Play Nine and Skyjo are two boxed versions of the same idea: the traditional card game Golf. In both, you start with a grid of face-down cards and swap them out to get the lowest score. The differences are the grid, the matching rule, and how the game ends.
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We own Play Nine and rate it 3/5 Bamboo and 3/5 Pandas. We haven’t reviewed Skyjo, so this comparison is built from the published rules for both games and gives no rating for Skyjo.
| Play Nine | Skyjo | |
|---|---|---|
| Created | 2004, Ceil Anderson and Kathy Assell | 2015, Alexander Bernhardt |
| Cards | 108 | 150 |
| Card values | 0 to 12, plus −5 | −2 to 12 |
| Players | 2–6 | 2–8 |
| Age | 8+ | 8+ |
| Your grid | 8 cards, 2 rows of 4 | 12 cards, 3 rows of 4 |
| Matching rule | A pair in a column scores 0 | Three of a kind in a column is removed |
| Bonuses | −10, −15, −20 for 2, 3 or 4 matching columns | None |
| Penalty | None | Your score doubles if you end the round and don’t have the lowest score |
| Game length | 9 holes | Until someone reaches 100 points |
| Play time on BoardGameGeek | 45 min | 15–45 min |
Play Nine’s numbers come from its official instruction sheet. Skyjo’s card count, player count and age come from Magilano’s Skyjo page. Its grid, column rule, doubling penalty and 100-point ending are as described in Wikipedia’s Skyjo entry (in German), and the dates and play times are from the BoardGameGeek entry for Skyjo.
How the Two Games Actually Differ
The grids are different sizes, and that changes how matching works. Play Nine gives you eight cards in two rows. Skyjo gives you twelve cards in three rows.
In Play Nine, two matching cards in a column cancel to zero. In Skyjo, you need all three cards in a column to match, and then the whole column is removed from your grid.
So a match is easier to make in Play Nine, because it only takes two cards. In Skyjo it takes three, and the reward is bigger: three cards gone.
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Which Has the Better Scoring?
Play Nine has more ways to score. Skyjo has more ways to get hurt.
Play Nine rewards building. Two matching columns of the same number earn a −10 bonus, three earn −15 and four earn −20. Its four Hole-in-One cards are worth −5 each.
Play Nine’s twist: bonuses. You can go well below zero on a hole by stacking matching columns.
Skyjo’s twist: a penalty. If you end the round and someone else has a lower score, your points for that round are doubled.
That penalty makes ending a round in Skyjo a real gamble. In Play Nine, ending a hole carries no penalty at all. You’re only betting that your score beats what the others can fix in one turn.
Which Is Easier to Learn?
“Is Skyjo easier than Play Nine?” Slightly. Both are light games, and BoardGameGeek users rate both near the bottom of its complexity scale: Skyjo at about 1.1 out of 5 and Play Nine at about 1.2.
Skyjo has less to remember when you count up. You add the cards that are left. Play Nine asks you to check for pairs, bonuses and the Hole-in-One exception before you total a hole.
Both boxes say ages 8 and up.
Which Is Better for Big Groups?
Skyjo seats more. It plays 2 to 8. Play Nine plays 2 to 6.
For a table of seven or eight, Skyjo is the only one of the two that works out of the box.
Which Takes Longer?
Play Nine has a fixed length and Skyjo doesn’t. Play Nine is always nine holes. Skyjo runs until one player reaches 100 points, so a game can be short or long depending on how the rounds go.
If you want to know when the game will end before you start, Play Nine tells you. If you’d rather stop when someone has clearly lost, Skyjo does that.
So Which Should You Buy?
- You want bonuses and big swings: Play Nine.
- You want the simplest scoring: Skyjo.
- You regularly seat seven or eight: Skyjo.
- You want a game with a set length: Play Nine.
- You like the golf theme: Play Nine. Its cards and rules are all written in golf terms.
They’re close enough that most households only need one.
For the full verdict on Play Nine, read the Play Nine review. The Play Nine rules guide has the full scoring table, and the Play Nine strategy guide has the odds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Play Nine the same as Skyjo?
No, but they’re related. Both are versions of the card game Golf. Play Nine uses eight cards in two rows and nine fixed holes. Skyjo uses twelve cards in three rows and plays until someone reaches 100 points.
Which came first, Play Nine or Skyjo?
Play Nine. BoardGameGeek lists Play Nine as published in 2004 and Skyjo in 2015.
Which has more cards, Play Nine or Skyjo?
Skyjo has 150 cards with values from −2 to 12. Play Nine has 108 cards: eight each of 0 through 12, plus four Hole-in-One cards worth −5.
How many players can play Skyjo and Play Nine?
Skyjo plays 2 to 8. Play Nine plays 2 to 6.
Is Play Nine like the card game Golf?
Yes. Play Nine is a boxed version of eight-card Golf, with its own card values, a −5 Hole-in-One card and bonuses for matching columns.
Does Skyjo have bonuses like Play Nine?
No. Skyjo removes a column when all three of its cards match, and it doubles your round score if you end the round without the lowest total. Play Nine has no penalty and gives −10, −15 and −20 bonuses for matching columns.