What you need
- Two Five Crowns decks of 58 cards each, shuffled together (116 cards). Each deck has five suits (stars, hearts, clubs, spades, diamonds) with eleven cards in each suit: 3 through 10, Jack, Queen and King, plus three Jokers. There are no Aces or 2s.
- Pencil and paper, or the free score keeper
Players and time
2 to 7 players (the rules also include a solo version). About 45 minutes.
The goal
Have the lowest total score after the eleventh round. In every round you try to make your whole hand into books and runs and go out. The cards you cannot use count against you.
Setup
- Shuffle both decks together.
- In round 1, deal 3 cards to each player, one at a time, clockwise. Each round after that, deal one more card than the round before: 4 in round 2, 5 in round 3, and so on up to 13 in round 11.
- Put the rest of the cards face down in the middle as the draw pile. Turn the top card over next to it to start the discard pile.
- The wild card for the round is the rank that matches the number of cards dealt: 3s in round 1, 4s in round 2, up to Kings in round 11 (see the table below). Jokers are always wild.
A turn
- The player to the dealer's left goes first, then play passes clockwise.
- Start your turn by drawing a card, either the top card of the draw pile or the top card of the discard pile. You can only take the top card of the discard pile.
- You keep your books and runs in your hand until you are able to go out.
- End your turn by discarding one card.
- Going out. Start your turn as normal, then lay your entire hand down in books and runs on the table in front of you, discarding your last card. You can only use the number of cards you were dealt for the round, so one card must be left over to discard. That discard may be a card you could have played.
- Once a player has gone out, every other player gets one more turn. They draw as usual, lay down whatever books and runs they can, discard one card, and then count the cards left in their hand. During this last turn you may not add cards to anyone else's books or runs.
- Score the round (see Scoring). The player to the dealer's left shuffles all the cards and deals the next round, with one more card each.
Special cards and combinations
- Book
- Three or more cards of the same rank, in any suits. For example, three 8s, or four Kings.
- Run
- Three or more consecutive cards of the same suit. For example, 5, 6, 7 of clubs, or 9, 10, Jack, Queen of stars. There are no Aces or 2s, so the lowest card in a run is a 3 and the highest is a King.
- Wild cards
- A wild card can stand in for any card in a book or a run. The publisher's rules put no limit on how many wild cards you can use in one book or run, and they can sit next to each other.
- Jokers
- Jokers are always wild, in every round.
- The rotating wild card
- The wild rank follows the number of cards dealt in the round. In round 1, with 3 cards dealt, the 3s are wild. In round 8 (10 cards) the 10s are wild, in round 9 (11 cards) the Jacks, in round 10 (12 cards) the Queens, and in round 11 (13 cards) the Kings. If you are unsure which card is wild, count the number of cards you were dealt.
- An unusable wild card
- If you hold a wild card you cannot use, you are allowed to discard it. That may help you or the next player.
Scoring
After each round, every player adds up the cards left in their hand. Cards used in books and runs score nothing. The player who went out scores 0 for the round. Add the round scores to your running total.
| Card | Points |
|---|---|
| 3 through 10 | Face value |
| Jack | 11 |
| Queen | 12 |
| King | 13 |
| Wild card of the round (not a Joker) | 20 |
| Joker | 50 |
Worked example
Round 5: 7 cards are dealt and 7s are wild. Ana goes out, so she scores 0. After his last turn Ben is left with a King, a 5 and a wild 7: 13 + 5 + 20 = 38. Cy is left with a Joker, a 3 and a 9: 50 + 3 + 9 = 62. Dee is left with a Jack, a 10 and a 4: 11 + 10 + 4 = 25.
If their totals before the round were Ana 40, Ben 31, Cy 47 and Dee 35, they are now Ana 40, Ben 69, Cy 109 and Dee 60.
Keep score with the Five Crowns score keeper
How to win
After the eleventh round, when each player was dealt 13 cards and the Kings were wild, the player with the lowest total score wins. If there is a tie for the lowest score, the rules say there can be several winners, or you can deal a tie-breaking round of 6 cards for only the tied players.
Common house rules
These are house rules. They are not part of the official rules, so agree on them before you start.
- At least one natural card House rule
- The publisher's rules allow as many wild cards as you like in a book or run. Some groups require at least one natural (non-wild) card in each book or run, so a meld of only wild cards is not allowed. This is a house rule.
- Playing on other players' melds House rule
- The publisher's rules do not allow you to add cards to another player's books or runs. Some groups allow it. This is a house rule.
Frequently asked questions
How many cards do you deal in each round of Five Crowns?
Three cards in round 1, and one more each round, so round 2 is 4 cards, round 3 is 5 cards, and so on up to 13 cards in round 11.
Which card is wild in each round?
The wild rank matches the number of cards dealt. Round 1 has 3s wild, round 2 has 4s, round 3 has 5s, round 4 has 6s, round 5 has 7s, round 6 has 8s, round 7 has 9s, round 8 has 10s, round 9 has Jacks, round 10 has Queens and round 11 has Kings. Jokers are wild in every round.
How many points is each card worth?
Number cards from 3 to 10 are worth their face value. Jacks are 11, Queens 12 and Kings 13. The wild card of the round is worth 20 points and a Joker is worth 50.
Can you go out without a discard?
No. You can only use the number of cards you were dealt for the round, so you must have one card left over to discard when you go out. That final discard can be a playable card.
What happens after someone goes out?
Every other player gets one more turn. They draw, lay down any books and runs they can, discard, and count the points left in their hand. They cannot add cards to other players' books or runs.
Who wins Five Crowns?
The player with the lowest score after all 11 rounds. The player who goes out scores 0 for that round, and everyone else adds up the points in the cards they could not use.
What if the draw pile runs out?
Shuffle the discard pile to make a new draw pile.
Is there an Ace in Five Crowns?
No. The cards in each suit run from 3 to King, and there are five suits: stars, hearts, clubs, spades and diamonds.
Sources
- PlayMonster, Five Crowns instructions (rules sheet, item 4001) (Goal, decks and suits, rotating wild cards, books and runs, dealing, play, going out, last turns, card values, tie-breaking and hints.)
- PlayMonster, Five Crowns product page (Player count (1 to 7) and the link to the rules sheet.)
Five Crowns is a trademark of Cannei, LLC, which does business as PlayMonster. Rules and Scores is not affiliated with or endorsed by PlayMonster.