Five Crowns is rummy with a five-suited deck and a twist. The set collection aspect of rummy is basically the same, with groups of three cards in either runs or denominations making a valid meld. The twist is that in each hand the number of cards required to create a meld increases, from three cards in the first hand to thirteen in the last. The game, therefore, consists of eleven hands.
In each hand, in addition to the six Jokers, other cards are designated as wild: in the first hand 3s are wild; in the second hand 4s are wild, and so on until in the last hand the Kings go wild. (You can remember which cards are wild because it matches the number of cards in hand, i.e., in the first hand you hold three cards and 3s are wild.) A hand ends when a player can meld all cards in her hand after the discard.
- Classic family game with accessible rules
- Good with mixed ages
- Can be repetitive after multiple plays
- Flamboyant set-collection with wild cards
- Swinging crown-themed rummy-style play
- Light, family-friendly
- Phase 10
- Bonanza
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card shedding / set collection — Players shed cards to reach goals, with multiple decks used and wilds possible.
- Variable hand sizes / round-based play — Rounds shift with crown cards; strategy shifts per round.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Spring is here. Spring is here. We are into spring.
- 21 years. And guess what? I'mI'm still sane.
- Stop the hate. We love Katon.
- That’s Dope. The party game for strong opinions.
- Flip Seven is on the list. It is so much fun.
References (from this video)
- Very social and hilarious in groups
- Strong party game for introducing bluffing concepts
- Humor can be hit or miss for some groups
- Critical mass required for best effect
- bluffing and social deduction
- party game with bluffing
- meta-game with revealed information
- Time's Up
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- bluffing — players bluff and reveal cards to avoid skulls
- Memory and deduction — read players and past actions to guide choices
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- This game has sold hundreds of thousands of copies worldwide.
- Ticket to Ride is essentially about collecting cards and building routes.
- In Las Vegas you'll be throwing a dice and you'll be placing the entire lot of a number that you've just thrown onto a casino.
- Skull and Roses is a wonderful bluffing game.
- Time's Up is a card game with three rounds: free, one word, and nothing at all.