Game Rules: Five Crowns

Game Identity

• Name: Five Crowns
• Player Count: 2–7 players. Standard: 3–5.
• Teams: No teams. All players compete individually.
• Theme: Commercial rummy-variant card game by Set Enterprises. Uses a unique 5-suited deck (Stars, Clubs, Hearts, Spades, Diamonds). Played over 11 rounds with changing hand sizes and wild cards.

Scoring Mechanics

• Scoring Variant: Evasion — lowest cumulative score wins.
• Target Score: Fixed 11 rounds. Lowest total score after all rounds wins.
• Unit of Scoring: Points from cards remaining in hand at round end.
• Lower vs. Higher: Lower is better.

Rules & Validation

Round Structure (11 Rounds)

• Round n: Players are dealt n + 2 cards (Round 1 = 3 cards, Round 11 = 13 cards).
• Wild Card per Round: The wild card changes each round — it matches the number equal to the hand size:

  Round	Hand Size	Wild Card
  1	3	3s
  2	4	4s
  3	5	5s
  …	…	…
  11	13	Ks

  • Jokers are always wild in addition to the round's wild card.

Scoring (Points Left in Hand)

• Jokers: 50 points each
• Kings: 13 points each
• Queens: 12 points each
• Jacks: 11 points each
• Number Cards (3–10): Face value
• Going Out: The player who "goes out" (melds their entire hand) scores 0 for that round. All other players score once before the round ends, then tally remaining cards.

Validation Rules

• Per-player per-round score: 0 (went out or all cards melded) to a large number (all high cards in hand).
• All players get one final turn after someone goes out.

Special Actions / Bonuses

• Going Out: Meld all cards into valid sets or runs (using wilds as needed). Score 0 for the round.
• Last-Turn Scramble: After a player goes out, remaining players may lay down partial melds in their final turn; only unmelded cards count against them.

Win Conditions

• Condition: After all 11 rounds, the player with the lowest cumulative score wins.
• Tie-Breaker: Compare final-round scores. If still tied, work backward through rounds until one player has a lower score.

Set Up in Doodle Score

Five Crowns has a dedicated scorecard in Doodle Score — everything is pre-configured including score tracking, validation, and special rules.

Download the app, tap New Scorecard, and choose Five Crowns.