Two to four people can play at a time as individuals or six or more players in teams (no more than three partnerships). The object of the game is to be the first player or team to play out their entire stock pile(s). Each player is dealt 30 cards for their pile with only the top card visible, and a hand of five cards, and the remaining cards are placed face down to create a common draw pile. The shared play area allows up to four build piles, which must be started using either a "1" card or a Skip-Bo, and each player also has up to four personal discard piles. Each turn the active player draws until he has five cards in hand, and plays on the build piles. He must play either the next card in sequential order or a wild Skip-Bo card, using either cards in hand, the top card of his stock pile, or the top card of any of his four discard piles. If the player can play all five cards from his hand, he draws five more and continues playing. When no more plays are available, the player discards one card to either an empty discard pile or on top of an existing one and play passes to the next player. When a build pile reaches 12, it is removed from the board and that space becomes empty for another pile to be started; play continues until one player has played his final start card.