At one of the few family gatherings I’ve attended since this world-changing pandemic began, I had the pleasure of being introduced to a little card game called Skull King by Grandpa Beck’s Games. The small box size, fun pirate-themed artwork, and the enthusiasm with which it was brought to the table had me looking forward to trying it out.

Skull King is a trick-taking game, similar to classics like Hearts, where each player puts a card from their hand onto the table and the player who contributed the highest-value card takes the “trick.” But this one’s got a few fun twists. Each player is only dealt one card in the first round, which makes for a quick start. But with each new round, that number increases until players start with full hands of 10 cards each. And the game doesn’t reward players for taking as few or as many tricks as possible–rather, players make bets at the beginning of each round, declaring how many tricks they think they will take. Take too many or too few, and you’ll actually lose points instead of gaining any at all. A well-played card can completely derail someone else’s strategy for the round, but that makes it all the more satisfying when things go according to plan.

The game’s pirate theme is spot-on. It feels exactly like the kind of high-stakes game you’d play with your mateys out on the open sea, especially since the rules specify that you must declare your opening bids by calling “Yo ho ho!” in unison. Playing one of the game’s special pirate cards usually guarantees that you’ll take the trick, but there’s one card that beats them all–the Skull King himself, who looks like Captain Jack Sparrow if he were played by Jake Gyllenhaal.

As I looked at the game box after the game, I learned that Skull King wasn’t the first of Grandpa Beck’s games I’ve played–Cover Your Assets is another extended-family favorite that often makes an appearance at after-dinner game nights. A folded sheet included with the game tells the story of Grandpa Beck and his family of designers and playtesters, and I couldn’t help but feel a little jealous. They’ve made a successful business designing and selling games on Amazon. I wish them continued success and hope to follow their lead.

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I won’t get to play this game again for a while, but I look forward to the day I do. Until then, I’ll keep practicing my “Yo ho ho!” and wondering why the rum is gone.