Back in January of this year, I learned about a new dice game called SKUNK’D that would be having a crowdfunding campaign. While a dice game is not usually my first choice for playing a game, over the holidays when our entire family got together we had a lot of fun playing dice games around the dining room table. Unlike some of the other games we played, everyone got involved and enjoyed the dice games. Therefore, with those memories still fresh and learning that the game was designed and developed by a family not unlike my own, I asked them to send me a copy of the game to review.
As soon as I received a copy of the game, I took it to my high school tabletop game club and let them go with it. They read the rules and started playing. It took a few turns of play and checking the rules to make sure they were scoring correctly and then they took off with the game. They had a lot of fun and were excited and loud with each roll of the dice. During our next club meetings, they invited other friends to try it and quickly gained converts. The campaign was a success and now SKUNK’D is available for sale.
What Is SKUNK’D?
SKUNK’D is a dice-rolling game for one or more players, ages 8 and up, and takes about 10-25 minutes to play. It’s currently available directly from the developer at a price of $29.99 for a copy of the game. It is also now available from Amazon as well. SKUNK’D was designed and published by Hooked on Johnson Games LLC. Character art and illustrations are by Paula Ribiero.
SKUNK’D Components
Here is what you get with the game.
- 6 SKUNK’D Dice
- Game Instructions
- Stink Sheet
- 10 SKUNK’D Cards
- Scorepad
- Pen
- Game Pouch
The game comes with six custom black dice. On each die, the side with one pip has been replaced with the SKUNK’D icon.
The Stink Sheet is a card showing the scoring combinations. It provides a quick reference to remind players of the rules.
In addition to the Stink Sheet, the game includes ten SKUNK’D rule cards. Each contains either a slightly silly or devoid-of-reason rule which can be added to the basic rules for a game. The Single Cinco card has the rule that if a player rolls six 5s, one at a time, they score 3,000 points. The Stinky Super SKUNK’D card adds a rule that if a player has Super SKUNK’D which is rolling six dice at once with none of them scoring, they reset their score on the board to zero.
The canvas pouch is big enough to hold all the dice, cards, scorepad, pen, and rules and allows you to take SKUNK’D wherever you go.
SKUNK’D also comes with its own scorepad and pen for all of your scoring needs.
How to Play SKUNK’D
You can download a copy of the rulebook here.
The Goal
The goal of the game is to score the most points by the end of the game.
Setup
To set up the game, open the pouch and remove the dice, cards, and rules. Each player rolls six dice and the one with the most skunks goes first and sets the game rules. They can choose to use the basic rules or add one or more SKUNK’D cards with their additional rules. Place the chosen cards face up for all to see and you are ready to start the game.
Gameplay
The game of SKUNK’D has every player taking a turn by first rolling all six dice. After each roll, a player must put at least one scoring die into their den. They can then either end their turn and keep their score or continue rolling. Failing to roll any scoring dice on the first or subsequent rolls is a SKUNK’D and the player loses any points they have in their den and pass the dice to the next player. When a player rolls six scoring dice, meaning they have six dice that all score, this is known as a sequence. Remember the score of those dice as in the den and then roll all six dice again. This is referred to in the game as “…and rolling.” They can then continue to keep at least one scoring die in their den and can stop whenever they choose, put those points on the board, and pass the dice to the next player. Whenever you roll a sequence, you must roll all the dice again at least once and get a scoring die in order to get your points on the board. At the start of the game, to get your first points on the board, a player must roll a sequence…and rolling, for their first score. There is also an Out of Bounds rule. If a player rolls one or more dice off of the rolling surface, or if any dice come to rest on top of each other, the player must re-roll all of the dice used for the roll.
Scoring
Skunks and Fives are scoring dice. A Skunk is worth 100 pts and a five is 50 pts. These can be put in your den individually. If you ever roll 3 or more twos, threes, fours, or sixes, these are called Megas and they can be put into your den. If you already have a Mega in your den, you can add additional dice of that same number to your den as well. There are other scoring combinations like carbuncles that allow you to score doubles of dice other than skunks and fives only if you can then pick up all six dice and continue rolling. Plus some combinations score high if you roll them in a single roll of all six dice.
Game End
When the first player’s score reaches or exceeds 10,000 points, overtime SKUNK’D begins. Play continues to the next player. If that player can get a higher score than the leader, they become the new leader. Otherwise, they are out of the game. Play continues until there is only one player left and they are the winner. Not only do they get to enjoy their victory but they are also the first player in the next game and get to set the rules.
Why You Should Play SKUNK’D
My grandmother taught me my first dice game, Yahtzee, at her kitchen table. I would then play it with my older cousins as well. When my family got together over the holidays, we spent several evenings playing dice games. We learned a game one of my sons learned as well as a game my daughter-in-law’s family played. Though the rules were fairly simple, we had an enjoyable time. There is something about dice games that really brings family and friends together. Maybe it’s the kinetics of rolling cubes. Maybe it’s the chance of each roll with everyone watching. No matter what makes dice games exciting, it is always fun to learn new games.
While the students in the tabletop game club at my high school played the prototype last school year, since I received my final copy of the game for which I had pledged during the campaign, they have continued to play once a week during our club meeting. In addition, I introduced SKUNK’D to my game design class, and several used the game for the game analysis project. That group was the loudest in the classroom and most of them began coming to the club meetings to play SKUNK’D. Almost every week, there is a student who learns the game for the first time and they always enjoy it. I have had a lot of fun playing SKUNK’D with my family as well as with the solo rules. In the solo rules, you must have at least 1,000 pts in your den before you can add it to the board. If you fail to score on a roll, you lose one of your six skunk lives. Once you have lost all six lives, you then compare your final score to five scoring categories to see how well you did.
I had the opportunity to talk to Ken Johnson, the “Chief Johnson Officer” of the company, during a couple of phone calls to learn more about the game and to ask questions. He was also happy to respond to my emails and texts with questions from my students in the tabletop game club. He even created a short video for my students, which is now available on YouTube, to explain how to get on the board and how to score more points. In fact, the rule for getting your first points on the board was changed from the prototype to the final product partially in response to my students’ questions and experience.
I like how quickly a game of SKUNK’D gets started and how easy it is to teach. In fact, you can teach it as you play. The press your luck and risk vs. reward elements really add to the excitement. Every roll is a risk since you could easily end up with zero points for that turn. As other players get higher scores, it forces you to keep pushing to beat them, especially when you get into overtime SKUNK’D where if you do not take the lead, you are out of the game. The basic rules of the game are fun as witnessed by the tabletop game club, which uses them most of the time as they are often teaching a new player. However, adding in the additional rules with the SKUNK’D cards adds even more fun. While the first player chooses any cards they want, you can really choose to use them however suits your fancy such as just randomly choosing a few. Most provide new ways to score extra points while some offer options for players which they can use one per game such as the Mulligan, which lets the player get a do-over. Since games don’t last very long, if you lose you can always play another game and keep the fun going.
Every time I have played or watched others play SKUNK’D, everyone has had a great time. My entire family is getting together for the holidays again I am definitely bringing SKUNK’D along to play with everyone. If you are looking for a fun dice game that is quick to pick up and play and offers excitement, changing rules, and rewards taking chances, then I highly recommend SKUNK’D. Be warned, this game can get loud. I mean the players may get loud. SKUNK’D also makes a great gift for family and friends.
For more information or to make a purchase, visit the SKUNK’D page!
Here is a video that Ken Johnson, the designer of SKUNK’D made in response to my students’ questions about the game.
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