Five Crowns Card Game

• 🎴  How to Play Five Crowns
• 🃏  Five Crowns Rules
• 🎯  Five Crowns Variations
• 👾  FAQs about Five Crowns

Looking for a card game that’s quick to learn but full of strategy? The Five Crowns card game is a modern twist on Rummy that adds a fifth suit (stars!) and an ever-changing wild card each round. It’s a mix of luck, memory, and planning that keeps players hooked until the very last round.

The 5 Crowns card game runs for 11 rounds, with the number of cards you’re dealt increasing each round. Books, runs, Jokers, and wild cards all come into play, making every hand a puzzle you’re racing to solve before someone else goes out.

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How to Play Five Crowns

The goal is simple: finish the game with the lowest score after 11 rounds. But with new wild cards every round, things get tricky fast.

1. Set up the deck

Use the special Five Crowns deck, which has five suits: spades, hearts, clubs, diamonds, and stars. Shuffle both decks together, including Jokers.

2. Deal the cards

In round one, deal 3 cards to each player. In round two, deal 4. Keep increasing until the last round, where each player gets 11 cards.

3. Start the round

Place the remaining cards in the middle as the draw pile. Flip the top card over to start the discard pile.

4. Take your turn

On your turn, draw one card (from the pile or discard) and then discard one. Try to form books (same rank) or runs (consecutive cards in the same suit).

5. Watch the wild card

Each round has its own wild card, equal to the number of cards dealt. For example, in round three, all 3s are wild. Jokers are always wild.

6. Go out

A player can go out when they’ve played all their cards in books and runs, keeping just one card to discard.

7. Scoring

Cards left in your hand count against you. Numbers = face value, face cards = 11–13, current wilds = 20, Jokers = 50. Lowest total after 11 rounds wins.

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Five Crowns Rules

Want to improve your odds? These simple tips can help keep your score low and give you the edge.

1. Don’t hold wilds too long

Wild cards are powerful, but if you get stuck with one at the end, it’s a heavy penalty.

2. Track discards

Pay attention to what other players are throwing away—you’ll know what they’re not building toward.

3. Rearrange often

You can keep moving your cards around mid-round. Rebuilding your grid can save you from being trapped.

4. Play defensive

Sometimes it’s smarter not to pick up a card, especially if it clearly helps your opponent more than you.

5. Plan for the final rounds

As the rounds get longer, penalties get bigger. Play safer in rounds 9–11 to avoid stacking up points.

Five Crowns Variations

Once you’ve got the basics down, mix things up with fun twists. These Five Crowns variations keep game night exciting.

1. Speed Crowns

Play each round with a timer so no one can stall. It forces quick decisions and makes the game more frantic.

How to play Speed Crowns

1. Use the same standard rules.
2. Set a timer (30–60 seconds) for each turn.
3. If a player doesn’t discard in time, they must take a penalty card.
4. Continue play as normal, but keep the timer strict.
5. The game ends as usual after 11 rounds, lowest score wins.

2. Double Wilds

Raise the chaos by adding an extra wild card every round.

How to play Double Wilds

1. Play using the usual Five Crowns setup.
2. In addition to the normal wild (equal to the round number), add the next number as wild too.
3. Example: In round 5, both 5s and 6s are wild.
4. Jokers remain wild no matter the round.
5. Keep scoring the same way, but expect bigger swings.

3. Sudden Death

A fast variant perfect for short game nights.

How to play Sudden Death

1. Only play 5 rounds instead of 11.
2. Deal cards as normal for each round.
3. Wild cards follow the same pattern (round number = wild).
4. Double the penalty values for wilds and Jokers.
5. Lowest score after 5 rounds wins.

FAQs about Five Crowns Card Game

1. How many players can play Five Crowns?

Anywhere from 2 to 7 players, but it’s best with 4 or more.

2. Can I play Five Crowns online?

Yes! There are apps and online versions that let you play the 5 Crowns card game digitally.

3. How long does a game take?

Around 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the number of players.

4. What’s the hardest round in Five Crowns?

The final round with 11 cards—it’s where big penalties can swing the game.

5. Do I need the official deck?

Yes, since it includes the fifth suit (stars). A regular deck won’t work.