Skully (game)

The skully field of play, or board, is a large square approximately six feet (2 m) a side.

At each corner and along the edges of the board are drawn 12 smaller squares, called boxes, of about six inches (15 cm) a side each (see diagram).

A short distance from the "1" box is found a start line approximately six inches long.

The dimensions of the skully board can vary depending upon physical restrictions and neighborhood game play practices.

There were no numbered squares in the corners of the board and the box labeled "1" is below the main area, with an attached "start" oval.

If successful (the cap cannot touch a line), the player continues by flicking for the next number and so on in the sequence: "2", "3", "4" etc., up to "12".

Flicking a piece into a square without touching a line allows the player to immediately take another turn.

The circuit of these must be performed in succession in a single turn, with the player saying "I" in the first, "am" in the second, "a" in the third, and finally "killer" in the fourth, or a variation, such as "I'm", "a", "killa".

In another variation of the game, players must complete the circuit of numbers from "1" to "13", then backwards back to "1", before making the attempt to become a killer.

The version with MUD in the middle, played in New Rochelle, New York, goes up to 10 and the game board is slightly different.

[citation needed] At Bronx House Emanuel Summer Camp, an over-sized skully board was painted on the basketball court and the game was played with shuffleboard equipment.

[citation needed] It is said that the game has existed as long as the crown-rimmed bottle cap, which was invented in 1892.