Shuffle the Skip-Bo deck.
Deal 5 cards to each player.
Place the remaining deck face down in the center as the draw pile (Skip-Bo deck).
Set aside 4 discard piles in the center (face up); these are the build piles.
Choose the first player.
On your turn:
Draw the top card from the draw pile to your hand (if you have fewer than 5 cards).
Build on the discard piles by placing cards in sequence starting with 1.
Continue building upward (1 to 2 to 3, etc.) as long as you can.
You may only place cards from your hand onto the build piles.
You may use multiple cards from your hand in a single turn to extend sequences.
When you cannot or choose not to play more, discard one card to any build pile only if it continues the sequence.
Special rules:
If a Skip-Bo card appears in your hand or on a build pile, it acts as a wild card and can represent any needed number to continue the sequence.
You may complete a sequence up to 12 and then start the next sequence on that same build pile.
You cannot place a card on a build pile if it would break the required increasing sequence (except where a Skip-Bo card is used as a wild to fill the needed number).
If you cannot make any valid plays, you must draw and/or play only as allowed by the game state.
Ending the game:
The first player to get rid of all cards in their hand and complete their building goal wins.
Play continues until a player has no cards left and has successfully built through the required sequences (as applicable by your deck’s ruleset).