Five Crowns rules

How to play Five Crowns: eleven rounds, a hand that grows by a card each round, and a wild card that changes with it. The rules here are in our own words. The rules sheet and round cards to print are an original design called Rookhallow, free for Letter or A4.

Players
Two to seven
Rounds
Eleven, dealt from 3 cards up to 13
Wild cards
The rank that matches the cards dealt, and every joker
Free PDFs
The rules sheet and four round cards, Letter or A4, at actual size

The eleven rounds

How many cards each player is dealt in each round, and which rank is wild. Jokers are wild in every round.

RoundCards dealtWild card
133s wild
244s wild
355s wild
466s wild
577s wild
688s wild
799s wild
81010s wild
911Jacks wild
1012Queens wild
1113Kings wild

The deck sold for the game has five suits of 3s to Kings, two of each card, and six jokers: 116 cards. With ordinary cards, shuffle two packs together with the aces and 2s taken out and the jokers left in.

Print the rules

Two sheets in indigo and coral on white: the whole game with every round's wild card and the points, and four round cards to cut apart. Print them at actual size. No account needed.

2 templates

Rookhallow 3-13 Card Game Rules Template preview
Rookhallow3-13 Card Game Rules

The rules of the eleven round rummy dealt from 3 cards up to 13, where the wild card is the rank that matches the cards dealt. The Rules Sheet has the game in seven steps, a book and two runs drawn as examples, every round's cards and wild card, what each card left in a hand scores, and a box for your table's own rules. The Round Cards sheet has four cards to cut apart, one for each player. Each sheet is 8 × 10 inches and prints on Letter or A4.

2 designs4 sample rules sheets4 fields
Fanwick Rummy Score Sheet Template preview
FanwickRummy Score Sheet

A printable rummy score sheet for the eleven round game dealt from three cards up to thirteen, where the wild card changes every round. Each round prints how many cards to deal and which rank is wild, from 3s in the first round to Kings in the last, with a box for the round's points and a smaller one for the running total. The One Game sheet holds up to seven players and the Two Games sheet fits two games for the same players on one page. Type the names in the sheet and they print over their columns, or leave them out for a blank pad. Each sheet is 8 × 10 inches and prints on Letter or A4.

2 designs6 sample score sheets10 fields

How to play Five Crowns, in short

Everyone plays every round, and the lowest total after eleven rounds wins.

  1. Deal

    Deal three cards each in round 1, four in round 2, and one more every round up to thirteen in round 11. Turn the next card up to start the discard pile.

  2. Know the wild card

    The wild card is the rank that matches the cards dealt, so 3s are wild in round 1 and Kings in round 11. Jokers are always wild.

  3. Draw and discard

    On your turn, take the top card of the deck or of the discard pile, then discard one.

  4. Build books and runs

    A book is three or more cards of one rank, in any suits. A run is three or more cards in a row in one suit. A wild card can stand in for any card in either.

  5. Go out

    When every card but your discard fits into books and runs, lay your hand down. Each other player gets one more turn, lays down what they can and keeps the rest.

  6. Score

    Cards left in a hand count against you: what a number card shows, 11 for a Jack, 12 for a Queen, 13 for a King, 20 for the round's wild card and 50 for a joker. Going out scores 0.

Questions about Five Crowns rules

Everything you need to know before getting started.

Still have questions? Contact us

Is this the official Five Crowns rulebook?

No. ShuffleKit is not affiliated with or endorsed by SET Enterprises or PlayMonster. The rules on this page are a summary in our own words, and the rules sheet and round cards are an original design called Rookhallow, with none of their logo, crown, suits or card art. The rulebook in the box has the final word.

How much is each card worth in Five Crowns?

Cards left in your hand when a round ends score against you. 3s to 10s score what they show, a Jack 11, a Queen 12 and a King 13. The round's wild card scores 20 and a joker 50. The player who went out scores 0.

Can you lay down books and runs before someone goes out?

No. You keep every card in your hand until you can go out in one go. Once a player has gone out, each other player gets one more turn and lays down whatever books and runs they can, so only the leftover cards count against them.

Can two people play Five Crowns?

Yes. It plays the same with two as with seven: the deal, the wild cards and the scoring do not change. With two, the draw pile lasts longer and each round goes faster.

Is Five Crowns luck or skill?

Some of each. The deal and the draw are luck, and what you keep, when you take the discard and when you go out are choices, so over eleven rounds the steadier player tends to come out ahead.

Can I play with an ordinary deck of cards?

Yes. Shuffle two packs together with the aces and 2s taken out and the jokers left in. That gives four suits where the boxed game has five, and the rounds, wild cards and scores stay the same.

Can I download the rules without signing up?

Yes. Each PDF on this page has two pages, the rules sheet and four round cards, on Letter or on A4, with no account needed. Print them at actual size: each sheet is 8 × 10 inches on either paper.

Where do we keep score?

On a score sheet with a row for each of the eleven rounds and every round's wild card printed beside it. It is free to print too. A Five Crowns style score sheet.

Read next

Five Crowns is a trademark of SET Enterprises, Inc., and the game is sold by PlayMonster. ShuffleKit is not affiliated with or endorsed by either. The rules on this page are described in our own words, and the Rookhallow rules sheet and round cards are an original design that contains none of their logos, suits or card art.

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