of distrust with every bid.
suspicious minds
The suspicion accompanying every play is an unnerving necessity – was my darling butter-wouldn’t-melt-in-the-mouth daughter’s bid the truth, or was it just a casual deceit (like last time)?
Your attempts to fathom how and why this bluff mechanic works will be left unanswered and met with a new terrible addiction. With the right group of bluff fellows Skull proves to be an amazing group experience of tense distrust and smug reward when your deception or deft bid work delivers.
Critics will question the value for money on this one based on what’s in the small box – 30 discs of (undeniably) sumptuously designed heavy-weight cardboard for £16 (or thereabouts) but I would counter the many hours (and there will be many) of tense entertainment that they collectively enable is money thoroughly well spent. It’s also a satisfying game to introduce to non or seldom gamers who will swiftly pick it up and no doubt relish the enforced duplicity.
The publisher’s age suitably suggestion is 14+? Not entirely sure why this is so high (skull motifs?). There are no small components here to shove in your mouth, and the sole mechanic is easy to grasp. Those with low attention spans won’t have the patience for it but I can confidently attest that children aged 10+ can easily appreciate the bluff subtleties (and will ably demonstrate them to you time and time again).
delicious duplicity
Skull is a reliable crowd pleaser that’s guaranteed to gather curious (and soon to be invested) onlookers whether you’re travelling, camping, down the pub or at the bus stop.
Like a high stakes poker game depicted in a Western, this will have you all narrowing your eyes and struggling to read the table. Hopefully without the need to reach for a metaphorical six-shooter.
Skull is an addictive, duplicitous delight.
Moderate
3-6
20-30 mins
Easy
Why buy?
Thoroughly spartan mechanic-wise that on the face of it really shouldn’t work, but with the right set of players this will be your new short-play go-to table-top addiction. Duplicitous delight. Highly recommended.
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